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Murder of David Dorn

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Murder of David Dorn
LocationSt. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DateJune 2, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-06-02)
Attack type
Murder by shooting
VictimDavid Dorn, aged 77
PerpetratorStephen Cannon
MotiveBotched robbery
VerdictGuilty on all counts
Convictions
BurialValhalla Cemetery[1]
SentenceLife imprisonment without the possibility of parole

On June 2, 2020, David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired police captain, was fatally shot after interrupting the burglary of a pawn shop in The Ville, St. Louis.[2] The incident occurred on the same night as riots in St. Louis, Missouri over the murder of George Floyd.[3][4][5] Stephan Cannon, who was 24 years old at the time of the incident, was convicted of his murder on July 20, 2022.[6][7]

Persons involved

Victim

David Dorn (October 29, 1942 – June 2, 2020) was an African-American captain in the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis, working there from November 1969 to October 2007.[8] He later served as police chief of Moline Acres from February 2008.[9]

Shooter

The shooter, Stephan Cannon, a 24-year-old man from Glasgow Village, Missouri,[10] was charged with first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, robbery, burglary, stealing and unlawful possession of a weapon.[11]

Another suspect, Jimmie Robinson, was charged with burglary, armed criminal action, and stealing.[10] An additional suspect, Mark Jackson, was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, burglary, stealing, and armed criminal action.[12]

Incident

On June 2, 2020, Dorn was discovered on the sidewalk in front of Lee's Pawn and Jewelry in The Ville around 2:30 a.m.[2] Despite a city-wide curfew, he had reportedly been responding to the burglar alarm of his friend's pawn shop when he was killed. His death was streamed on Facebook Live.[13][14]

The thirteen-minute video was briefly taken down by Facebook before being reinstated with a warning screen. In the video, a young man states: "Oh my God, cuz....They just killed this old man at the pawn shop over some TVs....c'mon, man, that's somebody's granddaddy."[14]

Investigation

Crime Stoppers offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest;[13] this amount was later raised to $56,700.

On June 5, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section released surveillance footage to the public to provide clues and evidence in their investigation of David Dorn's death.[15][16] The video captured a total of seven suspects trespassing at Lee's Pawn and Jewelry at 4123 Martin Luther King Drive. The footage was taken on June 2 from 2:13 a.m. to 2:16 a.m. All suspects in the video had their faces concealed. Six wore masks, and one had a white shirt wrapped around his face and head. At least two of the men were seen armed with handguns. One person pulled his handgun to target the entrance before joining the others. Another suspect had a cut on his left palm. The reward for additional information that could capture the criminals was raised another $6,000 since the surveillance video's release.[15][16]

On June 7, a 24-year-old suspect named Stephan Cannon was arrested. He faced charges of first-degree murder, robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.[17] Cannon's trial started on July 18, 2022.[18] During the trial Cannon's co-defendant Mark Jackson testified against Cannon in a plea deal in which Cannon pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and burglary which dropped Jackson’s charges of second-degree murder, stealing and three counts of armed criminal action in exchange for Jackson’s testimony that he drove Cannon to and from the pawn shop where Dorn was killed.[clarification needed] Jackson was given a suspended 15-year prison sentence that includes five years probation.[19]

On July 20, Cannon was found guilty of first degree murder, first degree burglary, and three counts of armed criminal action. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole on October 5.[20][21][22][23][24]

Aftermath

A small memorial was quickly set up outside the shop, with a handwritten sign stating; "Y'all killed a black man because 'they' killed a black man??? Rest in peace." St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden Jr. ordered all the department’s officers to wear black mourning bands on their police badges to honor Dorn.[14]

Several GoFundMe fundraisers quickly sprang up online, although none of them were endorsed by family members. A Fundly account has been endorsed by the family and they have asked for support of organizations such as CrimeStoppers or BackStoppers.[14]

Dorn's widow, Ann Dorn, spoke in favor of Donald Trump at the 2020 Republican National Convention. She spoke about her husband's death, over the objections of their daughters who stated that he was opposed to Donald Trump.[25][26]

Reactions

His widow, Ann Marie Dorn, told reporters that her husband was a friend of the owner of the store and would routinely check on the business when the alarm would go off.[2]

The former St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Finch called Dorn a "true public servant".[14]

Missouri Governor Mike Parson related the shooting of Dorn with the murder of George Floyd, tweeting that neither should have died, and that violence and criminal activity that had nothing to do with protests against Floyd's murder needed to stop.[27]

The Ethical Society of the Police, an organization which supports black police officers in the United States, tweeted "(Dorn) was murdered by looters at a pawnshop. He was the type of brother that would've given his life to save them if he had to. Violence is not the answer, whether it's a citizen or officer. RIP Captain!"[9]

References

  1. ^ Final services set for retired St. Louis Police Captain David Dorn St. Louis American.
  2. ^ a b c Hutchinson, Bill (June 4, 2020). "Small-town police chief killed as officers in 3 cities wounded during violence at George Floyd protests". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "Killed during looting:' St. Louis police mourn loss of Capt. David Dorn in overnight violence". KMBC News. June 2, 2020.
  4. ^ "Arrest in fatal shooting of beloved retired St. Louis police captain during riots". CBS News. June 8, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  5. ^ Olmos, Dori (June 2, 2020). "$100,000 reward offered in shooting of 4 St. Louis police officers during riots". KSDK. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. ^ Held, Kevin S. (July 20, 2022). "Stephan Cannon found guilty in murder of David Dorn". FOX2. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  7. ^ Roberts, Nigel (July 22, 2022). "Man Convicted In Death Of Former St. Louis Police Captain During BLM Protest". BET. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "Retired St. Louis police captain killed during unrest sparked by George Floyd death". CBS News. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Cullinane, Susannah (August 27, 2020). "Retired St. Louis Police captain killed after responding to a pawnshop alarm during looting". CNN. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Rice, Rachel (June 8, 2020). "Charges filed in murder of retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  11. ^ Byers, Christine (July 18, 2022). "Trial begins for man accused of fatally shooting David Dorn during protests". KSDK. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  12. ^ Currier, Joel (July 21, 2022). "Co-defendant in St. Louis Capt. David Dorn's death gets probation for trial testimony". STLtoday.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  13. ^ a b St. Louis MO Police Dept [@SLMPD] (June 5, 2020). "Persons of Interest in the Murder of Ret. Capt. David Dorn" (Tweet). Retrieved June 6, 2020 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ a b c d e Bell, Kim (June 3, 2020). "Retired police captain shot to death at St. Louis pawn shop in slaying caught on Facebook Live". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "St. Louis police release surveillance video of 7 'persons of interest' in death of retired officer David Dorn | Fox News". Fox News. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "St. Louis police release pawn shop surveillance video in hunt for killer of retired police captain". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  17. ^ "St. Louis Man Charged With Murder in Shooting of Retired Police Captain Amid Protests". Time. June 7, 2020. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  18. ^ "Case.net: - Event Information". www.courts.mo.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  19. ^ Currier, Joel. "Co-defendant in St. Louis Capt. David Dorn's death gets probation for trial testimony". STLtoday.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  20. ^ Nerozzi, Timothy (October 5, 2022). "St. Louis man convicted in David Dorn's murder sentenced to life in prison without parole". Fox News. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  21. ^ Usery, Stephanie (October 5, 2022). "Man convicted in David Dorn's death sentenced to life". kmov.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  22. ^ "Man sentenced to life in prison in death of David Dorn". ksdk.com. October 5, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  23. ^ Kull, Katie. "Man sentenced to life for killing retired St. Louis police Capt. David Dorn". STLtoday.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  24. ^ Matkin, Holly (October 8, 2022). "Retired St. Louis Police Capt. David Dorn's Murderer Sentenced To Life Without Parole". The Police Tribune. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  25. ^ King, Chris (August 26, 2020). "David Dorn's daughters oppose father's widow speaking at RNC". St. Louis American. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  26. ^ "Daughters of slain police officer featured at RNC speak out". CNN. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  27. ^ Bonvillian, Crystal (June 3, 2020). "Retired police captain killed on Facebook Live while protecting friend's pawn shop". KIRO-TV. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.


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