Harry Dunn, the Capitol Police officer who President Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for his protection of the Capitol on January 6 and for being one of the few officers willing to testify before the January 6 Commission, will be in Atlanta on Sept. 6 and 7 to be awarded for his courage. Officer Dunn will also speak to students in our community during his visit to our city.
Dunn received the Congressional Gold Medal for his service and wrote a New York Times Bestseller “Standing My Ground.” The book details how 14 years of experience taught him to appreciate democracy differently. The horror of the January 6th insurrection is a trauma that he continues to work to overcome. Dunn testified in the Oath Keepers trial and before Congress about the deplorable actions that occurred.
I asked Dunn to speak about his life before he became a symbol of the insurrection. Dunn speaks about his father being in the military and learning about public service and duty to the country. He grew up with four sisters in a close-knit family.
Dunn says that on January 5th the Capitol police were anonymous. and then on January 7th everyone knew who they were. I asked him when he knew the protest was different from others. He speaks about the 1000 or so protesters and the discovery of pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters. He speaks about doing his job as a police officer. Dunn also shares “we got close to losing our democracy.” He says he is motivated and still angry that all the people involved have not been held accountable.
Dunn was so motivated that he ran for Congress and even though he wasn’t successful he doesn’t rule out trying again. He started the Democracy Defenders PAC.
Dunn will be honored at a fundraising gala in Atlanta from September 6th - 7th.