Harry Dunn | |
---|---|
Born | Harry Anthony Dunn September 25, 1983 Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, U.S. |
Education | James Madison University (BS) |
Known for | Police officer during the January 6 United States Capitol attack |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Danyel Moncree (m. 2009,divorced) |
Children | 1 |
Awards |
|
Police career | |
Department | United States Capitol Police |
Service years | 2008–2023 |
Rank | Private first class |
Website | Campaign website |
Harry Anthony Dunn (born September 25, 1983) is an American author, political candidate, and former police officer. He served in the United States Capitol Police from 2008 to 2023. Dunn was one of many police officers present during 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. His efforts during the attack earned him both the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Citizens Medal.
A member of the Democratic Party, Dunn announched his candidacy for Maryland's 3rd congressional district in the 2024 election. He lost to Sarah Elfreth in the Democratic primary.
Dunn was born on Andrews Air Force Base in Morningside, Maryland. [1] He attended Surrattsville High School in Clinton, Maryland, and played as an offensive lineman on the school's football team. [2] Dunn attended James Madison University, where he studied public health [3] and played college football for the James Madison Dukes. [4] He was a member of the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA national champions. [5] Dunn graduated from James Madison in 2005. [6] After he graduated, Dunn signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, [7] but he was released during training camp. [8]
Dunn joined the United States Capitol Police in 2008. From 2009 to 2023, he worked as a first responder providing security around the exterior of the United States Capitol and as a member of the Capitol Police Crisis Negotiation Team. He was commissioned as an officer as a private first class in 2011, [6] and was named a field training officer in 2017. [9] In November 2021, Dunn ran against Gus Papathanasiou in an election to chair the U.S. Capitol Police Labor Committee. [10] [11] Papathanasiou defeated Dunn in a secret ballot. [12]
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 [13] and to guard Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. [14] He interacted with rioters, many carrying Make America Great Again and Confederate flags, and members of the Oath Keepers such as Kelly Meggs. [15] Dunn said that by the end of the day, his fists were bloody from fighting with rioters. [16]
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 in meetings with U.S. Senators of the Republican Party. [17] He was in attendance when the U.S. House approved the formation of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. [18] 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 had used racial slurs against him during the attack [19] [20] and that he has attended psychotherapy and engaged in peer support to help him process the trauma he experienced. [21] The four officers were given a front-row seat to all of the committee's public hearings in 2022. [22] Dunn has stated his belief that Donald Trump should be arrested for his conduct preceding the riot. [23]
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. [14] The trial resulted in the convictions of Meggs and Stewart Rhodes. [24]
Dunn wrote a memoir, titled Standing My Ground, which was published on October 24, 2023, by Hachette Books. [3] [25] He resigned from the Capitol Police on December 17, 2023. [26]
In October 2023, after U.S. Representative John Sarbanes announced that he would not run for re-election in 2024, Dunn expressed interest in a potential run for his seat in Maryland's 3rd congressional district. [27] He officially entered the race on January 5, 2024, running in a crowded Democratic primary field that includes five state legislators—Mark S. Chang, Sarah Elfreth, Terri Hill, Clarence Lam, and Mike Rogers. [28] If elected, Dunn would have been the second Capitol Police officer elected to Congress after Harry Reid's initial election to Nevada's 1st congressional district in 1982. [29] [30] As a result of his strong fundraising ability and online presence, [31] Dunn was seen as a frontrunner in the race alongside Elfreth and Lam. [32] [33] As of April 2024, Dunn led his opponents in fundraising with $4.5 million in contributions. [34]
During the Democratic primary, Dunn campaigned on a platform involving democracy-related issues, abortion, infrastructure, health care laws, and gun reform. [35] [36] He received endorsements from various Democratic celebrities, including U.S. representatives Nancy Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, Adam Schiff, and Jasmine Crockett, [37] [38] [39] but none from elected officials within the district. [34] Dunn pledged not to accept campaign contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs) and criticized AIPAC for getting involved in the primary by running ads for Elfreth. [40] He also expressed support for Israel and its right to defend itself amid the Israel–Hamas war, opposing conditioning U.S. aid to Israel. Dunn also voiced support for a bill to provide $74 billion in funding to Ukraine and Israel and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. [41] [42] Dunn supported an amendment introduced by U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen that would condition U.S. foreign aid on a country's compliance with international law, [43] but later reiterated that he would only support requiring countries to comply with existing conditions as opposed to establishing new conditions. [44]
Dunn was defeated in the Democratic primary election by state senator Sarah Elfreth on May 14, 2024, placing second with 25.0 percent of the vote. [45] He conceded defeat that night and endorsed Elfreth in the general election. [46] Following his defeat, Dunn started his own political action committee, Democracy Defenders PAC, to support candidates running against pro-Trump Republicans. [47] He also campaigned for President Biden's 2024 reelection campaign in swing states alongside fellow former U.S. Capitol Police officers who were present at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 Capitol attack. [48]
Dunn married Danyel Moncree on June 11, 2009, [49] but are now divorced. [50] They have a daughter. [51] Dunn currently lives in Montgomery County, Maryland, and pledged to move to somewhere within Maryland's 3rd congressional district if elected to Congress. [28]
In November 2011, Montgomery County police officers were called to Dunn's home to respond to a violent domestic assault involving Dunn and his then-wife stemming from an argument about his 16-year-old stepson not doing the dishes. According to the internal memo obtained by Punchbowl News , Dunn's wife allegedly waved a kitchen knife in Dunn's direction, prompting him to retrieve his service weapon and rifle, which were stored in a department-issued lockbox with a broken locking mechanism, a violation of U.S. Capitol Police policy that led to a four-day suspension without pay. When police arrived at the scene, both Dunn and his wife had minor scratches on their arms and neither were willing to press charges over the incident. In a statement to Punchbowl, Dunn and his wife acknowledged the argument and memo, but denied having been physically violent to each other. [52]
Along with other officers who protected the Capitol during the attack, Dunn was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on December 6, 2022. [53]
On January 6, 2023, President Biden awarded Dunn with the Presidential Citizens Medal. [5] [54] [55]
The Montgomery County Council presented him with a citation in June 2023. [56]
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On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of then-U.S. president Donald Trump, two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. They sought to keep Trump in power by occupying the Capitol and preventing a joint session of Congress counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the certification of the election results. According to the bipartisan House select committee that investigated the incident, the attack was the culmination of a seven-part plan by Trump to overturn the election. Within 36 hours, five people died: one was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes, including a police officer. Many people were injured, including 174 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months. Damages caused by attackers exceeded $2.7 million.
On January 6, 2021, Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot during an attack on the United States Capitol. She was part of a crowd of supporters of then U.S. president Donald Trump who breached the United States Capitol building seeking to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
On January 7, 2021, a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, Brian Sicknick, died after suffering two strokes the day after he responded to an attack on the U.S. Capitol. The District of Columbia chief medical examiner found that Sicknick had died from stroke, classifying his death as natural and additionally commented that "all that transpired played a role in his condition", a decision which was criticized by some expert neurologists, who have stated that stress from the attack may have very well caused the stroke. His cremated remains were laid in honor in the Capitol Rotunda on February 2, 2021, before they were buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
The following article is a broad timeline of the course of events surrounding the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, by rioters supporting United States President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Pro-Trump rioters stormed the United States Capitol after assembling on the Ellipse of the Capitol complex for a rally headlined as the "Save America March".
The January 6 United States Capitol attack was followed by political, legal, and social repercussions. The second impeachment of Donald Trump, who was charged for incitement of insurrection for his conduct, occurred on January 13. At the same time, Cabinet officials were pressured to invoke the 25th Amendment for removing Trump from office. Trump was subsequently acquitted in the Senate trial, which was held in February after Trump had already left office. The result was a 57–43 vote in favor of conviction, with every Democrat and seven Republicans voting to convict, but two-thirds of the Senate are required to convict. Many in the Trump administration resigned. Several large companies announced they were halting all political donations, and others have suspended funding the lawmakers who had objected to certifying Electoral College results. A bill was introduced to form an independent commission, similar to the 9/11 Commission, to investigate the events surrounding the attack; it passed the House but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate. The House then approved a House "select committee" to investigate the attack. In June, the Senate released the results of its own investigation of the attack. The event led to strong criticism of law enforcement agencies. Leading figures within the United States Capitol Police resigned. A large-scale criminal investigation was undertaken, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opening more than 1,200 case files. Federal law enforcement undertook a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators, with arrests and indictments following within days. Over 890 people had been found guilty of federal crimes.
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Dominic Pezzola is an American convicted felon and member of the Proud Boys who participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, a violent attack at the U.S. Capitol. He is best known for stealing a police riot shield and using it to break a Capitol window on January 6, 2021, making him the first rioter to breach the building. Indicted in 2021, on federal charges, he was tried in 2023 alongside Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and his key lieutenants, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl. In May 2023, following a five-month jury trial, Pezzola was convicted of obstructing a congressional proceeding, assaulting a police officer, and other crimes. He was acquitted of seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge. The jury deadlocked on other charges against Pezzola, including conspiring to obstruct the counting of the electoral votes.
On January 6, 2021, supporters of then President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol Building, disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes to formalize Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 United States Presidential Election. By the end of the month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had opened more than 400 case files and issued more than 500 subpoenas and search warrants related to the riot. The FBI also created a website to solicit tips from the public specifically related to the riot and were especially assisted by the crowdsourced sleuthing group Sedition Hunters. By the end of 2021, 725 people had been charged with federal crimes. That number rose to 1,000 by the second anniversary of the attack, and to 1,200 by the third anniversary, at which point over 890 people had been found guilty of federal crimes. These federal cases are handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (D.C.). State cases, of which there are fewer, are handled in the D.C. Superior Court.
Jeffrey L. Smith, a Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police officer, shot himself on January 15, 2021, after he assisted the United States Capitol Police on January 6, during the response to the storming of the Capitol. A psychiatrist hired by Officer Smith's widow found that drastic changes in Smith's behavior after January 6 are evidence that the attack on the Capitol was the precipitating event leading to his suicide. On October 13, 2021, two United States Senators and several members of the House of Representatives called for the Mayor to award Line of Duty benefits to Officer Smith and his widow Erin Smith. On March 7, 2022, Officer Smith's death was officially ruled line of duty by the District of Columbia. After petition by his widow, DC Police and Firefighters' Retirement and Relief Board found that the "direct and sole" cause of Officer Smith's death were the injuries he received in the line of duty while responding to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Howard Charles Liebengood, a United States Capitol Police officer, died by suicide on January 9, 2021, three days after he participated in the law enforcement response to the Capitol attack. He was the first of what were reported as two police suicides in the immediate aftermath of the attack, though Metropolitan Police (MPD) officer Jeffrey L. Smith's widow disputes the manner of death. In the months after the civil disturbance at the Capitol, it was generally reported that the deaths of five people who were present have, to varying degrees, been related to the event. Some members of Congress and press reports included these two in the number of fatalities, for a total of seven.
Michael Fanone is an American law enforcement analyst, author, and retired police officer. He worked for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia from 2001 until his retirement in 2021. Fanone was one of many victims of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and testified with his colleagues in front of the House Select Committee investigating the attack in 2021. He is currently a CNN on-air contributor.
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The 2024 Maryland's 6th congressional district election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the United States representative for Maryland's 6th congressional district, concurrently with elections for the other U.S. House districts in Maryland and the rest of the country, as well as the 2024 U.S. Senate race in Maryland, other elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary election was held on May 14, 2024. The 6th district is based in western Maryland and the northwest District of Columbia exurbs and outer suburbs. It takes in all of Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties, as well as portions of Montgomery County. Cities in the district include Cumberland, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Hagerstown.