Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection will share their personal stories from the day at a Jan. 19 event at VCU.
U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Danny Hodges will share their experiences at “Memories of January 6th: A Conversation with Two U.S. Capitol Police Officers,” moderated by Jatia Wrighten, Ph.D., and Alex Keena, Ph.D., assistant professors in the Department of Political Science at VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences.
This event, held in partnership with the Department of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College, is free and open to the public.
Registration for the event, which will be held at The Commons Theater, VCU’s University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., Richmond, and begins at 4 p.m. on Jan. 19, is encouraged (bit.ly/VCUJan6).
The conversation, Wrighten said, is an opportunity for attendees to hear directly from the officers who were there and learn what citizens can do to prevent something similar from happening in the future.
“American democracy is not a given — it is something that has to be worked at and maintained,” Wrighten said. “Conversations surrounding an attempt to dismantle democracy and what that means for its citizens are imperative conversations to have with the public.”
The event will explore polarization in the United States, the fragility of political institutions and other dangers to democracy illustrated by the events of Jan. 6.
It is a reminder, Keena said, that democracy should not be taken for granted.
“I hope people get a better sense of what happened at the Capitol on January 6, the challenges that officers confronted, and come to some better understanding about the democratic process in the U.S.,” Keena said.
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Chris Graham
