Harry Dunn

Harry Dunn joined the U.S. Capitol police in 2008. On January 6, 2021, he was one of the brave officers who protected the country as a mob of insurrectionists attacked the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the presidential election. Officer Dunn protected the country from the insurrection as he experienced physical attacks and racial epithets from those storming the Capitol building. In recognition for Officer Dunn’s role in protecting the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal. The medal is the second-highest award a civilian can get and is given by the president to “U.S. citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.”

“I think it’s important to note that I accept this medal not as a Capitol Hill Police Officer, a job I have held for 15 years,” said Officer Dunn. “Rather, I am here as an American. What I did on January 6, I did as a police officer. It was my job. But what I have done every day since, I do because I am an American.” Following the attack, he was one of the few officers willing to speak publicly about what happened that day and testified in front of Congress about the events. Officer Dunn has been featured on: The New York Times, MSNBC, NPR, ABC News, The Washington Post and CNN.

Standing 6-foot-7, Officer Dunn, a certified crisis negotiation and crisis intervention officer for the US Capitol Police, grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland and credits his parents with instilling in him the values of treating people right. He attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia where he earned a degree in public health education and promotion. While at JMU, he was a student-athlete on the football team and a starting offensive lineman for the 2004 national championship team. Officer Dunn has equated his football experience to his law enforcement experience. “In sports, you learn to do things for the guys and work together to achieve common goals,” Dunn said.

Since the insurrection, Officer Dunn has frequently and openly spoken about how the impact of the violence of January 6 has been on his mental health. He has said, “It took a horrific toll on us and I want people to know it’s OK and it’s normal to feel a certain kind of way.”

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