Food item thrown by protester supposedly burst and left mustard stain on border agent, trial told
A federal customs official has declared in court he could detect through his ballistic vest the force of a sandwich hurled at him by a capital city activist, who has faced court proceedings for physical attack.
Customs and Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore testified to the court panel the sandwich "burst all over him" and he "could smell the vegetables and condiment" on his uniform.
Both legal teams challenges that the accused, 37, did in fact lob obscenities and a made-to-order snack at officers deployed by the former president to monitor the nation's capital in the summer month.
The incident was recorded on recording and spread across the internet, making the defendant a symbol of protest in the capital to the former president.
Government prosecutors initially tried to secure major offense allegations against the accused, but a judicial committee declined to indict him.
The administration's sending of National Guard troops to the federal district this summer caused protest from some of the city's residents, who saw it as a partisan deployment of the troops.
According to legal filings, Mr Dunn approached a law enforcement team at about 23:00 on the summer date, calling them "fascists" and yelling: "Why are you here? Your presence is unwanted in my city!"
The court observed a re-enactment from the officer on Tuesday as he gave evidence against the defendant.
"I could feel it through my body armor," he stated of the sandwich's impact, adding that an vegetable piece hung from his police radio and condiment discolored his clothing.
The defendant's attorney, Julia Gatto, said in her initial argument that hurling the deli product was a "non-threatening act that did not, could not, result in harm".
But government attorney John Parron argued Mr Dunn must be considered responsible.
"Whatever your status, you cannot simply throwing stuff at people because you're angry," the attorney said.
Subsequent to the reported incident came to light, the accused was fired from his job as a legal assistant in the federal legal agency.
