Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief Charles Dornon succumbed to injuries sustained when he was attacked by two men. About 9:30 pm, the proprietor of the Rendezvous Cafe on Ashfield Street summoned Chief Dornon when the two men became disorderly, refusing to leave. When Chief Dornon escorted the men outside, they dragged him into an alley and attacked him. Chief Dornon drew his revolver but was disarmed by one of the subjects. That subject returned to the cafe, where he pointed the weapon at the owner, threatening him. Meanwhile the remaining subject continued to beat the police chief while trying to gain control of the chief's nightstick. Dornon suffered severe blows to his back and head. The subject was able to throw the much weakened officer against a nearby parked auto, where he lost consciousness and slumped to the ground. The suspects stole his service weapon and night stick before fleeing back to Maryland. The attack caused Chief Dornon to go into cardiac arrest. He died while being taken by ambulance to Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser, West Virginia. Officers from West Virginia and Maryland immediately began an intensive search for the armed suspects. A man who raised one of the suspects from childhood was able to convince them to surrender and they were arrested at the city hall in Westernport, Maryland, about 1:00 am. Both men were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to one year in the Mineral County Jail on Febuary 10, 1946.
Survivors
Chief Dornon was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Dornon served with the Piedmont Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Piedmont community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Dornon.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Charles E. Dornon is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In WV, 169 of 232 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.8% of this state's fallen. That is 18.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles E. Dornon's cause is highlighted.
How Charles E. Dornon Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 1 year
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Charles E. Dornon is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Charles E. Dornon was killed by person.