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8h ago

After Grand Jury Rebuff, Prosecutors File Misdemeanor Charge in D.C. Sandwich Case

The downgrade follows a rare refusal to indict that underscores local pushback to the surge of federal felony cases.

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

  • U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office filed a simple assault charge by criminal information one day after a D.C. grand jury declined to indict on a felony.
  • The misdemeanor carries a maximum of one year in jail, far less than the up to eight years possible under the rejected felony assault count.
  • Sean Charles Dunn, a former Justice Department employee fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi, is accused of throwing a sub-style sandwich that struck CBP Agent Gregory Lairmore on Aug. 10 near 14th and U Streets NW.
  • The White House released dramatic video of Dunn’s re-arrest, and Pirro publicly touted the initial felony charge in a social media video.
  • The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols with a preliminary hearing next week, as other surge-era prosecutions also falter with grand jury no-bills and judges questioning arrest tactics.