Man pleads not guilty to assault charges after allegedly throwing sandwich at federal agent.
A Washington, D.C. man has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault charges following an incident in which he allegedly threw a sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent. Sean Charles Dunn, 37, was confronted by law enforcement officers in a video widely shared on social media just days after the announcement by the Trump administration that it would temporarily take control of the city’s municipal police force.
The confrontation occurred on August 10, 2025, along the U Street corridor, where Dunn was seen throwing a sub-style sandwich at the chest of a CBP officer. This unusual incident quickly gained notoriety online, leading some to view Dunn as a symbol of resistance against the Trump administration, an unexpected outcome given the nature of the actions involved.
Prior to this incident, Dunn had been employed as an international affairs specialist in the Justice Department’s criminal division; however, he was terminated following the incident. Initially facing a felony assault charge, Dunn’s case was later amended to a misdemeanor charge after a grand jury declined to indict him. This shift reflects the complexities surrounding the legal definitions of assault and the public’s heightened focus on interactions between citizens and law enforcement.
On Wednesday, Dunn appeared in federal court in D.C. where he maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty in a brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols. Reports from the courtroom described Dunn as stoic during the ten-minute proceedings. Judge Nichols has scheduled the trial to begin on November 3, 2025, with jury selection set to take place at that time.
Dunn’s case has sparked discussions around the implications of citizen interactions with law enforcement, particularly in the politically charged environment surrounding the Trump administration’s policies. After leaving the courtroom, Dunn did not make any statements to the media, and his attorney opted not to provide any comments regarding the case.
As the trial date approaches, the case remains a focal point of interest, shedding light on the increasingly complex dynamics between individual actions, political sentiment, and law enforcement responses in contemporary America.
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