January 6, 2021 was the day that shocked the world when rioters stormed the Capitol building in Washington, DC in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 US presidential election. As for Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, hours after enduring a day of emotional trauma as well as racist remarks from pro-Donald Trump mobsters while on duty, he reported back to work. “I came back six hours later,” Dunn tells PEOPLE. “It’s hard because as much as I admire that place and I love it and it’s so close to my heart, it’s also a symbol of a bad day, a memory of a terrible day in this country.” Dunn found himself reliving it the day he wrote his new book, Standing still, will be published on October 24 by Hachette Books. Through vulnerable prose, Dunn details his perspective on January 6, as well as its aftermath, when he began sharing his story widely. Dunn was one of the officers who testified before Congress during a Jan. 6, 2022, House Committee hearing, and was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest US civilian award, by President Joe Biden in January.
5 key moments from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot hearings, from never-before-seen video to Ivanka Trump’s testimony
‘Standing My Ground’ by Harry Dunn.
Hachette books
“Anger, sadness, this desire that I have for justice and responsibility motivates me not to take my foot off the gas,” says Dunn. “And I’m just me. I have no authority to bring charges or make laws. I’m just a person with a story who cares about doing the right thing.”
In an exclusive excerpt from Standing stillDunn describes an emotional phone conversation he had with his daughter, Daphne, as rioters roamed the halls of the Capitol building.The corridor I was on took me directly to the Senate Chamber, where senators meet publicly to vote on bills and make speeches on pending legislation. I turned right as I approached the chamber’s front door and turned into a wide hallway, where reporters and television crews grab senators for brief interviews before and after sessions. I entered the next corridor and turned left. I passed the area where Officer Eugene Goodman saw Senator Mitt Romney walking toward the rioters. Goodman skillfully got them to follow him in the opposite direction and lead them away from the man they were sure to harm. I managed to get out on the east side and get back to my seat and the podium where my phone and helmet were. As soon as I picked up the phone, I saw a video call from my daughter Daphne. Daphne was eleven years old. She was at home with her mother. She probably didn’t come home from school much earlier. I took the sleeve of my jacket and tried to clean my face so she wouldn’t see me looking crazy when I turned on the video. I forgot that my jacket and most of my clothes were covered in pepper spray and other irritants. I was in pain, but I had to restrain myself and accept the invitation.
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Harry Dunn.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty
Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman recounted how he held back the mob on January 6
“Hey, baby,” I said in my dad’s voice, as if everything was normal. “How are you?” She had no idea what was going on. She was telling me something about her day. She was just talking. She told me how she made homemade ice cream. I screamed inside in pain, but I had to hold on to her. In the end I told her I had to get back to work. I’m sure her mom knew what was going on, so I sent her mom a message through my daughter that only her mom and I would truly understand. “I have to go, honey,” I said in my cheery voice. “Tell Mom Dad’s fine.” I hung up the phone and immediately started screaming, because my eyes and face were burning. I looked at my phone, and there were a million messages. There is no way I could answer all of these people individually. So I decided to post something on Facebook. I am quite active on Facebook. That’s how I hang out with a lot of my friends, especially people from my days at James Madison University. I went on Facebook and posted, “I’m fine.” At that point I had to get back into the fight.Excerpted from STANDING MY GROUND: Capitol Police Officer’s Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th. by Harry Dunn. Copyright © 2023. Available from Hachette Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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