Updated Aug 14, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Bondi fires DOJ employee accused of throwing sandwich at federal agent

Night scene outside a Subway restaurant with several law enforcement officers in tactical gear and a man in a pink shirt and shorts standing on the sidewalk near a crosswalk. — 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 in Washington, D.C., on Sunday night. Photo: Andrew Leyden/Getty Images

A Justice Department employee accused of throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent this week has been fired, and faces felony charges, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The big picture: Sean Charles Dunn, 37, is accused of being the man in a viral video who threw "a sub-style sandwich" at a CBP agent who was patrolling with Metro Transit Police in northwest D.C. late Sunday, after President Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence in the U.S. capital, per a court filing.

What they're saying: "If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you," Bondi posted on X on Thursday.

"This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ," the post continues.

Why it matters: "The video has become emblematic of how some Washington residents feel about Mr. Trump's injection of federal law enforcement officers into the city's streets," per the New York Times.

"It has also been condemned by others as indicative of disrespect and dehumanization of the police."
A DOJ source told Axios that Dunn was hired in 2022 as an international affairs specialist in the department's criminal division, who was still "burrowed in" from the Biden administration.

Zoom in: Dunn allegedly yelled at the CBP agent "F**k you! You f**king fascists! Why are you here? I don't want you in my city!" before crossing the street, screaming at him "within inches of his face" and "winding his arm back and forcefully throwing" the Subway sandwich, per the filing to U.S. District Court in D.C.

He tried to flee but was arrested, it's alleged.

Dunn is facing charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and employees of the United States.

What they're saying: "He thought it was funny," said Jeanine Pirro, who's leading the U.S. attorney's office in D.C., in a video posted to X.

"Well, he doesn't think it's funny today, because we charged him with a felony assault on a police officer, and we're gonna back the police to the hilt, so there! Stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else."

Zoom out: The incident occurred on the eve of Trump declaring a "crime emergency" in D.C.

Trump's action that's seen some 800 National Guard soldiers and about 850 officers and agents sent to D.C. has prompted protests from some residents who've countered the president's claims by noting that violent crime has fallen in the city.

Go deeper: Trump floats taking over D.C. police for more than a month

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Bondi fires DOJ employee accused of throwing sandwich at federal agent

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