A jury discovered Sean Charles Dunn, the person accused of throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Safety agent in Washington, D.C., not responsible of misdemeanor assault after three days of testimony and dozens of displays.
After the decision, Dunn hugged his attorneys and mentioned, “I’m relieved and sit up for transferring on with my life.”
“I’m so comfortable!” his lawyer Sabrina Shroff shouted as she left the courtroom.
Dunn, a former Division of Justice staffer, had been hit with the misdemeanor depend after a grand jury didn’t indict him on a felony assault cost for throwing a Subway sandwich on the agent throughout the federal regulation enforcement surge in August. Video of the encounter went viral after Dunn’s arrest.
In accordance with the sooner felony felony criticism, Dunn allegedly approached the officer and shouted, “Why are you right here? I do not need you in my metropolis!”
FBI and Border Patrol officers communicate with Sean Charles Dunn, after he allegedly assaulted regulation enforcement with a sandwich, alongside the U Avenue hall throughout a federal regulation enforcement deployment to the nation’s capital on Aug. 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Leyden/Getty Photographs
After a number of minutes of confrontation, Dunn threw the sandwich, placing the officer within the chest, the criticism mentioned.
Protection legal professional Sabrina Shroff signaled her technique instantly in her closing arguments on Wednesday, saying, “This case, girls and gents, is a few sandwich,” she mentioned. “A sandwich that landed intact, nonetheless in its Subway wrapping.”
Assistant U.S. Lawyer Michael DiLorenzo opened the federal government’s closing argument by urging jurors to search out Dunn, higher recognized on-line as “Sandwich Man,” responsible of misdemeanor assault.
“This case shouldn’t be about sturdy opinions,” DiLorenzo mentioned. “It’s not about immigration.” As an alternative, he argued, Dunn crossed a line the night time he threw the sandwich at a CBP agent.
The federal government mentioned Dunn brought about a “seven-minute disturbance” designed to drag consideration away from CBP and the Metropolitan Police Division throughout a “high-visibility” operation. “Distract the officers, transfer them from their publish,” DiLorenzo informed jurors.
Prosecutors then performed a video of Dunn admitting to officers, “I did it. I threw a sandwich. I did it to attract them away from the place they had been. I succeeded.”
FBI and Border Patrol officers arrest Sean Charles Dunn, after he allegedly assaulted regulation enforcement with a sandwich, alongside the U Avenue hall throughout a federal regulation enforcement deployment to the nation’s capital on Aug. 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Leyden/Getty Photographs
The federal government argued that intent, not the menu merchandise, is what issues. “Even with a sandwich, you don’t have the proper to the touch one other individual,” DiLorenzo mentioned.
At a number of factors, U.S. District Choose Carl J. Nichols reminded jurors that their verdict should relaxation on the proof introduced.
When Shroff continued her argument, she turned the federal government’s framing on its head, not by disputing the sandwich, however by arguing its authorized that means.
She confirmed images of the sandwich on the bottom after it hit the CBP agent after which pointed to one thing the federal government had not, the agent’s personal mementos from the incident. The agent, she mentioned, later obtained a faux Subway sandwich and a “felony footlong” badge from co-workers, each of which he displayed at work.
“If somebody assaulted you, if somebody offended you, would you retain a memento of that assault?” Shroff requested. “Would you stick it in your lunchbox and carry it every single day? In fact not.”
Shroff argued the sandwich brought about no harm, was not a foreseeable weapon, and that Dunn was engaged in protected political speech. She in contrast the incident to “a child throwing a stuffed toy in the midst of a bedtime mood tantrum.”
Dunn waived his proper to testify in courtroom Wednesday forward of closing arguments.
-ABC Information’ Alex Mallin contributed to this report.
