Falcons' Dunn to help DeKalb officers' families

[HMFFL]

The recent slaying of two DeKalb County police officers touched Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn personally.

Dunn's mother, a Baton Rouge, La. police officer, was killed in 1993, when he was 18, while working an off-duty security job, just like Ricky Bryant Jr. and Eric Barker, who were gunned down at a South DeKalb apartment complex.

"This hit very close to home for him," Dunn's publicist Lisa Brock said.

So, Dunn, known nationally for his charitable work, went about setting up funds to help the victims' children. He, and former Falcon Allen Rossum, provided seed money to launch the fund, then began to make the legal arrangements to establish The Ricky Bryant Jr. Fund and the Eric Barker Fund.

Would-be donors can contribute through Bank of America branches.

Dunn wants to provide the families with "safety, security and stability," Brock said. "He knows how rocky it can get" in the wake of such a tragedy.

After his mother's death, Dunn helped raise five younger brothers and sisters. Money donated to the family from the community helped them survive, she said.

Already, Brock said, there has been a "tremendous outpouring of support" from Atlanta residents to help the two families.

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