Officer Harry Dunn expresses doubt about accepting Stephen Ayres’ apology after the rioter testified about his involvement in the Capitol attack.

A Capitol Police officer who was hugged and apologised to by former Oath Keeper Stephen Ayres after a recent January 6 hearing has expressed uncertainty about accepting the apology.

Ayres, who took part in the Capitol riot, appeared before the House select committee investigating the events of that day. During his testimony, Ayres shared that he and other rioters believed former president Donald Trump would join them at the Capitol. He explained that Trump’s rhetoric during the rally encouraged the crowd to move forward, making it feel like they were following his instructions.

Ayres, speaking about his involvement in the riot, admitted that it had ruined his life. “I lost my job, sold my house, and everything just… changed my life,” he said. “Definitely not for the better.”

After his testimony, Ayres approached several officers who had defended the Capitol, including Michael Fanone, a retired Metropolitan Police officer, Sgt Aquilino Gonell, who sustained permanent injuries and will have to retire, and Officer Harry Dunn. He offered apologies to them for his actions on that day.

However, Officer Dunn, in an interview with The Independent, revealed that he was still processing the moment and wasn’t sure whether he could accept Ayres’ apology. “I haven’t processed that yet,” Dunn said. “It just seemed like the right thing to do, but I’m not sure if I accept that. It’s hard to feel sympathy for someone like that right now… maybe, but I’m just not there yet.”

Dunn, along with Gonell, Fanone, and Officer Daniel Hodges, previously testified before the committee about the harrowing experiences they endured during the Capitol attack. As a Black officer, Dunn had been a target of racial abuse during the riot. He recalled that, in the aftermath of the insurrection, other Black officers shared similar stories of racism they faced on January 6.

“It wasn’t just me. In the days following the attempted insurrection, other Black officers shared their own stories of the racial abuse they experienced,” Dunn said during his testimony last year.