Trial starts for assault case against D.C. man who tossed sandwich at federal agent in viral video [View all]

Source: PBS News/AP


Pedestrians in Washington, D.C., pass a sign depicting a man throwing a sandwich, used as a symbol of protest, after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to assist in crime prevention over the summer. Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters


Nov 3, 2025 4:26 PM EST


WASHINGTON (AP) — Throwing a sandwich at a federal agent turned Sean Charles Dunn into a symbol of resistance against President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement surge in the nation’s capital. This week, federal prosecutors are trying to persuade a jury of fellow Washington, D.C., residents that Dunn simply broke the law.

That could be a tough sell for the government in a city that has chafed against Trump’s federal takeover, which is entering its third month. A grand jury refused to indict Dunn on a felony assault count before U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office opted to charge him instead with a misdemeanor.

Securing a trial conviction could prove to be equally challenging for Justice Department prosecutors in Washington, where murals glorifying Dunn’s sandwich toss popped up virtually overnight.

Before jury selection started Monday, the judge presiding over Dunn’s trial seemed to acknowledge how unusual it is for a case like this to be heard in federal court. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, said he expects the trial to last no more than two days “because it’s the simplest case in the world.”

Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trial-starts-for-assault-case-against-d-c-man-who-tossed-sandwich-at-federal-agent-in-viral-video