Justice for Sandwich Guy
Not even a misdemeanor.
Via NBC News: Jury acquits D.C. ‘sandwich guy’ charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent.
Jurors showed no appetite for the Justice Department’s case against “sandwich guy,” the D.C. resident who chucked a Subway sandwich at the chest of a federal officer, finding him not guilty Thursday after several hours of deliberations.
[…]
Border Patrol Officer Greg Lairmore received two “gag gifts” related to the incident — a plush sandwich and a patch featuring a cartoon of Dunn throwing the sandwich with the words “Felony Footlong” — which the defense team argued showed this was not a serious event in his life.
Lairmore had testified that the sandwich “exploded all over” his chest and claimed he could smell mustard and onions. But a photo showed that the sandwich was still in its wrapper on the ground after it hit Lairmore in his bulletproof vest.
Yes, the horror of it all.
Calling this “assault” is patently ridiculous.
Look, as a general matter, I do not condone throwing anything at law enforcement, and it was likely an ill-advised move by Dean (the “Sandwich Guy”) as it led to him losing his federal job.
But, by the same token, prosecutorial discretion is supposed to be a thing. The initial attempt to charge him with a felony was rejected by a grand jury, and I have little doubt that part of what is going on here is the jury sending a signal that this was not worth anyone’s time.
File this as a small victory against attempts to intimidate the public.
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Is this an approriate time for a rye comment?
Or would that be sub-versive?
As for weaponized sandwiches:
“I joined the legion to baguette!”
🙂
@JohnSF:
You know, if you’re in the US we can still sic ICE on you.
So, will they now indict officer Lairmore for perjury?
@Kathy:
This.
They should. They will not.
@Kathy:
Pfff. No. OTOH, any time in the future he gets on the stand, this will be brought up.
Judge Judy sure is proving her bunafides.
If the sandwich had been made of dwarf bread (a la Terry Pratchett) it might well have claim to be a deadly weapon.
Possibly, too if it were made of European fighting bread. (I am assured by commenters at LGM that this is a thing. At least, it is now.)
I wonder if the wingnuts are already losing it all over social media, calling it jury nullification and demanding the death penalty for nullifying a jury.
Especially since it wasn’t jury nullification. At most, it was jury LOLification.
It’s shocking to read people treating this manifest lawless violence as a laughing matter. Every time they burn down another American city, Antifa terrorists have been given the green light to load up with deadly Mexicali and Italian B.M.T. sandwiches to intimidate brave law enforcement officers. And of course Subway sandwiches will only be the start. Expect diabetic ICE agents to be bombarded with Krispy Kreme donuts while their gluten-intolerant colleagues cringe under showers of bagels and pretzels.
@Kathy: Here’s one of the most upvoted comments at the New York Post with its first reply:
@Ken_L:
In all seriousness, does anyone thing an ICE thug or Border Patrol brute will flee in terror if an immigrant threatens them with a sandwich?
If they do, I would gladly contribute a half ton of grilled cheese to the cause.
In his defense, Dean said, “I ham what I ham.”
And to think they wanted to throw him in prison and salami the door shut behind him. Mayo we never see prosecutorial frivolousness again. But we know that muensters like these are easily cheesed off.
[Apologies for the rye humor.]
The right has “based stickman” and the left has “sandwich guy?”
So typical of liberals to bring a submarine sandwich to a stickman fight.
@Kingdaddy: The DOJ hoped the judge would throw the menu at him, but the jury showed him the door.