The man accused of slinging a sandwich at a federal officer in Washington, D.C., which turned him into a symbol of opposition to President Trump’s crackdown on local crime, has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault.
Sean Charles Dunn, 37, entered the plea in federal court Wednesday afternoon.
He stood before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols with his hands behind his back, bending over to speak “not guilty” into a microphone.
The judge set a trial date for Nov. 3, which will begin with jury selection.
Dunn initially faced a felony assault charge, but it was dropped to a misdemeanor last month after federal prosecutors failed to secure an indictment against him.
He’s accused of tossing the sub sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent on Aug. 10, close to the corner of 14th and U streets, a popular nightlife area of D.C. A short chase ensued, as seen in a video of the incident that went viral.
“Why are you here?” Dunn allegedly yelled at several agents. “I don’t want you in my city!”
The incident sparked swift backlash from federal officials.
When announcing the initial felony charge, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro — whose office is prosecuting the case — urged Dunn to “stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else.” Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed Dunn was a Department of Justice (DOJ) employee and fired him, calling him an example of the “Deep State” her DOJ opposes.
But on the streets of the nation’s capital, Dunn was becoming a folk hero.
Around Washington’s neighborhoods, Banksy-style art depicting the hoagie hurling started to pop up. Demonstrators protesting the city’s increased federal law enforcement presence toted signs with sandwich imagery. And sellers on the online marketplace Etsy created dozens of T-shirts, stickers and other merchandise with renderings of the moment.
The failure to secure an indictment against Dunn was at least the second time a grand jury of Washington residents declined to rubber-stamp a charge of felony assault on a federal agent. Since then, D.C. grand juries have continued to sometimes decline to indict on various felonies.
Dunn’s plea comes the same day as Trump’s D.C. takeover hits its one-month mark.
The president’s federalization of D.C.’s police department is set to expire Wednesday, as the 30-day clock allowing the president to unilaterally take over the force runs out, but National Guard troops from Washington and eight Republican-led states, plus additional federal law enforcement officers, continue to patrol the District.
So far in D.C., 2,310 total arrests have been made, Bondi said Wednesday.
Trump marked the occasion Tuesday night by dining in downtown Washington, just outside the White House’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 outside the D.C. restaurant. “Everybody should go out.”