Sean Charles Dunn, a former Department of Justice (DOJ) employee, was facing felony assault charges after the viral sandwich toss, which the grand jury had been hearing.
However, the Trump administration was harshly criticized for declining Dunn’s indictment on Wednesday.
In the prosecutorial process, indictments are typically a technicality. A skilled prosecutor can persuade a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich,” according to a proverb in the US legal system.
However, the rejection raises questions about the Trump administration’s efforts to prosecute people who are perceived as political foes and protesters.
On August 10, at around 11 p.m. (03:00 GMT), Dunn was filmed yelling “You f***ing fascists! ” at a federal agent. What brought you here? I want you to live in my city.
The agent was then slapped with a sub-style sandwich. Dunn was chased across the street and ground by the agent and his coworkers as a response.
Posters in the style of the subversive graffiti artist Banksy have since appeared in the city that depict the infamous sandwich hurl. Footage from the incident has since gone viral.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his termination due to the sandwich-throwing incident on August 14 and Dunn was fired from his Justice Department position on August 14.
On social media, Bondi said, “We will come after you if you touch any law enforcement officer.” He has been charged with a felony in addition to being FIRED.
She also argued that Dunn’s actions demonstrated a “deep state” government conspiracy against Trump’s leadership.
She wrote, “This is an illustration of the Deep State that we have been working toward as we refocus DOJ for seven months.”
A grand jury has declined to indict someone for allegedly assaulting a federal officer in a second case in recent days.
In their third attempt to persuade a grand jury to indict protester Sidney Lori Reid for felony assault earlier this week, federal prosecutors failed.
Since then, they have stated that they intend to bring charges against Reid for lesser misdemeanors.
When federal immigration agents asked Reid to turn around, she was filming a detainee transfer. Then they attempted to restrain her. According to the prosecution, Reid’s violent movements resulted in scrapes on one officer’s hands.
Trump has led what he has called a “out-of-control” crime in Washington, DC, since early August, causing protests in response.
More than 2, 000 National Guard members have been stationed in the capital’s streets, and agents from various federal agencies have been on patrol and detained.
Many of those officers are armed and disguised, which raises questions about potential abuses of force and a lack of accountability.
Even though Trump has called those figures “phoney,” critics have also pointed out that local police statistics from the Justice Department shared showed that Washington, DC, had a 30-year low for violent crime.
Trump defended militarization of Washington’s streets on Tuesday, calling the city’s capital “like a jungle.” He also asserted in other interviews that he authorized the troops to act in a disrespectful manner.
They are genuine soldiers, they claim. No games are present. You don’t need to be politically correct, I said. And you are aware of how the soldiers were spit in their faces? Trump posed a question during a cabinet meeting.
“ I said, ‘ You spit. We hit. ‘ And they have complete authority to do that.
Trump has made a show of military force in Washington, DC, before running for reelection in January.
For instance, the Republican president sent the National Guard to Democratic-run California in June as a response to immigration policy protests. Despite the objections of local officials, that decision was made.
President Trump is using his manufactured emergency to expand his influence and spread fear in our communities, according to a statement from the ACLU’s National Security Project director, Hina Shamsi.
“It is unnecessary, uproarious, and puts people’s rights at risk of being violated,” says the statement from the National Guard.
Source: Aljazeera
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