Harry Dunn
Dunn receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal from Joe Biden
Born
Harry Anthony Dunn

(1983-09-25) September 25, 1983
NationalityAmerican
OccupationLaw enforcement officer
Known forJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack
Awards
Police career
Department United States Capitol Police
Service years2008–present
RankPrivate first class

Harry Anthony Dunn (born September 25, 1983) is an American police officer and author. He has served in the United States Capitol Police since 2008. Dunn was one of many victims of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and testified with his colleagues in front of the House Select Committee investigating the attack. He has received the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Citizens Medal.

Early life and career

Dunn attended Surrattsville High School in Clinton, Maryland, and played as an offensive lineman on the school's football team.[1] He attended James Madison University, where he studied public health[2] and played college football for the James Madison Dukes.[3] He was a member of the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA national champions.[4] Dunn graduated from James Madison in 2005.[5] After he graduated, Dunn signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League,[6] but he was released during training camp.[7]

Dunn joined the United States Capitol Police in 2008. Since 2009, he has been a first responder providing security around the exterior of the United States Capitol a member of the Capitol Police Crisis Negotiation Team. He was commissioned as an officer as a private first class in 2011.[5] In November 2021, Dunn ran against Gus Papathanasiou in an election to chair the U.S. Capitol Police Labor Committee.[8][9] Papathanasiou defeated Dunn in a secret ballot.[10]

January 6 attack

On the day of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, Dunn was stationed outside the Capitol. After the Capitol was breached, he was called inside to guard a stairwell with injured officers[11] and to guard Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office.[12] He interacted with rioters, many carrying Make America Great Again and Confederate flags, and members of the Oath Keepers, including Kelly Meggs.[13] Dunn said that by the end of the day, his fists were bloody from fighting with rioters.[14]

Dunn with U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin

Dunn, D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, and Gladys Sicknick, the mother of Brian Sicknick, advocated for the creation of a January 6 commission, to investigate the attack in a method similar to the 9/11 Commission.[15] He was in attendance when the U.S. House approved the formation of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.[16] He testified to the committee alongside Fanone, Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges in its preliminary hearing on July 27, 2021. In his testimony, Dunn said that rioters called him a "nigger" during the attack[17][18] and that he has attended psychotherapy and engaged in peer support to help him process the trauma he experienced.[19] The four officers were given a front-row seat to all of the committee's public hearings in 2022.[20] Dunn has stated his belief that Trump should be arrested for his conduct preceding the riot.[21]

Dunn testified in the 2022 trial of the Oath Keepers for seditious conspiracy for their actions relating to the Capitol attack. Though they claimed that they were trying to assist the officers during the attack, Dunn refuted their claims.[12] The trial resulted in the convictions of Meggs and Stewart Rhodes.[22]

Along with other officers who protected the Capitol during the attack, Dunn was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on December 6, 2022.[23] On January 6, 2023, President Biden awarded Dunn with the Presidential Citizens Medal.[4][24][25] The county council of Montgomery County presented him with a citation in June 2023.[26]

Dunn wrote a memoir, titled Standing My Ground, which was published on October 24, 2023, by Hachette Books.[2][27]

Personal life

Dunn married Danyel Moncree on May 22, 2012.[28] They have a daughter.[29]

Bibliography

  • Dunn, Harry (2023). Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer's Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th. Hachette Books. ISBN 9780306831133.

References

  1. ↑ "Prince George's Football Preview". The Washington Post. September 7, 2000. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Harry Dunn Reflects on Jan. 6 Riots in New Book: 'I Never Want to Forget' (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  3. ↑ El-Bashir, Tarik; Gallo, Jon (January 30, 2001). "After 36 Years, Falcons' Kolar Steps Aside". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Breeze, Ashlyn Campbell | The (January 19, 2023). "JMU alum receives Presidential Citizens Medal". The Breeze. Retrieved October 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 "Man with Halifax County ties gets Congressional Gold Medal". The Gazette-Virginian. March 29, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Two JMU Football Players Join Canadian League Team". James Madison University Athletics. January 26, 2006. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  7. ↑ Zurkowsky, Herb (June 10, 2006). "Bittersweet 16: Alouettes make cuts". Montreal Gazette. p. 15. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Marquette, Chris (November 9, 2021). "Harry Dunn challenging Gus Papathanasiou for Capitol Police union leader". Roll Call. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ Wu, Nicholas; Tully-McManus, Katherine (November 9, 2021). "Dunn jumps into race to lead Capitol Police union after post-Jan. 6 testimony". Politico. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  10. ↑ Marquette, Chris (November 19, 2021). "Papathanasiou defeats Dunn in race to lead Capitol Police union". Roll Call. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Capitol Police Officer Dunn Honored for His Efforts on Jan. 6, 2021". House.gov. June 27, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Capitol Officer Harry Dunn testifies Oath Keepers weren't helping him on Jan. 6". NBC News. October 31, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  13. ↑ Lee, Ella (October 31, 2023). "Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn denies Oath Keepers protected him on Jan. 6 in testimony". USA Today. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  14. ↑ Broadwater, Luke (February 25, 2021). "Battling the Mob, a Black Officer Came Face to Face With Racism". The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  15. ↑ Sonmez, Felicia; Demirjian, Karoun; Hermann, Peter (May 28, 2021). "Sicknick's family and the police officers who protected lawmakers Jan. 6 plead with GOP senators to back investigation". Washington Post. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  16. ↑ Rocha, Veronica; Macaya, Melissa; Chowdhury, Maureen; Mahtani, Melissa; Hayes, Mike (June 30, 2021). "House votes to establish committee to investigate Capitol riot". CNN. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  17. ↑ Montanaro, Domenico (July 27, 2021). "Capitol Police Officer Testifies To The Racism He Faced During The Jan. 6 Riot". NPR. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  18. ↑ Dick, Jason (July 27, 2021). "Officers detail violence they faced on Jan. 6". Roll Call. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  19. ↑ Behrmann, Savannah. "Officers ask lawmakers to 'get to the bottom' of Jan. 6 Capitol riot". USA Today. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  20. ↑ Sangal, Aditi; Chowdhury, Maureen; Hammond, Elise; Macaya, Melissa; Wagner, Meg (December 19, 2022). "Officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 were sitting in the front row during committee meeting". CNN. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  21. ↑ Robertson, Nick (August 3, 2023). "Capitol Police officer: Trump should have been arrested 'on Jan. 7'". Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  22. ↑ Rabinowitz, Hannah; Polantz, Katelyn (May 25, 2023). "Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years in prison for plot to keep Trump in power". CNN. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Congress gives gold medals to police who defended the Capitol: Law enforcement officers fought off a crowd aiming to stop Congress from making the 2020 presidential election results official". Washington Post. Associated Press. December 6, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  24. ↑ Bichu, Apps (January 6, 2023). "Capitol Hill police officer from Wheaton receives Presidential Citizens Medal". MoCo360. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Biden, lawmakers honor officers who defended Capitol on Jan. 6". ABC News. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Capital Police Officer Harry Dunn honored for heroic Jan. 6, 2021 efforts". MoCo360. June 28, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Capitol Police Officer Shares Emotional Call with Daughter During Jan. 6 Riots (Exclusive Excerpt)". People. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Moncree-Dunn". Southern Maryland News. June 25, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  29. ↑ "The Courier-Journal 07 Jan 2022, page A5". Newspapers.com.
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