The person accused of slinging a sandwich at a federal officer in Washington, D.C., which turned him into an emblem of opposition to President Trump’s crackdown on native crime, has pleaded not responsible to misdemeanor assault.
Sean Charles Dunn, 37, entered the plea in federal court docket Wednesday afternoon.
He stood earlier than U.S. District Choose Carl Nichols together with his arms behind his again, bending over to talk “not guilty” right into a microphone.
The choose set a trial date for Nov. 3, which is able to start with jury choice.
Dunn initially confronted a felony assault cost, however it was dropped to a misdemeanor final month after federal prosecutors didn’t safe an indictment in opposition to him.
He’s accused of tossing the sub sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Safety agent on Aug. 10, near the nook of 14th and U streets, a preferred nightlife space of D.C. A brief chase ensued, as seen in a video of the incident that went viral.
“Why are you here?” Dunn allegedly yelled at a number of brokers. “I don’t want you in my city!”
The incident sparked swift backlash from federal officers.
When saying the preliminary felony cost, U.S. Legal professional for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro — whose workplace is prosecuting the case — urged Dunn to “stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else.” Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi revealed Dunn was a Division of Justice (DOJ) worker and fired him, calling him an instance of the “Deep State” her DOJ opposes.
However on the streets of the nation’s capital, Dunn was turning into a folks hero.
Round Washington’s neighborhoods, Banksy-style artwork depicting the hoagie hurling began to pop up. Demonstrators protesting the town’s elevated federal legislation enforcement presence toted indicators with sandwich imagery. And sellers on the net market Etsy created dozens of T-shirts, stickers and different merchandise with renderings of the second.
The failure to safe an indictment in opposition to Dunn was not less than the second time a grand jury of Washington residents declined to rubber-stamp a cost of felony assault on a federal agent. Since then, D.C. grand juries have continued to typically decline to indict on varied felonies.
Dunn’s plea comes the identical day as Trump’s D.C. takeover hits its one-month mark.
The president’s federalization of D.C.’s police division is about to run out Wednesday, because the 30-day clock permitting the president to unilaterally take over the power runs out, however Nationwide Guard troops from Washington and eight Republican-led states, plus extra federal legislation enforcement officers, proceed to patrol the District.
Up to now in D.C., 2,310 whole arrests have been made, Bondi mentioned Wednesday.
Trump marked the event Tuesday evening by eating in downtown Washington, simply outdoors the White Home’s grounds.
“This was one of the most unsafe cities in the country. Now it’s as safe as there is in the country,” he claimed, standing outdoors the D.C. restaurant. “Everybody should go out.”
