A 26-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for killing a retired St. Louis police captain as he tried to stop a pawn shop from being looted during racial injustice protests two years ago.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the life term was mandatory after Stephan Cannon, of Glasgow Village, was convicted in July of first-degree murder in the death of 77-year-old David Dorn.
Cannon also was sentenced to an additional 30 years for robbery, burglary and three counts of armed criminal action.
Dorn, who was Black, was a friend of the pawn shop's owner. He showed up at the north St. Louis business as it was being ransacked on June 2, 2020.
His death drew attention nationwide because it occurred amid protests across the country in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
Across St. Louis that night, Dorn and four officers were shot, authorities were pelted with rocks and fireworks, and 55 businesses were burglarized or damaged.
“Our father was a good cop, but more importantly, he was a good man,” his daughter, Lisa Dorn, said to the court.
Cannon told the family he was “sorry for their loss” but denied being the shooter. His attorneys said they planned to appeal.
