Food item thrown by activist reportedly burst and left condiment mark on customs official, legal proceedings reveal
A US immigration agent has declared in court he could sense through his protective gear the impact of a deli item thrown at him by a DC demonstrator, who has faced court proceedings for physical attack.
Immigration and customs agent Gregory Lairmore told the jury the sandwich "burst all over him" and he "noticed the vegetables and condiment" on his official attire.
Neither side challenges that the defendant, in his thirties, did in fact hurl obscenities and a prepared food item at officers assigned by the administration to patrol the federal district in the summer month.
The event was recorded on camera and became popular online, making Mr Dunn a symbol of opposition in Washington DC to the administration.
Government prosecutors at first tried to achieve serious criminal counts against the defendant, but a judicial committee declined to prosecute him.
Trump's assignment of armed forces to the federal district this summer generated outrage from some of the city's residents, who saw it as a partisan deployment of the military.
Per legal filings, Mr Dunn came near a police contingent at about late evening on the summer date, calling them "authoritarians" and yelling: "Why are you present? I don't want you in my city!"
The legal proceeding observed a reenactment from Mr Lairmore on Tuesday as he took the stand against Mr Dunn.
"I detected it through my protective gear," he stated of the sandwich's impact, noting that an vegetable piece hung from his communication device and sauce discolored his uniform.
The accused's legal counsel, Julia Gatto, stated in her initial argument that hurling the deli product was a "innocent action that did not, could not, result in harm".
But prosecutor the prosecutor maintained the defendant must be considered responsible.
"No matter who you are, you cannot simply hurling objects at individuals because you're angry," the prosecutor said.
After the reported incident came to light, the defendant was dismissed from his employment as a law firm employee in the Department of Justice.
