Harry Dunn addresses a crowd. Photo taken by Jackson Skarp.

On Tuesday, Feb 6. former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, addressed a crowd at the La Crosse International Association of Machinists district office. He discussed his disagreement with President Trump’s pardons for those connected to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.  

Others who spoke on Tuesday explained that Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Brad Schimel cannot simultaneously claim to be pro-police while supporting Trump’s pardoning action.  

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel is running for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, a former attorney who represented Democrats, in the upcoming election on April 1. Schimel’s website states he has dedicated his career to locking up criminals, cracking down on drugs, protecting sexual assault victims, defending the Constitution, supporting law enforcement and safeguarding our streets.

Wisconsin State Senator Brad Pfaff spoke first to welcome and introduce Dunn as well as two retired Eau Claire Police Officers, Eric Larsen and Mike Walters.  

Larsen spoke highly of the efforts by the capital police that day and recognized Dunn.  

“Officer Dunn found himself not only between law violators and victims but also defending our country against a violent mob,” Larsen said.  

On President Trump’s first day in the White House, he pardoned more than 1,500 people who had been charged in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. With this decision Trump held true to his promises on the campaign trail, a decision Larsen cannot agree with.  

“It’s just wrong, and it shouldn’t be hard to say that,” said Larsen. “I think that if Brad Schimel can’t bring himself to say that, to measure up to that low bar, then that disqualifies him as a Supreme Court Justice.”

Schimel has said that anyone convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers should serve their entire sentence, but he didn’t object to Trump using his power to pardon.

Eau Claire Officer Walters said, “Regardless of what your political affiliation is, wrong is wrong.”

“That’s what it’s all about, stepping up when you have to. I think people like Mr. Schimel need to grow some backbone and just say it’s wrong,” said Walters.

Pfaff directed the crowd to look at photos taken on Jan. 6, drawing attention specifically to images of a confederate flag in the U.S. Capitol and police officers being attacked. Pfaff then introduced Dunn to the crowd.

Dunn began by thanking the crowd for such a warm welcome and spoke on the events he has been at recently as well as how he feels about the law enforcement community at this time.

“I lost a lot of faith in the law enforcement community,” said Dunn, referring to those in the law enforcement community who have supported and voted for President Trump, despite his pardoning of those convicted on Jan. 6.

“Jan. 6, everybody knows what happened,” said Dunn. “There’s no narrative, just press play and watch with your own eyes what they did and then watch what Donald Trump said before, during and after the event.”

Dunn said that while he doesn’t know Schimel’s policies, “I know he failed.”

“He failed to do the simple thing of rejecting Donald Trump’s policy of pardoning the violent extremists that attacked law enforcement, that attacked police officers, that tried to overthrow democracy.”

Dunn said that Schimel is playing both sides by siding with President Donald Trump and appealing to the people of Wisconsin by “kind of” standing up for decency and democracy.

“Wisconsin deserves better than a kind of Supreme Court justice,” he said.

“I just am using my voice, my story, my experience, my passion, to express what I believe is right and what is wrong,” said Dunn. “And I’ll always show up, I can promise you that. I just need you all to do the same thing.”

Dunn told The Racquet Press that what he most hopes people get out of hearing him speak is inspiration.

“I hope I just inspire people. Everybody in here gets one vote. But I hope I inspire somebody to do something, because I am doing something that I hope is effective.”

When asked what message he had for college students in La Crosse, Dunn said, “You all matter now. You have a voice, you are the future. The democracy and the world that we are protecting now, is the one that you are going to inherit, that your children are going to inherit. We just want to make sure it’s worth inheriting.”

For more information regarding the Wisconsin Spring Primary election, click here.