Jurors Find Sandwich Hurler Not Guilty of Assault

New York Times ^ | 11/6/2025 | Zach Montague

[Miami Rebel]

Sean C. Dunn, the man who pitched a sandwich at the chest of a federal agent in a viral act of opposition to President Trump's law enforcement policies in Washington, was acquitted on Thursday after a jury found him not guilty of misdemeanor assault.

The verdict, which arrived after the jury deliberated for roughly seven hours, capped a nearly three-month effort to penalize Mr. Dunn for the August outburst and the resulting chase to arrest him, after the government previously failed to persuade a grand jury to charge him with a felony.

It marked a significant setback for Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, who made Mr. Dunn’s case a centerpiece of Mr. Trump’s aggressive policing and prosecuting scheme in the city.

The jury determined that the launching of the 12-inch deli sandwich from what the government described as “point-blank range” was not an attempt to cause injury.

The verdict followed a three-day trial focused primarily on whether Mr. Dunn, a former paralegal in the Justice Department, had impeded federal agents while they patrolled a row of nightclubs in Washington as part of the citywide law enforcement surge ordered by Mr. Trump. Mr. Dunn joined scores of other city residents swept up in the effort, which produced an increase in stops and arrests by armed troops and federal agents, and an ensuing wave of federal prosecutions over low-level street crime....

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TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: hurl; sandwich; washingtondc

[DesertRhino]

It was a serious case. You don’t get to throw stuff at a police officer or a federal agent and hit them in the chest with it. If I would’ve done that, I would’ve been convicted if I did it to a Biden FBI agent. Most of the January 6 charges were for offenses less than this. This was a corrupt Washington DC jury that rubberstamps anything that’s deemed resistance to Trump. There is no justice in the country.

[NorthMountain]

When assault BY a police officer is taken as seriously as assault ON a police officer I might start to care about sandwich throwers.

[DesertRhino]

If the protester was a Republican, they would’ve had the book thrown at them by the judge and jury in DC. He was a Democrat, protesting on behalf of Democrat causes, so the DC jury acquitted him.

[Miami Rebel]

Are you talking about the sandwich case??

[gundog]

Oh, they could indict the sandwich....

[BulldogBite]

If someone in the court room had thrown a sub at the judge following the verdict would that have also been considered free speech?

[cableguymn]

Bet he sues to get that back

[cableguymn]

Same jury would throw you in prision

[Robert DeLong]

Yeah. D.C. will never covict someone who is not a Reppublican supporter.

[HKMk23]

Not a serious case....?

That was a foot-long; it’s an assault sandwich!
It wasn’t registered, and the guy didn’t have a Permit To Carry.
Hell, he hadn’t even paid for the required stamp.

Not a serious case... sheesh.

[T.B. Yoits]

This works both ways. Feel free to throw sandwiches at judges and jurors you don’t like.

[Jeff Chandler]

Dittos.

[L.A.Justice]

Well, he lost his job, and his legal defense probably cost him many thousands of dollars. Even if he is “not guilty“ of assault, the process is the punishment. I rather doubt that he will do this again, and I think that it will deter a lot of other people, at least those with jobs, From trying to imitate him. I do believe that was the purpose behind bringing charges against this guy. Personally, if somebody threw a sandwich at me, I would be very inclined to return a knuckle sandwich in his direction. I don’t think this is truly assault, but it is an infraction that deserves a response, even if only a personal one.

I think that your reaction is correct in this case...

I really doubt that this gentleman will again throw something at a federal agent...

Liberal media members will interview him, treating him like a hero...After a while, liberal media will forget about this guy...

[Yardstick]

Another little victory for the left. It reinforces the two-tiered system where left-wingers aren’t held accountable. Kind of a silly case but this stuff does start to add up.

[VetoBill]

Are we certain it was actually a sandwich? Leftist protesters have thrown “milkshakes” filled with cement/rock/frozen ice.

The way they are framing this as a sandwich makes me suspect it was only superficially a sandwich.

AND enforcement officers should treat anything thrown as a potential weapon... because with the left they will lie about everything.

[Coronal]

He’d likely get ample donations to cover his legal expenses, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone were to set up a GoFundMe account or something similar.