For officer Harry Dunn, the trauma from that day is very much a part of his life.
The unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol last January is still all too real for officer Harry Dunn, who is still experiencing the effects of the mental and emotional trauma nearly a year later.
During a poignant interview with Katie on Wednesday, Dunn revealed that he’s suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that he says was triggered by the terrifying events of the insurrection. “I don’t think you ever get over something like this,” Dunn says. “You just learn how to live with it and not let it control you, or define who you are.”
He also pushed back against the stigma around mental health, saying he faced ridicule for crying when he recounted the violence he witnessed that day. Dunn was among the officers to testify before the House Select Committee investigating January 6, where he gave an emotional account of the racism he faced by the mob of pro-Trump rioters.
But he says “there’s nothing wrong with getting help,” emphasizing that everyone copes in different ways and there shouldn’t be any judgment. “I’m sitting here telling my story, what I experienced,” he tells Katie. “If you ask a hundred different officers what they went through, you’ll get a hundred different answers.”
With many officers still out from the injuries sustained from the attack, Dunn revealed that morale within the force is pretty low, and he hopes the House panel’s investigation into that day will bring some much-need accountability.
“It’s hard to remain positive when you’re at the center of this giant investigation that’s divided the whole country,” he says. “I think that goes back to why mental health is so important — if there are some things that you can’t change, then you should change your perspective about it and try to focus on the good things about it.”
As lawmakers prepare for a “solemn observance” of the Jan. 6 anniversary, Dunn plans to spend it right at home with his family. “I’m going to just hang out, spend time with my daughter, and maybe go build a snowman or something,” he says.
He hopes the one-year mark will inspire Americans across the country to remember to not take this “fragile democracy” for granted. “Everybody has a role in this democracy, so we need to take it seriously,” he says.
Watch Katie’s full interview with officer Dunn to hear his recount of that terrifying day in American history.
