3 police officers who protected the Capitol from rioters will campaign for Harris, Walz in swing states

WASHINGTON - Three law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol from rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, are campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris , alleging that former President Donald Trump presents a threat to American democracy if he reclaims the White House.

Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges will travel Friday to Grand Rapids, Flint and Detroit, Michigan, said Albert Fujii, a regional communications director for the Harris campaign. Michigan is a pivotal battleground state that President Joe Biden won in 2020, and Harris is hoping to pick up in November.

The men, along with former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, will also appear in other crucial swing states, including North Carolina and Georgia. NBC first reported the campaign stops.

In the states, the officers will meet with voters and other organizers, as well as some of the elected officials they helped to protect in the wake of the Capital riot, according to Fujii.

Dunn, who ran unsuccessfully in a Democratic primary earlier this year for a Maryland House seat, said in a statement said that Harris and her newly minted running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, "have always fought to protect our freedoms, uphold the rule of law and ensure our communities are safe."

"Donald Trump, on the other hand, is a convicted felon who has promised to pardon the rioters who violently attacked hundreds of officers like me on January 6."

Trump was convicted earlier this year on 34 criminal counts in his New York trial tied to hush money payments. The former president has repeatedly said his first-day agenda as president will include pardoning people convicted of crimes related to the Capitol riot.

USA TODAY has reached out to Trump's campaign for comment.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 police officers who protected the Capitol from rioters will campaign for Harris, Walz in swing states