ST. LOUIS — President Donald Trump tweeted a tribute to David Dorn, a retired St. Louis police captain who was killed by looters during riots early Tuesday morning.
"Our highest respect to the family of David Dorn, a Great Police Captain from St. Louis, who was viciously shot and killed by despicable looters last night." President Trump tweeted Tuesday night.
The shooting happened at 2:38 a.m. at Lee's Pawn and Jewelry on the 4100 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, near the border of the Vandeventer and The Ville neighborhoods.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said officers arrived to find 77-year-old Dorn lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his torso. The pawn shop had been looted, police said.
Dorn was pronounced dead at the scene.
St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden remembered Dorn in a Tuesday news conference as he and other St. Louis leaders discussed the chaos that took place downtown after a day of peaceful protests gave way to violence and looting.
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“David Dorn was exercising law enforcement training that he learned here, so in his honor, we are wearing our mourning badge," Hayden said.
“... David Dorn was a fine captain. Many of us younger officers looked up to him. So very well-liked and very pleasant. And his wife still works here, so a very sad time for our agency. We will honor him."
Dorn graduated from the police academy in May 1970. He was assigned to the patrol support division when he retired from the SLMPD in October 2007, according to a police spokesperson.
St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers is offering a reward up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the murder of a retired St. Louis police captain.
CrimeStoppers is asking anyone with information on the murder to call 1-866-371-8477. If a tip leads to the felony arrest of a suspect or suspects, callers may receive a reward of up to $10,000. You can call anonymously.