The widow of a former police captain who was shot and killed in the midst of Black Lives Matter protests and unrest addressed the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Thursday, saying that President Donald Trump represents law and order in the face of anarchy.
“I re-live that horror in my mind every single day. My hope is that having you re-live it with me now will help shake this country from the nightmare we are witnessing in our cities and bring about positive, peaceful change,” Dorn remarked.
“We must heal before we can effect change, but we cannot heal amid devastation and chaos. President Trump knows we need more Davids in our communities, not fewer.”
Ann Marie Dorn is a sergeant with the police department. Her husband, 77-year-old David Dorn, was fatally shot on June 2 on the sidewalk outside Lee’s Pawn and Jewelry. Dorn, who was black, was a friend of the pawnshop owner and often checked on the business when alarms went off.
Riots and protests rocked St. Louis in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in May and June. The owner of the pawnshop was apparently worried about possible looting.
“The alarm that went off the morning of June 2nd was for real. It was a violent night in St. Louis. Four police officers were shot. Others were hit with rocks and fireworks. At least 55 businesses were damaged, looted, or set on fire,” she said.
“As the Officer Wellness and CIT Coordinator with the police department, I was keenly aware of the rioting and spent the evening getting ready to mobilize support efforts for officers who were impacted. After I had gone to bed, Dave received a call from Lee’s alarm company.”
She added: “The front door of the pawnshop had been breached. This time, he didn’t wake me up to tell me. He probably knew I would have tried to stop him or insisted on going with him. As I slept, looters were ransacking the shop.
“They shot and killed Dave in cold blood and livestreamed the execution and his last moments on this earth. Dave’s grandson was watching the video on Facebook in real-time, not realizing he was watching his own grandfather dying on the sidewalk.”
The 24-year-old suspect in Dorn’s killing, Stephan Cannon, faces seven charges such as first-degree murder and first-degree robbery, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner said in June.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s decision to charge them with felony unlawful use of a weapon has drawn criticism from Trump and other Republicans.
