Man charged with assaulting a federal agent with a sandwich in Washington DC

A man, who was later arrested, interacts with Border Patrol and FBI agents along the U Street corridor, in Washington, DC. Photo / Getty Images

A man accused of throwing a sandwich at a United States federal agent who was patrolling Washington this week, after calling him and other agents “fascists”, was charged today with assaulting a federal officer.

The police said the man threw a “sub-style” sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer on Monday NZT, the day before President Donald Trump’s announcement that his Administration was temporarily taking over Washington DC’s police force and sending National Guard troops and federal agents into the city for patrols.

A video of the interaction went viral, showing a man repeatedly yelling at the agents near the corner of 14th and U Streets in Northwest DC, a popular part of the city filled with bars and restaurants.

“Shame! Shame!” he yelled from across the street.

At some point, the video shows, he got closer to the officers and warned them to back up while berating them.

After minutes of yelling, the man paused briefly, wound up and threw the sandwich into the chest of the CBP officer, then ran into the street as officers chased him.

A transit police detective, Daina Henry, included screenshots of the video in an affidavit that was included with the criminal complaint.

The detective wrote that the man charged in the crime, identified as Sean C. Dunn, 37, had confessed after he was apprehended.

“I did it. I threw the sandwich,” the detective quoted him as saying.

Court records did not list a lawyer for Dunn or any scheduled court hearings, and he did not respond to requests for comment.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, whose police officers arrested Dunn, said he had been released pending a court date.

The crime he is charged with carries a maximum of one year in prison, or up to eight years if it involves “physical contact” or the intent to commit another crime, according to the law.

The officer who was struck with the sandwich did not appear injured in the video and was among those who immediately gave chase.

The video has become emblematic of how some Washington residents feel about Trump’s injection of federal law enforcement officers into the city’s streets.

It has also been condemned by others as indicative of disrespect and dehumanisation of the police.

The case was filed in the US District Court in Washington, meaning it will be prosecuted by the US Attorney’s office now led by Jeanine Pirro, who was nominated by Trump and has vocally supported his latest initiative.

In a video online, Pirro said the sandwich thrown at the agent was from Subway, as many had speculated and as a photograph of a wrapper, apparently taken from the scene, had shown.

“He thought it was funny,” Pirro said of the defendant in a video posted online. “Well, he doesn’t think it’s funny today, because we charged with him with a felony.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Written by: Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES