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4h ago

After Grand Jury Rebuff, Feds Downgrade D.C. Sandwich-Throwing Case to Misdemeanor

The downgraded charge, filed by information, keeps the case moving without grand jury approval.

Posters of a person throwing a sandwich are pictured along H Street, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 10: A man, who was later arrested. for assaulting law enforcement with a sandwich, interacts with Border Patrol and FBI agents along the U Street corridor on August 10, 2025, in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to Washington, DC in an effort to curb crime.
FBI and Border Patrol officers arrest a man, after he assaulted law enforcement with a sandwich, along the U Street corridor during a federal law enforcement deployment to the nation's capital on Aug. 10, 2025 in Washington.

Overview

  • A Washington grand jury declined to return a felony indictment against Sean Dunn for allegedly throwing a sub-style sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent on Aug. 10.
  • Prosecutors refiled the matter as simple assault by criminal information, cutting potential exposure from up to eight years to a maximum of one year.
  • Proceedings now shift directly to a federal judge because misdemeanor charges do not require grand jury sign-off.
  • The White House and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro had promoted the original felony case with arrest footage and public statements as part of a law-and-order message.
  • The refusal tracks other recent grand jury rejections in D.C., including the Sidney Reid case, intensifying scrutiny of federal charging decisions tied to the policing surge.