Grand Juries Repeatedly Decline Felony Indictment for Man Who Threw Sandwich at Federal Agent
Former DOJ attorney Sean Charles Dunn faces misdemeanor assault after two grand juries declined felony indictments for throwing a sandwich at a federal agent.
Grand jury fails to indict accused D.C. sandwich thrower
World News Group
The Sub Heard Round the World
The Bulwark
Grand jury won’t indict man for throwing sandwich at federal agent in D.C.
New York Daily News
Federal lawyers fail to secure felony indictment against DC 'sandwich guy'
Washington Examiner
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Overview
- Sean Charles Dunn was arrested in Washington, D.C., for throwing a sub-style sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent during President Trump's public safety operation.
- The incident, captured on a viral video, involved Dunn allegedly swearing at the agent, calling him a "fascist," and attempting to flee the scene.
- Despite the video evidence, federal prosecutors repeatedly failed to secure a felony indictment against Dunn, with two grand juries declining to approve charges.
- This failure to indict is considered highly unusual by legal observers, occurring shortly after President Trump deployed federal agents and Dunn was fired from his Justice Department position.
- Defense lawyers and a federal judge raised concerns about potential federal overreach in arrests typically under local jurisdiction, highlighting the grand jury's crucial protective role.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story as a significant setback for the Trump administration's aggressive prosecution of violence against law enforcement. They emphasize the unusual nature of the grand jury's decision, linking it to broader public frustration and drawing comparisons to the administration's pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, thereby highlighting perceived inconsistencies in policy.
"The jury's decision also signaled mounting backlash among D.C. residents to Trump's surge of federal law enforcement personnel, which critics have panned as unnecessary, a scare tactic and racially motivated."
NBC News"The move is a blow to the Trump administration, which had highlighted the felony assault case against Sean Charles Dunn to show it would aggressively prosecute violence against law enforcement."
ABC News"The move is a blow to the Trump administration, which had highlighted the felony assault case against Sean Charles Dunn to show it would aggressively prosecute violence against law enforcement."
Associated Press"Hats off to the good citizens of the District of Columbia and the others who are meeting this moment with signs of fight and the recognition of what we’re facing."
The Bulwark"A federal grand jury empaneled to indict Dunn declined to do so."
CBS News"The upshot, Kreis said, is that the grand jury system worked: “It shows DC jurors are not going to roll over for the Trump Administration."
USA TODAY"The case is one of the examples of the legal pushback to President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington that has led to more than 1,000 arrests."
Military Times"The case is one of the examples of the legal pushback to President Donald Trump's law enforcement surge in Washington that has led to more than 1,000 arrests."
ABC News"The grand jury’s decision not to indict Sean Dunn is another sign of pushback from Washington, D.C., residents over Trump's deployment of the National Guard and other federal law enforcement agencies in the city, who have put a particular focus on immigration enforcement."
NBC News"The case is one of the examples of the legal pushback to President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington that has led to more than 1,000 arrests."
Chicago Tribune"Prosecutors failed to secure an indictment against the man accused of throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Patrol agent in Washington, D.C."
ABC News"The grand jury's decision in his case shows the deep unpopularity of the federal takeover of D.C.'s streets."
ReasonArticles (31)
FAQ
Sean Charles Dunn is a 37-year-old Air Force veteran and former Department of Justice trial attorney who served as a cyber transport systems specialist from 2006 to 2011, including an assignment in Germany.
Dunn approached Customs and Border Protection officers in Washington D.C., shouted insults including calling an officer a 'fascist', threw a wrapped sub-style sandwich forcefully at a federal agent, and then attempted to flee the scene.
The grand juries declined to indict Dunn on felony charges despite video evidence, reflecting concerns about federal overreach in arrests that are typically under local jurisdiction and the grand jury's protective role against unjust prosecutions.
Defense lawyers and a federal judge have raised concerns about potential federal overreach by prosecuting cases that usually fall under local jurisdiction, emphasizing the grand jury as a safeguard against such overreach.
The grand jury's refusal is seen as a safeguard against unjust prosecutions, echoing colonial-era grand juries that resisted British tyranny; similar recent cases include declined indictments in protester assaults, highlighting a critical check in the justice system.
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