Retired Police Captain Fatally Shot After Responding To Pawn Shop Alarm During Looting

A retired police captain was fatally shot during looting in St. Louis.

David Dorn, 77, was killed while responding to an alarm at a pawn shop overnight Monday, St. Louis Police Department announced in a news conference Tuesday.

Chief Hayden said Dorn had been “a fine captain” who had been very well-liked and looked up to by many of the department’s younger officers.

CNN affiliate KTVI reported that Dorn had been killed around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, dying on the sidewalk in front of the pawn store he had been providing security for.

St. Louis Regional Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $10,000.00 for any information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible.

Dorn’s son Brian Powell told the station that Dorn had been a father of five and had 10 grandchildren.

Dorn had been passionate about helping young people, Powell said, and he believed his father would have forgiven those behind the violence and tried to talk to them.

His son’s message to the shooter, “The person who pulled the trigger, my message to them would just simply be, just step back from what you’re doing. Know the real reason that you’re protesting. Let’s do it in a positive manner. We don’t have to go out and loot and do all the other things,” Powell said.

Here’s more from Fox 2:

Dorn had retired from the St. Louis City Police Department in 2007, KTVI reported, and later became police chief at Moline Acres. Retired St. Louis City Police officer David Ellison told the station that Dorn had helped him out of poverty and into a life as a police officer.

“Dave Dorn was a great man. He was fair — the sharpest, cleanest guy,” he said.

Powell said that his father couldn’t stay retired after he left the city force. “Police work ran through his veins.”

Rest in peace, Captain.