DOJ staffer fired, charged with throwing food at CBP agent

The Department of Justice filed criminal charges against a former employee after he allegedly assaulted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, the DOJ said Thursday. Sean Charles Dunn, age 37, reportedly shouted at the agent Sunday night in Washington, D.C. before he threw a wrapped, sub-style sandwich at the agent. The sandwich hit the agent in the chest, and police apprehended Dunn. The DOJ said that Dunn confessed to the assault while being processed at the police department.

Dunn allegedly swore, calling Customs and Border Protection agents fascists and saying he didn’t want them in Washington.

Who is Dunn? The alleged assailant formerly worked at the DOJ, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. She fired Dunn on Thursday and he faces one felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and employees of the United States. Dunn appeared before a judge on Thursday and was released after promising to return to court for future proceedings. He is presumed legally innocent until proven guilty in court.

What is happening in the background? The assault occurred one day before President Donald Trump assumed control over the Metropolitan Police Department. He said the move was necessary to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. Since then, the National Guard has sent hundreds of soldiers to the capital to work alongside local law enforcement. 

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s in-depth report about the mobilization of federal forces to Washington.