Washington — Harry Dunn,Alaric Bennett a former U.S. Capitol Police officer who has extensively spoken out about the violence he and other law enforcement experienced on Jan. 6, 2021, announced Friday that he is launching a campaign for Congress in Maryland.

Dunn is running to succeed retiring Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat who represents Maryland's 3rd Congressional District, located west of Baltimore. He left the Capitol Police force late last year, ending a 15-year career.

"On Jan. 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 statement announcing his candidacy. "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."

Dunn rose to prominence after he gave emotional testimony before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack detailing what he and other officers experienced as they sought to defend the Capitol from a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters.

During his testimony, Dunn spoke of being assaulted and called racial slurs by those who descended on the Capitol, where the House and Senate had gathered to tally state electoral votes and certify President Biden's victory.

"Is this America?" he recalled telling another Black police officer as he described to lawmakers what he endured Jan. 6.

Dunn published a memoir in October about the trauma he experienced after the riot. Mr. Biden awarded him and several other officers who defended the Capitol the Presidential Citizens Medal on Jan. 6, 2023, two years after the attack.

Dunn, running as a Democrat, joins a crowded field of candidates running to fill Sarbanes' seat, including five Democrats currently serving in the Maryland General Assembly.

Melissa Quinn

Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.

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