Theatrical, Sarcastic Antics Not Relevant to Stopping Violent Crime in DC: Govt Sent 20 Cops w/Riot Gear To Rearrest an Upper Crust White Guy who Threw a Sandwich at Fed Cop Now Overcharged w/a Felony

By now there's a strong chance you've heard about an upper crust white man in Washington, D.C., who stands accused of what is, at the moment, arguably the most highly-publicized crime in the city.

On Sunday, Sean Dunn—who, at the time, was an employee for the Justice Department—threw a Subway sandwich at a cop while wearing a pink polo and was subsequently charged with felony assault of a federal law enforcement officer. His arrest comes as 500 federal agents and 800 National Guard troops have been deployed to the district after President Donald Trump took federal control of D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

But the sandwich story—which already feels like it could've played out on Veep—took another turn Wednesday when the federal government sent "20 police officers to [Dunn's] home" to rearrest him on a federal warrant, according to his attorney Sabrina Shroff. A video released by the White House corroborates that account, with the clip showing a large federal law enforcement presence, complete with riot gear, arriving at Dunn's apartment complex and leading him out in handcuffs.

There are a couple of takeaways here. One: People still go to Subway. Did not know that. Two: The government's disproportionate response to this offense epitomizes why Trump's plan appears to be, at least for now, more political theater than a real solutions-oriented approach.

Some of this debate has focused on whether or not crime is actually a problem in D.C. It is, but the picture is more complicated than many would like to admit. While some have been quick to furnish violent crime statistics that are at a 30-year low, it is difficult to trust those numbers in the context of an investigation alleging the MPD misclassified various crimes to make the city appear safer than it is. A review of homicides—a crime that can't easily be misclassified—is more instructive: In 2024, D.C. reported 187, down from 274 in 2023. (This year, the city has reported 101 homicides thus far, down from 113 during the same period last year.) It's trending in the right direction. [MORE]