History Direct from Headlines! Standing My Ground by Harry Dunn: A Capitol Police Officer's Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th Personal Experiences - Memoir

 They did this so they could get inside to attack our elected officials. They wanted to “Hang Mike Pence,” or “Drag that motherfucker through the streets.” Another said she and her friend “were looking for [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi to shoot her in the friggin’ brain.” They said they were there to stop the will of the people and halt our 224-year history of the peaceful transfer of power.

Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America. —JOHN LEWIS

Sometimes we have fun with the public. We just make up shit to have a laugh. “Sir, what is your question? What is the statue at the top?” The real answer is that it’s a nineteen-and-a-half-foot statue of a woman, called the Statue of Freedom, but… 

“That’s the employee of the month,” I sometimes say. “Every month they put up a new one. They’re usually out of date by the time they get there, because it takes so long to make them. By that time, there’s usually another employee of the month, but we leave it there for a month anyway before we put the other one up.”

 “The statue? One of the interesting things about the statue is that it turns. When the sun hits it in its eyes, it gradually swivels. Nobody wants the sun in their eyes. So, to keep it realistic, it turns. Keep looking and you might see it.” 

It’s just fun and games, but those protesters and all those people, day in and day out, helped me grow in my political thinking. 

As we do our jobs at the hundreds of protests, we hear their slogans, we hear their chants, and you ask questions, sometimes to the people demonstrating and sometimes to yourself. 

Why is the minimum wage so important that you are here? Why do you think a woman’s right to have an abortion is wrong? People like the late Congressman John Lewis would demonstrate, knowing they would be arrested and go to jail. We knew they were going to jail. Why would these people, business leaders, congressional men and women, activists and regular citizens, go to jail for an issue? You talk to them. They talk to you. 

Somebody tells you they are taking half of their daily pill because they need to stretch it out because of the cost. Somebody else says they go to work every day, maybe work two jobs, and they still can’t afford what they need. You read about what they are talking about. 

You stand there, demonstration after demonstration. Some people come year after year because they believe something has to change. They don’t come just from DC or Maryland or Virginia. They come from all over the country because they want the people inside the Capitol to listen to them and make changes. In the end, you understand that people need to be able to come to the US Capitol and express their displeasure. You understand that your job is to protect the rights of the people in front of you. And you also realize that we, the Capitol Police, are protecting the people inside, who have the responsibility of serving the interests and concerns of those people gathered outside, right in front of you. 

The Tea Party was a conservative movement within the Republican Party that started right after Obama’s first presidential inauguration. That day, people came from all over the country. I remember looking at the crowd and thinking, “If these people decided to go into the Capitol, there’s no way we could stop them.” The event began as a demonstration against the Affordable Care Act, which, by now, everyone was calling Obamacare. But it morphed into a demonstration against anything Obama. Some people were hollering about gun rights and singing “God Bless America,” but mostly they were protesting and cursing Obama. Some of them were chanting, “Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!” because that was what Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, had called Obama three days earlier during his first State of the Union address. One person had a sign that called Obama the “parasite in chief.” Other people had signs that basically said he was a Black Adolf Hitler. In the crowd, one guy had a sign supporting Obamacare. The other people in the crowd didn’t like that, and they began calling him names. They cursed him and basically called him a bum. “Go get a job, you asshole,” one of them shouted. “You just want the government to take care of you,” another said. “Get a fucking job.” The guy stood his ground and shouted back, “I’ve got a job. I go to work every day, but I can’t get enough hours on my job to have health insurance.” I kept my eyes on that guy to make sure he could protest without being attacked by other people in the group. They were loud and nasty...

And you understand what you do is more than just a job. When you took the job, you took an oath to protect these people, all of them. You have a great responsibility. You made a commitment. Now, you are obligated to make good on that commitment every day—no matter what.

...service by African Americans in every American war, even when our country didn’t want us there. Immigrants felt a special pain that day too, whether they came to America more than one hundred years ago or just got here. America is the place on which they have pinned their hopes and dreams. Some fled tyranny and persecution in their home countries; others left grinding poverty, and many, religious or ethnic bigotry...

Hey Glenda, Harry Dunn here.
This is a tough email to start – how do you talk about one of the darkest days of your life? Not to mention, an irreparable stain on this country's history.
So I guess I'll start with a question. Is this America?
Is attacking Capitol police officers – honest, good people dedicated to protecting and serving democracy – with baseball bats and spears, spraying them with WD-40, calling them hateful slurs – is that America?
Is a President of the United States emboldening a riot on the Capitol, encouraging people threatening to kill former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Mike Pence, who traveled to Washington ready to act on those threats – is that America?
That's not American to me. I believe in an America that protects its people, regardless of their political beliefs. An America that values democracy and those that are chosen to represent it. That's what I believed in while I served as a Capitol police officer during the January 6 insurrection. I know that is also what you believe in... And I am now running for Congress in Maryland's 3rd district. God Bless you for your support...

~~~

Yes, I supported Harry dunn on his run for Congress. Unfortunately, he didn't win--stacked up against the millions of dollars that were spent on the election, but he continues to speak Truth to America at every chance he gets! I had already posted an important sharing by Harry on a previous blog post. If you haven't already read it, click here to check it out before you leave today...

Harry chose to provide a memoir of his life to begin his wonderful book. Much like what I'm doing with my own memoir, he spends time sharing about his early life, enjoying hip hop music and looking toward a career in sports, although that didn't ultimately work out...

It was when he met a female officer who worked at the Capitol that he began to think about joining this special and elite group of American police officers... He spends time telling us about what training these officers have to go through, which was quite extensive! I was thinking about comparability with the security officers on campus while I was there... NOT! He talks about other protests throughout the years, but then quickly points out that he'd never experienced what was to occur on January 6th--that day! And, the Aftermath!

I was wide awake and watching every second of what happened on January 6th... I was wide awake to watch the entire investigation of January 6th by a bipartisan congressional group. I heard what was said and I know that what the witnesses provided was true... And, that there is NO WAY to forget what happened that day! I've been speaking out against all that has happened since then... And I support all movements today for those who are protesting all that has happened through the lies of the republican party on everything both before in the planning and afterward in continuing to lie through the next election, only to work to destroy America! We cannot let that happen!

Harry, I feel I can call him by his first name because I've taken the time to read his life story... Find books at Book Readers Heaven, by race for either authors or characters. Karen Dabney who I met years ago on Gather.com, which was one of the best sites ever, told me that the best way to pinpoint my reviews (I had just reviewed one of her first books) was to hashtag Black Author, Black Character or other IDs relevant to the thousands of books I've reviewed... I believe it is important to be open to what is written and said by all people, no matter whether I agree with the content or not...

How I wish that Harry had been elected! He could be standing tall along with Jasmin who is determined to speak truth about January 6th and what happened that day. And on any other day when republican party members choose to spread lies and disinformation rather than speak truth...

The one thing I want to spotlight is that Harry Dunn, a big strong man who could easily handle himself in a fair fight, admitted that he was and is still so traumatized by what occurred on January 6th, that he has had to continue ongoing discussions with his therapist to retain his own life experiences in perspective. He was NOT the enemy! The enemies of America, itself, came on that day. They were members of militias with guns, they were members of QAnon, They wore Nazi emblem shirts. There were those who marched in Virginia saying, Jews will not replace us..." They murdered police officers that day, whether by heart attack, by abusive action, including holding an officer with his head in a door...

The thing is, however, you'll be hearing a man who cared about not only his fellow officers, but all of the congressional members who were in danger. He was concerned that the Vice President might actually be caught and hung that day based upon the president's anger that Pence refused to falsify the election records. Harry determined that he could not return to his long-time career at the Capitol. No, he wasn't physically hurt... What he lost was his firm and human desire to serve and protect... He might have failed that day, in his mind and heart... But we who watched all of the officers trying to prevent entrance and damage to OUR Capitol, KNOW what they were suffering, knowing that they were outnumbered, but more, that they were dealing with savages that had no concern whatsoever about who, nor even why, they had joined a cult leader who claimed it had to be done... When actually, we had heard Trump say to the Proud Boys, himself... Stand Back and Stand By...

I applaud Harry for taking an important step to write this memoir, one that will be an important addition to both Black History and American History... If you haven't already, please support this writer who knew that WE needed to have his confirmation in writing about what he and all officers experienced that dreadful day!


GABixlerReviews

I felt that rage bubble up inside me again, a kind of hopeless anger that made me question everything. Did this building, its purpose and its history, mean nothing to these people? How could you call yourself an American and destroy the very symbols of what makes us unique in this world? None of it made sense to me, and that only deepened my anger. I eventually retreated to an empty room, where I didn’t have to see anyone. Burying my head in my hands, I cried. Someone might have seen me; I don’t recall. But I also didn’t care. I was falling into a state of mind that would consume me for months. Fueled by anger but crippled by sadness, I felt helpless. I snapped my Beats by Dre headphones on and lost myself in my music while I finally responded to the dozens of texts and Facebook messages I had received since the previous day. I didn’t spend much time answering each one. Instead, I opted for a quick response. “I’m safe, but not okay.” That’s how I spent most of that day, sitting alone, listening...

May God Continue to Bless You, Harry Dunn!

Yeah, Thanks Mike, For Almost Getting Killed - But What Have You Done For Me Lately?! Part III

 

Seriously folks, What Have YOU Done for ME Lately?

I had not yet finished reading Hold The Line by Michael Fanone, when I posted the first two parts of this excellent book. First, I want to highlight that John Shiffman, an investigative reporter, worked with Mike to pen what I believe is the most honest of all the books that I've read about January 6th... Maybe that's because what I was reading instantly put me into my own form of PTSD that was not anywhere near what those who fought on January 6th are experiencing; but nevertheless, flashbacks are a major sign of the disorder. But for Mike and many of us, the result of the event can be even more devastating and compelling as you try to return to the life you were leading before the event... I'll tell you about my event on another page; but in reading the last part of this excellent book, I was at first saddened and, then, disgusted...

Has the entire world turned to the "Me First" life that seems to be invading every part of all of our lives? Let me tell you about Mike, once he was released by his doctors to return to work.

They didn't know what to do with him... Mike was now different. You might legitimately call him a whistleblower--I know, I was one...

Many call/called him a hero, but many also shunned him at work, even to the point of not being willing to allow him to enter into discussions as he used to... Mike pointed out that it was the white cops who turned from him, while the black cops welcomed him back and wanted to know how he was doing...

Something needed to be done to somehow return back to the normal working environment. But, in his case, January 6th had happened and there was never going to be a normal work day for many, including Mike... But he knew part of it was because he was willing to speak out... He was willing to point a finger to those responsible... and He was adamant that there must be accountability!

So, first, they brought him into a room with supervisory officers. While he was sitting there, those supervisors were asked who wants him (more or less). Fanone was shocked, he immediately remembered, of course, what he had himself said to Representative McCarthy:

Here’s an idea, I said: “Let’s get all the House Republicans together, put me in a room with them, and allow them to watch my body-worn camera footage so that they can experience that. I’m not here to change people’s hearts and minds. I just want them to shut the hell up and know the truth. And stop spewing bullshit because I can’t even begin to tell you how traumatic that is.” Silence filled the room. I broke it. “And I’m not going to go away. For whatever reason—God only knows why—I’ve been afforded a hell of a platform, and I’m going to continue to use it for the sole purpose of making people stop describing January 6th as anything other than what it was: a horrific day in which a lot of police officers almost died. I’m here because you’re the leader of the House Republicans.”

But this was different, it was his potential immediate supervisor who was forced to deal with the fact that (1) they could not deal with the situation because of an inability or unwillingness to supervise all of their staff and ensure a 20-year veteran cop was received back into the ranks; and (2) it was quite obvious that many of the police officers were Maga followers and they already had created a difficult situation because all of a sudden, the force had been divided politically! Especially after January 6th!

Mike did the same thing I did, he worked through the isolation, to get things done and he retired, leaving quietly... 

When I was watching the January 6th hearings and Mike Fanone was called upon to speak, I was impressed with his communication skills. As well as his ability to both speak effectively but also efficiently to pinpoint issues. I thought then and do now, this man needs to be somewhere where he can be most effective in a leadership role...

And, guess what, a new life was immediately offered to him...at CNN!

I love it when a life plan seems to come together just at the right time. Fortunately it is sometimes the only way for an employee who is committed to honesty, hard work, and dedication to the ethics needed for any job... As you know, I call them God Incidents! And a major one for me was to wind up here, writing about this important book for all of you to consider in your life's journey!

A Final Word...Again, I have to be a whistleblower...

Many of you want too much from one man, our president!

Just how far has your basic needs been met over the last two years? Stop right now and think about it. And then think about the fact that all that has been done has been WITHOUT MOST OF THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS SUPPORT?! WHY DO YOU EXPECT MIRACLES FROM SOMEBODY WHEN SO MANY ACTIONS, SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR ROADS, ETC., AS WELL AS REDUCED INSULIN COSTS, AS WELL AS AN INFLATION REDUCTION ACTION...AND SO MUCH MORE... has been routinely announced and then accomplished!

GIVE THE GUY A BREAK! Stop and think rationally, and seriously... what has the republicans actually offered that they would do? Give me DETAILS! 

What I do know is that there is an underlying power struggle going on with the republican party. Check out Liz Cheney and others who have decided to work for the country rather than for MAGA... POWER GETS YOU NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER...IT MERELY KEEPS MEN, LIKE MIKE'S SUPERVISORS AND HIS PEERS, IN POSITION TO CONTINUE THEIR ATTEMPT TO HAVE EVERYTHING THEY WANT AND IF THAT TAKES VIOLENCE, HELL, THEY DO IT!!!

Please just stop. Biden is our president. In comparison, what he has done for US as opposed to Trump's entire presidency, is HUGE! Please don't allow this cult-like individual(s) continue to prevent us getting back to normal... Remember the food delivery systems that were put in place during Covid... Just one of the ways that Biden made it happen... Remember the stimulus checks? It was just one of the ways that Biden worked for us... Please don't keep going back and forth and back and forth just because you are in a different political party than Biden. He has NEVER SAID...DON'T SEND STIMULUS CHECKS TO RED STATES, HAS HE? Think people... consider how Biden talks to people about their needs and tells us he's working on it...while Trump routinely said, Only I can do it...but then, never did, did he?

Think and Vote...Vote for those who care about people, about us...Let's thank Biden for all that he has done and will continue to do for us...

Please don't daily change your mind and ask But What Have You Done for Me Lately?

Remember God will provide if we depend on HIM, and He expects us to do that! NOT any Man! Allow your mind to open up to What God has said about greed, power seeking, and especially, about NOT caring for those of us in Need! While republicans lie and say they can take our Social Security if they want or make us beg for it annually... Just Stop! Remember that God is in control above ALL! And choose to vote...

Sing along with me, two of my favorite songs to sing solo...HE Watches OVER Us!

God Bless!

Gabbie

Mike Fanone, for Me, Is a National Hero...as are All Those Police Officers Who Fought on January 6th to Save Our Election! Part II

 

For some things, I consider books far superior to actually seeing the action of an event. Why? Because, a book will most times provide the internal thoughts of the main character--in this case Michael Fanone, who was one of those who was "captured" by the enemy of our nation as they sought to overthrow the routine passing of the United States Presidency, from one individual to the next.

Michael Fanone is like me in many ways, I'm pretty quiet most of the time, just doing my job routinely... until, like with Fanone, he not only experiences trauma; but sees what it has done to those who are willing to lie--thus, in essence, calling "him" a liar...

He was especially shocked when he discovered that the FOP, the police union, was apparently so involved with the MAGA life, that they did not even attempt to act on his behalf, at any point of during the January 6th insurrection, nor afterward. He was a 20-year member by that time--but that didn't matter because the group as a whole had been radicalized...

Of course, for me, my trauma was of a different nature--it wasn't dramatic with an explosive event. Rather it was an insidious level of "indifference" (a word that Fanone used related to not only the police union, but also the congressional and other government staff who at first had been affected by the insurrection, but then calmly and routinely began to lie, and use disinformation to attempt to change history of one of the most insidious events in America! Guess What?! It "ain't" working! We ALL saw and know what happened. Whether you choose to deny it, tells the rest of America, just who and what you are... and some are domestic terrorists... 

I'll be writing a parallel article on my move from an active member of the university community into an isolation that set me apart. The key thing for me, was that I had sufficient years in and was able to just retire...watch for it, if interested...especially if you are a woman...

I hope you all will read this book. Of all the books I've read related to the chaos happening, even now, I consider this my only recommendation as a must-read... As mentioned yesterday, Michael is one of us, the have-nots, who routinely have worked their whole lives to do the best they can with what they have been able to use. Thus, when a brother or sister citizen hurts, we feel it much more than even those who have first, chosen, Trump and then learned of his deception. I might have known what kind of man he was due to the books I've shared...but my response was never life-threatening. Another Michael, who was Trump's lawyer, comes closest to being significantly affected affected through his association with the past president than most.

So, in case, you can't afford to get this book, I wanted to at least share his words about that day...

Surrounded, I was lifted to my feet and violently frog-marched into a raging mob. I caught my first wide-angle glimpse of the crowd and was stunned by the scene, which we couldn’t see from inside the Capitol. A chaotic sea of terrorists, thousands of them, stretched to the horizon. Rioters in red hats, camo, helmets, goggles, Trump gear, and American flags. Everyone seemed to be converging toward this one choke point, toward me. 

A bearded man with a skull on his shirt took a swing at my head. The pole of a Blue Lives Matter flag crashed into my shoulder. It hurt like a motherfucker. A guy in a gray DON’T TREAD ON ME sweatshirt lunged at me, wild-eyed, arms flailing. My first fear was that I’d be trampled to death. I took more punches from every angle to my head and biceps. My forearms pinned, I was pulled and shoved and kicked. My next thought was that I would be torn limb from limb. A scene from Black Hawk Down flashed through my mind: the downed U.S. helicopter pilot in Mogadishu, getting dragged, dead and half-naked, through a mob of celebrating Somalis. I felt hands grabbing at my gear. Rioters ripped off my badge and took my radio. They tugged at my spare ammunition clip. I caught a glimpse of a hand on the butt of my gun and pushed it away. I tried to fling my elbows to create some space, but there were too many hands holding me back. A man with a head wound came at me, teeth bared, blood streaming down his face. I recognized that lethal look in his eyes; he was jacked up, probably on testosterone, steroids, or some other ball-shrinking drug. 

I managed to right myself, and realized I was now about fifty feet from the tunnel entrance. Fuck, I was being pushed in the wrong direction. My path was blocked by a very large dude, maybe six foot five. He wore dark sunglasses, a black helmet, and an olive military vest with a patch for the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia whose philosophy includes the belief that a small armed force can overthrow a tyrannical government. On his left upper arm, he had a QAnon patch. I tried to push past a gray-bearded man in a TEAM TRUMP cowboy hat, but someone held me back. A white-bearded man grabbed my right hand with both of his hands and tried to yank my fingers apart. It was then that I felt an insane fucking jolt of pain on my neck, near the base of my skull. My limbs shuddered and I howled in agony. Someone had a fucking taser. They were electrocuting me. I felt another hot poke on my neck and another debilitating surge through my body. My legs buckled, but I didn’t fall. I shrieked like a wounded animal. I whirled and came face-to-face with a disheveled maniac with long, red stringy hair and an overgrown goatee. 

Someone bellowed, “Kill him with his own gun!” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Getting shot with your own weapon is every cop’s nightmare. Decades of training, street experience, and undercover improvisation kicked in. Amid the chaos, it’s amazing how time slowed even further. I forced myself not to panic. I began thinking slowly, deliberately: I’ve been threatened enough to use deadly force. I have a gun—a Glock 19 with fifteen shots. But can I even get the gun out of my holster? And if I pull my weapon, what will happen next? These people are all already fucking outraged. No doubt, more than a few of them are armed. Why pull my gun and give them a reason to kill me? 

I moved to Plan B, psychology. I thought, What’s the best way to de-escalate the situation? I appealed to the crowd’s humanity. “I’ve got kids!” I screamed. “I’ve got kids!” I said this consciously and deliberately. I would have said it even if I didn’t have kids. In truth, I wasn’t thinking about my daughters. At that moment, I was only thinking about survival. It worked. 

I have no memory of what followed, but various videos, including my body-worn camera, recorded the next few minutes: A small group of rioters pushed their way toward me, and someone shouted, “Don’t hurt him!” Another screamed, “We’re better than this!” 

The mob started shoving me back toward the tunnel. Disoriented and in shock, I struggled to put one foot in front of the other. I slipped and someone gripped me under the arms. “Hold on,” the guy said. “I got you!” He was met with anger. “What the fuck are you doing?” “You can’t let him through!” Saner voices prevailed. “Let him through! Let him through!” “Make way! Make way!” They pushed my limp body up the stairs. “Bring him up!” “I got ya.” “Don’t hurt him.” A voice said, “You’re safe,” and asked me which way I wanted to go. “Back inside,” I said. Thankfully, the rioters did not take my body-worn camera, and it continued to record. 

At the tunnel entrance, I collapsed and lost consciousness. “Officer down!” 

I lay sprawled among debris from the riot, the rocks, poles, and police shields. One cop grabbed my feet and another lifted me under the arms. They carried me back through the tunnel, through the phalanx of officers guarding the Capitol. “Make way!” They laid me flat on my back. “We need a medic! We need EMT now!” “Take his helmet off.” “Need a medic!” 

Someone put in a radio call for help. “Need an ambulance, code blue.” A cop leaned over me, presumably to begin CPR, but Jimmy appeared and pushed him away. “I got it,” Jimmy said. “It’s my partner.” Four guys lifted me up by my limbs and carried me deeper inside the Capitol. “Mike, stay in there, buddy,” my partner said. “Mike, it’s Jimmy, I’m here.” After a few steps, Jimmy said, “Hey, take his fucking vest off. He’s having trouble breathing. Hold on.” They laid me on a carpeted floor. “Mike?” Jimmy said. “Mike, I’m here for you, buddy. C’mon dude.” Other officers joined in, trying to bring me back to consciousness. “Fanone? Fanone?” “Fanone, what’s up, brother?” 

I stirred. I was on my back, looking straight into a harsh ceiling light in one of the Capitol’s labyrinth passageways. Officers in helmets and gas masks hovered, studying my face. They looked like aliens in some kind of sci-fi movie. Hazy smoke lingered. My eyes stung. Jimmy returned into view, maskless. “C’mon, Mike. C’mon, buddy. We’re going duck hunting soon.” 

I snapped back to full consciousness. “Did we take that door back?” “Yes, we did,” Jimmy said. “We took that fucking door back and they’re all outside. I’ve got your gun, buddy.” I rolled onto my left side and let out a roar. 

“My Neck Hurts So Bad” In the makeshift triage area about fifty feet inside the tunnel, Jimmy pulled me up to a sitting position. “Alright, Mike,” Jimmy said. “We’re about to go for a ride. C’mon, man.” On the body-cam footage, you can hear me huffing and puffing, breathing like Darth Vader. Someone rolled up a cart, a metal dolly for moving heavy shit. Fuck no, I thought. “I’ll walk,” I said, foolishly. “Help me up.” 

Officers helped me stand and I immediately realized I was in bad shape. I didn’t feel physical pain, as the adrenaline was still flooding through my body. But when I tried to walk, my equilibrium felt off, and once more I struggled to put one foot in front of the other. Jimmy and another guy helped me shuffle forward as we followed a Capitol officer who led us...

No matter how many times I read this part, I develop tears in my eyes... Thankfully, some of those outside were not out to kill, and when Mike screamed out that he had kids, some part of those few got some of their senses back and worked to move Mike out of any further danger. 

But, like me, he needed to know WHY... And he knew that it was just beginning for him, and others...

Watch for Part III

God Bless

Gabbie