A Washington, D.C., man has been charged with a felony for allegedly throwing a sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer during President Donald Trump's expanded policing operation in the nation's capital.
According to a criminal complaint, Sean Charles Dunn approached U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent Gregory Lairmore around 11 p.m. on Aug. 10 near a Subway shop on 14th Street NW. Dunn allegedly shouted, "Why are you here? I don't want you in my city!" while calling officers "fascists" and using expletives. The complaint states Dunn then hurled a "sub-style sandwich" at the agent's chest before running away.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show a man in a pink shirt confronting officers before tossing the sandwich and fleeing as agents pursued him. Court documents say Dunn was later apprehended and, while being processed, admitted, "I did it. I threw a sandwich."
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and employees. "He thought it was funny. Well, he doesn't think it's funny today because we charged him with a felony," Pirro said in a statement. In a video message posted on X, she added, "We're going to back the police to the hilt. So there, stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else."
The White House also issued a statement backing the prosecution. "Assaulting a law enforcement officer is a crime," spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. "The Trump Administration will always stand up for law enforcement officers and hold those accountable who seek to do them harm."
The incident occurred as Trump deployed approximately 450 federal agents to D.C. on Aug. 9 and 10, citing a need to address violent crime. The day after the alleged assault, he ordered National Guard troops into the city and assumed federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department, pledging to "rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse."
City officials dispute the urgency of the federal action, pointing to a 35% drop in violent crime in 2024, the lowest level in more than three decades, according to Metropolitan Police Department data and a U.S. Attorney's Office news release.
