DC Prosecutors Downgrade Charge for Man Who Threw Sandwich at Federal Agent

Sean Charles Dunn was arrested on assault charges after he allegedly threw a sandwich at a federal agent.

A person walks past posters of a protester throwing a sandwich in Washington on Aug. 21, 2025. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Prosecutors in Washington on Aug. 28 downgraded a charge against a man who was seen on camera throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent during the federal takeover of the D.C. police after a grand jury declined to indict the man.

Instead of pursuing a felony indictment, prosecutors charged former Justice Department employee Sean Dunn with a misdemeanor assault against a federal law enforcement officer. Misdemeanors do not require grand jury approval.

Earlier in August, Dunn was arrested on assault charges after he threw a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent in Washington, with a video of the incident going viral on social media. He was later fired from the Department of Justice (DOJ), officials said.

After he threw the sandwich, Dunn tried to run away but was apprehended, police said. He was initially released and then was rearrested by federal agents. A video of agents going to arrest and handcuff him was posted online by an official White House X account.

In a statement on Aug. 14, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote that the man was arrested by the bureau over the incident.

After the arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that she learned that the man was working for the DOJ and fired him.

“If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you. ... Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony,” Bondi said. “This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ. You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement.”

At about the same time, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro uploaded a video discussing the incident and issued a statement.

“Assault a law enforcement officer, and you’ll be prosecuted,“ she said. ”This guy thought it was funny—well, he doesn’t think it’s funny today, because we charged him with a felony.”

The Trump administration moved to federalize law enforcement efforts in Washington earlier in August in a bid to crack down on violent crime, a move that Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser on Aug. 27 said was effective.

“We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what [the Metropolitan Police Department] has been able to do in this city,” Bowser, a Democrat, told reporters at a news conference.

However, some Democrats in the capital have voiced concerns about the federal surge of law enforcement. Brianne Nadeau, a District of Columbia council member, claimed that the city is “under siege.”

“Our residents are afraid, hesitant to go out & to work, angry that our limited autonomy is being eroded,” Nadeau wrote in a post on X. “There is nothing welcome about this.”

The White House has stated that an emergency was declared in Washington because crime in the city “poses intolerable risks to the vital Federal functions that take place in the District of Columbia” and hampers “the recruitment and retention of essential Federal employees, undermine critical functions of Government and thus the well-being of the entire Nation, and erode confidence in the strength of the United States.”

The Epoch Times has made a request to the DOJ for comment.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.