A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer testified Tuesday in a federal misdemeanor trial concerning an incident in Washington, D.C., where he was attacked by a sandwich this summer.
Gregory Laremore, identified as the first witness for the government, described how the sandwich “exploded” upon impact with his chest, stating he even felt the hit through his bulletproof vest.
“It smelled like onions and mustard,” Laremore recalled.
The defendant, Sean Dunn, acknowledged throwing the sandwich at the officer outside a nightclub on August 10. This action was reportedly a protest against President Trump’s immigration policy and the increase in federal law enforcement presence in the capital. However, defense attorney Julia Gatto argued in her opening remarks that Dunn’s act shouldn’t be classified as a federal crime.
“He did throw the sandwich,” Gatto conceded. “But the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia is turning a thrown sandwich into a federal case.”
She insisted that it was simply a harmless expression of free speech. “He is overwhelmingly innocent,” Gatto maintained.
Initially, a grand jury had opted not to indict Dunn on a felony assault charge, which could have led to a maximum of eight years in prison. Instead, he now faces a misdemeanor assault charge, which holds a maximum penalty of one year in prison, along with possible fines and probation.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Sabrina Shroff challenged Laremore’s account, referencing a photograph of an unwrapped sandwich lying on the ground after the event.
“The sandwich didn’t explode at all,” Shroff asserted, using the photo as evidence.
According to the report, Laremore noted that mustard and seasonings ended up on his uniform, and even mentioned that there were onions hanging from a radio antenna that night.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pallone informed the jurors that while it’s everyone’s right to express opinions regarding President Trump’s heightened federal enforcement, “that is not the issue at hand here.”
“What the defendant did crossed a line,” he stated firmly. “No matter who you are, throwing things at people in anger is unacceptable,” he concluded.
