While the Jan. 6 hearings have had no shortage of bombshells, one much quieter moment on Tuesday illustrated the interpersonal nature of the testimony. After testifying Tuesday, Stephen Ayres, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the riot, approached four cops who were on duty that day—D.C. officer Daniel Hodges and Capitol Police officers Aquilino Gonell, Michael Fanone, and Harry Dunn—and, putting his hand on their backs, apologized. Ayres testified that he did not plan to storm the Capitol until Trump began speaking, and he was “hanging on every word [Trump] was saying.” He said attending the riot cost him his job and home, and that Trump’s insistence on the “Big Lie” angers him. “It definitely changed my life, not for the good,” he said. Gonell, who will have to retire early due to injuries he sustained on Jan. 6, said afterwards, “I’m not holding any grudges.”
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WATCH: Rioter Apologizes to Four Capitol Cops at Jan. 6 Hearing
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Stephen Ayres approached the officers after testifying Tuesday.
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