Widow of retired Black officer killed in St. Louis protest speaks at RNC
The widow of a former Black St. Louis police captain, who was killed during a June protest in the city, used the story of her late husband's death at the Republican National Convention Thursday as a rallying cry for President Donald Trump's call to use federal officers to fight crime in cities.
However, the children of David Dorn have said their father never supported the candidate and criticized Ann Dorn for appearing at the convention.
In a taped speech in a room with pictures of the officer, Ann Dorn recollected her late husband's 44 years of service as an officer, and later, his service to the community while retired. On June 2, during the George Floyd protests, David Dorn, 77, went to help a pawnshop owner who was being robbed and was killed during the intervention.
Ann Dorn talked about the emotional pain she faced after officers informed her of her husband's murder.
"I relive that horror in my mind every single day. My hope is that having you relive it with me now will help shake this country from this nightmare we're witnessing in our cities, and bring about positive, peaceful change," she said.
Ann Dorn contended that police forces should accept Trump's proposals for federal assistance "to restore order in our communities."
"We should accept that help. We must heal before we can affect change," she said.
Before Ann Dorn's speech was aired, her appearance and use of the officer's death as a way to praise Trump had already sparked outrage from David Dorn's children. The officer's daughters, Debra White and Lisa Dorn, told the St. Louis American on Wednesday that their father was a registered Democrat and didn't support Trump.
"He thought Trump is doing many things to ruin our country," Lisa Dorn told the paper.
White told the paper that her father opposed much of Trump's rhetoric and policies, including "the things he said about Colin Kaepernick, the kids locked up in cages, the racist remarks."
Both daughters said they called Ann Dorn and asked her not to speak about their father at the convention.
"She can be a Trump supporter in her own right, but she should not politicize our father's death for Trump's agenda," Lisa Dorn said.
