A man has been arrested in the nation’s capital, accused of throwing a sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer who was patrolling the streets as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to end “lawlessness” in Washington, D.C.
Trump last week ordered an “increased presence” of federal law enforcement officials in D.C. On Monday, he announced that he was temporarily assuming federal control of the capital’s police force and deploying about 800 National Guardsmen.
Why It Matters
Though an isolated case, the incident could reflect underlying opposition among city residents to Trump’s security crackdown, which some critics have called an embarrassing distraction.
While Trump has painted Washington as a city spiraling into lawlessness, police data shows violent crime in 2024 hit a 30-year low, as homicides, robberies, armed carjackings and assaults with a dangerous weapon declined.
Violent crime in Washington is also down 26 percent this year, compared with the same period last year, according to the statistics from the district’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
What To Know
Members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) were patrolling with police late Monday when a man approached and began shouting at a border agent, according to a court filing reviewed by Newsweek.
The suspect, identified by authorities as Sean Charles Dunn, 37, pointed his finger in the officer’s face and shouted, “Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!” according to the filing.
He moved away, still shouting, but returned within a few minutes and threw a sandwich at the officer, hitting him in the chest, authorities said, as court documents added that someone captured the exchange on video and posted it to social media.
“The video depicts Dunn screaming at (the CPB officer) within inches of his face for several seconds before winding his arm back and forcefully throwing a sub-style sandwich at (him),” the court filing says.
Dunn attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended and arrested on an assault charge, according to police.
On the first day of the Washington federalization, authorities arrested 23 people, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, and that several were spurred by warrants.
Earlier Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said charges from the warrants included homicide, drunken driving, gun and drug crimes, and subway fare evasion.
What People Are Saying
Writing on Truth Social Saturday, Trump said of Washington: “It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World. It will soon be one of the safest!!!”
Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, D.C., told MSNBC on Sunday: “It is true that we had a terrible spike in crime in 2023, but this is not 2023, this is 2025 and we’ve done that by working with the community, working with the police, working with our prosecutors, and, in fact, working with the federal government.”
Bowser told reporters on Tuesday: “What I’m focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have … to make sure that the men and women who are coming from federal law enforcement are being well used, and if there are National Guard here, they’re being well used.”
What Happens Next
Trump can lawfully take over the D.C. police force for up to 30 days. The National Guard deployment is set to last until at least September 25, unless troops are released earlier, according to a leaked memo obtained by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein.
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