So, you might have caught wind of a bizarre incident in Washington, D.C., where a guy named Sean Dunn is making headlines for what is shaping up to be one of the strangest crimes around town.
Last Sunday, Dunn—believed to be an employee at the Justice Department—lobbed a Subway sandwich at a police officer. Yep, you heard that right. And now, he’s facing some serious charges for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. His case has gained significant attention, especially considering the influx of security personnel in the area following President Trump’s federal takeover of the D.C. police force.
But hang on, the plot thickens. On Wednesday, reports surfaced that federal authorities dispatched ’20 police officers in riot gear’ to Dunn’s residence to rearrest him under a federal warrant, according to his lawyer, Sabrina Shroff. A video released by the White House backs this up, showing a heavy police presence, dressed to the nines in riot gear, showing up at Dunn’s apartment complex to escort him out in handcuffs.
What can we glean from this incident? For one, it appears some people still frequent Subway. Who knew? More importantly, the government’s dramatic response here seems out of touch, demonstrating that Trump’s strategy might be leaning more towards watch-the-show rather than making genuine strides in managing crime.
There’s been quite a bit of back-and-forth about whether crime is an actual concern in D.C. Yes, it is, but the details are a bit more tangled than one might think. While some shout about crime rates being at a record low level unseen in 30 years, there’s skepticism about these numbers, largely due to an investigation implying that D.C. officials might have underreported crimes to create a safer image. A deeper dive into murder stats shows a downtrend: 2024 had 187 reported murders, down from 274 the previous year, and for this year, we’re sitting at 101 cases versus 113 last year.
Still, one murder is one too many—and certain areas, specifically Wards 7 and 8 across the Anacostia River, continue to grapple with escalating crime issues. On top of that, the police’s clearance rates leave much to be desired: only 60 percent of murder cases and 31 percent of non-fatal shootings in 2024 ended in an arrest. In simple terms, if someone is shot or killed, there’s a big chance the perpetrator won’t face any justice. And let’s be real, that’s a nationwide dilemma.
So, it’s clear we’ve got a long way to go. Crime’s a serious issue that calls for serious fixes—strategies that actually target and nip violent crimes in the bud, something that’s not happening when resources are squandered on trivial matters like patrolling low-crime areas. Take Georgetown, one of the city’s safest neighborhoods, or the National Mall, where crime rates are practically non-existent. Meanwhile, no additional forces have been sent to high-crime neighborhoods.
Sending nearly two dozen agents to rearrest someone over a sandwich seems wild, right? It would have made more sense for Dunn to simply show up voluntarily for his court appearance, saving resources that could be better deployed elsewhere. But that would have denied Trump the spotlight, with ongoing filming during Dunn’s arrest making it painfully apparent that the administration was putting on a show. Ironically, the outcome drew more criticism than praise.
Originally published on Reason.com.
