Alleged Killer of Retired St. Louis Police Captain David Dorn Charged With Murder

Stephen Cannon, a 24-year-old, has been charged with murder in the deadly shooting of David Dorn, [...]

By Kyle Phillippi

Stephen Cannon, a 24-year-old, has been charged with murder in the deadly shooting of David Dorn, a retired St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department captain. The fatal incident occurred on June 5 during protests that turned into looting in the city.

Dorn was responding to an alarm at a pawn shop and jewelry store as looters had broken into the store. That was where Cannon fired shots at Dorn. The uproar in the city was in the wake of the nationwide protests stemming from the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In addition to Cannon, Jimmie Robinson was also charged with first-degree burglary, armed criminal action and stealing. The 27-year-old is being on $30,000 cash-only bail.

St. Louis police chief John Hayden, Jr called Dorn a "fine captain" in his statement following his passing. Hayden said that it was a very sad time for all of those in the agency, adding that "many of us younger officers looked up to him." One of the area's local colleges, Missouri State University, have already set up scholarships to honor Dorn, as well as a separate scholarship to honor George Floyd. The University's president, Cliff Smart, said the school is creating these "as a symbol of the university's commitment to and investment in young Black Americans poised to take leadership of our nation."

Across the nation, protests have stretched out over the past two weeks in the wake of Floyd's passing and ensuing viral video that surfaced of one Minneapolis officer kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes before his death. Protesters from coast-to-coast have sought to raise awareness to the police brutality that has occurred and a call to end systemic racism. While many of the protests have been tame and met with no police force, some have erupted into dangerous situations, such as the case in St. Louis on the night of Dorn's death.

Due to the looting and riots that ensued in some areas, President Donald Trump announced last week that he would be employing the national guard to bring stability to the cities that are being torn apart. In his message, Trump rationalized the decision by saying it was "to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans."

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