O'FALLON, Mo. — The widow of a retired St. Louis police captain shot to death after a violent night of protests will speak Thursday as part of the Republican National Convention.
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 pawn shop owner and often checked on the business when alarms went off.
Ann Marie Dorn declined an interview request but Ken Farnaso, deputy national press secretary for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, said she “will speak directly to the horrible pain caused by Democrats’ policies” and laud Trump for standing up for public safety. Trump has made law and order a focal point of his bid for a second term.
“Ms. Dorn’s painful story is just one of the countless stories that the media glosses over, and we are honored she will be sharing it with the rest of the nation at tonight’s RNC,” Farnaso said.
Her speech is the second involving St. Louisans. On Monday, Mark and Patricia McCloskey also spoke about violence concerns in the city. The McCloskeys rose to fame in June after emerging from their home with guns to confront protesters who marched onto their private street. 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.
St. Louis has been the scene of dozens of protests in the months since George Floyd’s death in May. The most violent occurred on the night of June 1 and the early hours of June 2. Four officers were shot but survived. Other officers were pelted with rocks and fireworks, and dozens of businesses were burglarized and damaged.
Among them was the pawn shop, where surveillance video showed several people breaking in and stealing several televisions. David Dorn’s last moments were apparently caught on video and posted on Facebook Live, though the video was soon taken down.
Soon after the shooting, Trump wrote on Twitter: “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. We honor our police officers, perhaps more than ever before. Thank you!”
Two men have been charged in Dorn’s death. Two others were charged with looting the pawn shop.
