24yo suspected looter charged with first-degree murder of retired black cop David Dorn

Police have charged Stephan Cannon, a 24-year-old local man, with the killing of retired police captain David Dorn during riots in St. Louis. The veteran cop was shot dead while confronting looters.

Cannon, who was one of the “persons of interest” seen ransacking a St. Louis pawn shop on surveillance footage last Monday, was charged with the murder of Dorn, a black police captain who retired after serving over 38 years on the force.

The suspect, who was found by St. Louis police in possession of a stolen TV set which he had apparently pilfered from the shop, has also been charged with three counts of criminal action: robbery in the first degree, burglary in the first degree and possession of a firearm.

Police say they believe that Cannon was the one who gunned down Dorn, leaving him to die on the sidewalk outside the establishment, as he appeared to be “the only person standing at the corner” at the time of the shooting and “multiple plumes of smoke” could be seen billowing from where he stood. In addition to that, used shell casings were found at the site of what police believe was the murder scene.

A chilling video has been circulating on social media showing a bloodied Dorn dying on the pavement outside the shop.

Cannon was known to police, having been charged with misdemeanor theft back in February, St. Louis Post Dispatch reported. 

In a bid to cover his tracks, Cannon attempted to change his appearance after the image of him looting the shop as part of a group of young men was distributed to the public. Cannon was taken into custody and is being held without bond.

Police have also arrested another man, Jimmie Robinson, in connection with the incident. He has been charged with one count of burglary, one count of armed criminal action and one count of theft. His bond was set at $30,000 in cash.

Dorn’s murder has sparked a wave of outrage, with US President Donald Trump hailing the slain former cop as “a great police captain” as he led tributes that have flooded social media since his death.

Protests over the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 have been rocking US cities for almost two weeks now. While the protests had been frequently marred by violence, the rallies that saw thousands of people flooding the streets this weekend have so far been peaceful.

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