Food item thrown by protester supposedly shattered and left condiment mark on immigration officer, court hears
A federal customs official has testified he could feel through his ballistic vest the collision of a sandwich hurled at him by a DC demonstrator, who has faced court proceedings for criminal charge.
Customs and Border Patrol agent the officer told the jury the snack "burst all over him" and he "noticed the onions and condiment" on his work clothing.
Neither side disputes that the defendant, thirty-seven, did in fact hurl obscenities and a made-to-order snack at law enforcement sent by President Donald Trump to patrol the nation's capital in August.
The event was captured on camera and went viral, making Mr Dunn a figure of opposition in the federal district to the administration.
Federal attorneys originally tried to obtain major offense allegations against Mr Dunn, but a judicial committee refused to charge him.
The administration's assignment of National Guard troops to the federal district this warmer months sparked outrage from some of the DC citizens, who considered it a partisan deployment of the military.
According to legal filings, the accused approached a police contingent at about 11 PM on 10 August, referring to them "fascists" and shouting: "Why are you here? Your presence is unwanted in my city!"
The court witnessed a reenactment from the officer on Tuesday as he testified against the defendant.
"I detected it through my protective gear," he said of the sandwich's impact, adding that an aromatic fragment dangled from his official equipment and sauce discolored his uniform.
The accused's legal counsel, his legal representative, argued in her initial argument that hurling the sandwich was a "non-threatening act that did not, could not, create physical damage".
But prosecutor the state's representative maintained the accused must be facing consequences.
"Regardless of identity, you can't just go around hurling objects at people because you're upset," the prosecutor declared.
Following the reported incident became public, the accused was dismissed from his employment as a legal assistant in the federal legal agency.