ABSURD Jury Verdict Reached For the “Subway Sandwich Thrower”

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Three months ago, a man was arrested for throwing a Subway Sandwich at federal law enforcement officers.

In case you missed it, those details here:

UPDATE: D.C. Man Arrested For Throwing Sandwich at Federal Agents Worked for the DOJ

Today a jury rendered what I consider to be a completely ridiculous verdict, but that’s our system and the ruling is final.

NOT GUILTY.

So if you want to assault (allegedly!) federal law enforcement officers by throwing an object at them, that’s apparently legal now.

Unreal.

Judge Jeanine Pirro gave a statement that I think is spot on — from the AP:

A former Justice Department employee who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington was found not guilty of assault on Thursday in the latest legal rebuke of the federal intervention.

A viral video of the sandwich tossing made Sean Charles Dunn a symbol of resistance to Trump’s deployment of federal agents to combat crime in the nation’s capital.

His misdemeanor acquittal is another setback for prosecutors, who have faced a backlash for their aggressive charging tactics during the law enforcement surge. The Justice Department had initially sought a felony assault indictment against Dunn, but in a highly unusual move, the grand jury declined to sign off on the felony charge. The office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro then charged Dunn with a misdemeanor.

There was no dispute over whether Dunn threw the sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent on the night of Aug. 10. But his lawyers argued it was a “harmless gesture” during an act of protest protected by the First Amendment.

Prosecutors said Dunn, 37, knew he did not have a right to throw the sandwich at the agent. Dunn shouted “fascists” and “racists” and chanted “shame” toward the group of agents who were in front of a club hosting a “Latin Night.”

“Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!” Dunn shouted, according to police.

After the foreperson read the verdict, Dunn hugged his lawyers. Later, he said, “I’m relieved and I’m looking forward to moving on with my life.”

Court officers escorted the 12 jurors out of the building. A group of reporters followed. Several jurors, including the foreperson, declined to be interviewed.

Pirro, a former Fox News host appointed by Trump to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, said in a statement: “As always, we accept a jury’s verdict; that is the system within which we function. However, law enforcement should never be subjected to assault, no matter how ‘minor.’”

Spot on Judge!  Exactly right.

I thought this was also a very good analysis:

Two things can be true at the same time:

1. It is objectively hilarious that a guy threw a sandwich at a federal officer.

2. Prosecuting said sandwich-thrower was the correct decision, and he should have been convicted.

Throwing a sandwich clearly crosses a line. While one could argue that it’s mostly harmless, it is gross. It results in a substance making contact with another person. In this case, the substance happened to be relatively harmless (mustard and onions).

But if we’re OK with throwing a mustard grenade, what stops us from being OK with throwing, for instance, a water balloon full of urine? Or blood? Or feces? Why not throw a punch, or a more damaging form of violence? At what point do we say “stop”?

Yes, some of this stuff is funny, but it’s a primrose path to barbarism. Keep the protesting (which is our right as Americans) to an appropriate time, place, and manner.

Very well said.

Where does it stop?

Is a 6″ Subway sandwich ok, but not a footlong?

Is a footlong Subway sandwich ok but only if it’s not double meat?

Is a double meet Subway sandwich ok but not a water balloon filled with urine?

Where does it end?

I’m going to end with something that almost made me throw up in my mouth — a little vomit came up, but I pushed it back down — but you have to see the nauseating, sanctimonious, self-righteous speech this guy gave after being acquitted.

It starts off like he just won an Oscar and he’s thanking everyone he’s ever met in his whole life, and then it goes to sickening levels of sanctimony.

Watch here if you can tolerate it:

VOMIT.



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