In July, four law enforcement officials from the Jan. 6 battle testified publicly about their experiences in front of the U.S. House of Representatives select committee that has been created to investigate the insurrection. Appearing in front of some of the lawmakers they helped protect that day, Aquilino Gonell, Michael Fanone, Daniel Hodges and Harry Dunn gave compelling testimony of their experiences. These officers have made various other appearances and statements as well, hoping to shed light on the events of that day.
Among other things, their testimony has highlighted the racist dimension of the attacks. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who defended the west entrance of the Capitol, recounted the rioters calling him a “traitor” and “not even an American.” Gonell remains in therapy for his mental health after the attack, and he has yet to regain full use of his left arm.
Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn recounted the racist abuse he endured last year, including the woman who yelled, “You hear that guys? This n***** voted for Joe Biden,” during the attack. He also testified that other officers were called the N-word and threatened with violence. In addition to dealing with the insurrectionists and those who have downplayed the incident since then, Dunn has even faced pushback from fellow officers who have complained that his comments about the Jan. 6 events have made discussions of the event “all about race.”
Additionally, several lawsuits have been filed on behalf of police officers and the city of Washington, D.C. over Jan. 6. In December, D.C. District Attorney Karl Racine announced that the city was suing the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militia for their roles in planning and carrying out the attack. The lawsuit, among other things, evokes the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, which was enacted after the Civil War to combat violent racist organizations like the KKK by allowing such groups to be sued for their actions. Earlier this month, Marcus Moore, as well as Bobby Tabron and DeDivine Carter — three police officers who were injured in the insurrection — cited the Ku Klux Klan Act in two separate lawsuits that they filed against Trump; other officers have also sued the former president and the right-wing militia over the insurrection.
