Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, blasted Washington grand jurors after they declined to indict a former DOJ paralegal on felony assault charges for throwing a sandwich at a federal officer. Pirro argued that jurors from wealthy neighborhoods are failing to take crime seriously, undermining federal law enforcement efforts in the nation’s capital.
Sean Charles Dunn, 37, allegedly hurled a “sub-style sandwich” at a Customs and Border Protection officer during a federal operation. The incident was caught on video and circulated widely online. Prosecutors sought a felony indictment, but the grand jury refused, leaving only misdemeanor charges on the table. Dunn is now expected to face trial on a lesser assault charge that does not require grand jury approval.
Pirro told Fox News that jurors from affluent neighborhoods like Georgetown are desensitized to crime and dismissive of law enforcement concerns. She said that D.C. residents in such areas “don’t take crime seriously” and therefore diminish the severity of cases that directly impact public safety. Pirro emphasized that her office will continue to pursue the strongest charges allowed under federal law, even when jurors resist.
The decision reflects a broader pattern in Washington. In recent months, several high-profile prosecutions have stalled when juries declined to approve felony charges sought by federal prosecutors. The resistance complicates the Trump administration’s law-and-order push, which includes expanded federal presence in D.C. and tougher penalties for attacks on law enforcement officers.
Federal prosecutors intend to move forward with the case under the misdemeanor charge, which bypasses the grand jury process. Pirro has signaled that her office will not scale back its approach, warning that attacks on law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
Pirro’s rebuke underscores the clash between aggressive federal enforcement under President Trump and the reluctance of local jurors to deliver felony indictments. The outcome of this case will be closely watched as a measure of whether federal prosecutors can impose stricter accountability in a city where crime has become increasingly normalized.
