Harry Dunn, a U.S. Capitol Police officer who defended the building during the Jan. 6 riot, is joining a wide field seeking the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District.

Dunn, 40, who was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Citizens Medal and published a memoir last year called “Standing my Ground,” announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary on Friday, almost exactly three years after a day that he said took a toll on his emotional health.

“On January 6th, 2021, I did my duty as a police officer and as an American and defended our nation’s Capitol from violent insurrectionists,” Dunn said in a release on Friday. “Today, I’m running for Congress because the forces that spurred that violent attack are still at work and as a patriotic American, it is my duty to defend our democracy.”

  • aodhsishaj@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Comment from another reply pasted here for visibility

    The system within which they work is inherently and systemically racist. That system puts property above life and intends to secure and protect property at all costs. Indeed ACAB

    That being said. If elected he will no longer be a cop and may in fact enact positive change for those in his district. Until I see his platform and his associates I withhold judgement as I believe all humans can reform and improve. When we dehumanize all people on the basis of their history and do not take their current behavior into account we are just as bad as the fascists we hate.

    There are rare cases where officers change their stripes or naively enter into police work thinking they can reform departments from within.

    Look to Sgt. Isaac Lambert and other whistleblowers that are now actively campaigning for either abolition or reform.

    https://thecrimereport.org/2020/06/18/the-plight-of-the-police-whistleblower/