Capitol officer says he’s not sure if he accepts rioter’s apology at January 6 hearing

‘It is hard to extend sympathy to an individual like that,’ Officer Harry Dunn tells The Independent

Stephen Ayres speaks to Harry Dunn following testimony before the US House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 Attack (REUTERS)

One of the officers former Oath Keeper Stephen Ayres hugged and apologised to after the most recent January 6 hearing said he is not sure if he is ready to accept his apology.

Mr Ayres was a rioter who testified before the House select committee that is investigating the Capitol riot on January 6. During the hearing, Mr Ayres told the committee that “everybody thought” that former president Donald Trump would join them at the US Capitol that day.

“He said in his speech, you know, kind of like he’s gonna be there with us”, he said. “The president got everybody riled up, and told everybody to head on down, so we basically were following what he said.”

Eventually, Mr Ayres said that his life was ruined by taking part in the riot.

“Basically, I lost my job since this all happened, you know, pretty much sold my house,” he said. “I mean, it definitely ... it changed my life, you know, not for the good. Definitely not for the, you know, for the better.”

Afterwards Mr Ayres went up to officers who defended the Capitol that day, including retired Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone, Sgt Aquilino Gonell – who sustained long-term injuries that mean he will have to retire from the Capitol Police – and officer Harry Dunn and apologised.

But Mr Dunn told The Independent he is not sure how he feels yet.

“I haven't processed that yet,” he said. “It just seemed kind of seemed like the right thing to do. But I don't know if I accept that. It is hard to extend sympathy to an individual like that yet, maybe, but that's all I got.”

Mr Dunn, Mr Gonell, Mr Fanone and officer Daniel Hodges testified before the select committee last summer in a preliminary hearing. Mr Dunn, who is Black, specifically spoke about the racial abuse rioters hurled at him.

“In the days following the attempted insurrection, other Black officers shared with me their own stories of racial abuse on 6 January”, he said last year.