E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Credit: Los Angeles Police Dept. newsletter via NBCLosAngeles
Christopher Jordan Dorner is seen in a photo from a 2006 LAPD newsletter. Dorner was on the force until 2008, and he was a reservist in the U.S. Navy.
Updated at 3:50 a.m. ET -- An ex-cop suspected of killing three people including a policeman and threatening to kill others — as laid out in a chilling online manifesto — continued to elude a massive manhunt early Friday despite local, state and federal agents following leads throughout Southern California.
Speaking to a packed press conference, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck chronicled the bloody events and called on the alleged gunman, 33-year-old Christopher Dorner, to turn himself in.
More coverage from NBCLosAngeles.com
"This has gone far enough," Beck added. "No one else needs to die."
Police conducted door-to-door searches in the ski area of Big Bear Mountain after discovering Dorner's burned-out 2005 Nissan Titan truck in the area, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.
The FBI and Las Vegas police were at Dorner's Las Vegas home earlier Thursday. According to a statement released by the FBI, the surrounding neighborhood was cleared for safety reasons while a "law enforcement action" was completed.
Early Friday, the San Diego Sheriff's Department said it had received a call saying Dorner was at a home in the area. Units were at the scene but as at midnight local time (3 a.m. ET), officials said they had not taken any suspects into custody.
Dorner, a 270-pound former Navy reservist who was tossed off the police force in 2008, was acting out of revenge, according his 11,300-word treatise — a cached version of which was obtained by NBCLosAngeles.com — and was targeting not only perceived enemies, but their families as well.
Described as 'one of the more dangerous shooters we've seen in a long time,' police say 33-year-old Christopher Dorner has already killed three people and is gunning for more. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
"I never had the opportunity to have a family of my own, I’m terminating yours," Dorner wrote in his rambling manifesto, addressing LAPD officials he blamed for ruining his career.
"Look your wives/husbands and surviving children directly in the face and tell them the truth as to why your children are dead."
Dorner has an arsenal of weapons, including assault rifles, police said. Citizens were told to call 911 if they saw his truck, but warned not to approach him, describing him as "extremely dangerous."
Dorner is a 2001 graduate of Southern Utah University, where he majored in political science and minored in psychology and played football for at least two of those years, the university confirmed.
He was a lieutenant in the Navy Reserves from 2002 until this week, and earned a ribbon for rifle marksmanship and a medal for pistol expertise. He was honorably discharged.
He joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 2005 and was fired for making false statements in 2008.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck provides a briefing on the case of Christopher Dorner, the fired LAPD officer wanted in revenge slayings in Irvine, California.
Police say Dorner began his killing spree on Sunday.
Monica Quan, 28, and her fiancé, Keith Lawrence, 27, were fatally shot while parking their car at their apartment complex after a Super Bowl party. Quan is the daughter of retired LAPD Capt. Randy Quan, who represented Dorner at the internal review that led to his ouster.
On Wednesday, Dorner tried and failed to steal a boat in San Diego, Beck said. No one was hurt in that incident.
Hours later, he began targeting cops, they said.
At 1:25 a.m., in Chino, LAPD cops assigned to protect someone named in the manifesto came under fire. One cop suffered a graze wound to his head, "literally inches from killing him," Beck said.
Twenty minutes later, in Riverside, he ambushed two cops stopped at a red light. One officer was killed and the other is in stable condition.
Police in Riverside said that they had notified the family of the slain policeman, but did not reveal his identity out of concern that it might endanger his family members.
Tensions were high across the region, where cops on protection details wound up injuring innocent civilians.
At 5:15 a.m. in Torrance, police assigned to watch the home of a potential target got a report of a vehicle like Dorner’s in the area, and then spotted it driving with the lights off.
Police fired at the vehicle and wounded two women who were out delivering newspapers. The Los Angeles Times reported that one was shot in the back and one in the hand and both were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The back of their blue pickup was riddled with bullet holes, the report said.
Related: Women shot by cops were just delivering papers
"Tragically we believe this was a case of mistaken identity by the officers," said Chief Beck.
Later in the day, dozens of cops surrounded a motel in San Diego where a man matching Dorner’s description was reported to be holed up. KNSD said police eventually confirmed the man inside was not the suspect.
"It's extremely intense," Sgt. Rudy Lopez said of the dragnet to capture the suspect before anyone else is killed.
"We're trying to identify where he's been, where he's going. In this case, we are the targets. He's brazen. He's on a hunt to do whatever havoc he can."
Dorner’s manifesto, titled "Last Resort," is a road map of his rage over being tossed off the force. He claims that he was punished for accusing his field training officer of brutalizing a mentally disabled man.
"The attacks will stop when the department states the truth about my innocence, PUBLICLY!!!" he wrote.
Half of it chronicles the wrongs Dorner says he suffered, stretching all the way back to a racial slur used against him in the first grade. He portrays the LAPD as rife with racism, corruption and abuse.
There is a long passage in which he expresses support for an assault-weapons ban, and a plea that his brain be preserved for scientific research on the effects of depression.
The document also contains page after page of praise for friends, political figures, journalists and celebrities and opinions on issues of the day — from women in combat to the boycott of Chick-fil-A.
Mostly, though, he talks about his bloodthirsty plans. He claims his arsenal includes "Bushmaster firearms, Remington precision rifles" and silencers and boasts that his knowledge of police tactics will allow him to elude capture.
"I know I will be villified (sic) by the LAPD and the media," he wrote. "Unfortunately, this is a necessary evil that I do not enjoy but must partake and complete for substantial change to occur within the LAPD and reclaim my name."
In addition to posting his manifesto online, Dorner also reached out directly to CNN, mailing a package to anchor Anderson Cooper's New York office, according to CNN. The package contained a hand-labeled DVD, a yellow Post-it note reading, in part, "I never lied," and a coin wrapped in duct-tape.
According to CNN, the tape was inscribed with the words "Thanks, but no thanks, Will Bratton," and the letters "IMOA." The coin is a souvenir medallion from former L.A.P.D. Chief William Bratton, CNN said, but it appears to have been shot-through with bullet holes.
CNN told law enforcement about the parcel.
At an emotional press conference in Riverside, home to the fallen officer, Police Chief Sergio Diaz said that judging by Dorner’s manifesto, the fugitive had a "depraved mind and heart."
Diaz, like his counterpart in Los Angeles, said the suspect should turn himself in.
"His grievances will not be further aired by further violence."
View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.
Leave a Comment:
We should outlaw firing people, so they don't get disgruntled.
That is not what this is about.
Please...
this is about vengeful unlawful murder.
Nope, it's about tyranny and someone with the guts enough to do something about it.
They messed with the wrong guy this time.
Yeah, Lana, it is. But some have Rambo fantasies and would be "keyboard cowboys' if they had the nerve. So, some will hold this whackjob in adoration.
At this point I don't care if he was the best/worst officer in the world or what injustices he perceives were inflicted upon him. He is now a murderer and needs to be eradicated from the planet. Going on a murder spree harming innocent people is not the way to get your message across. I hope he has already taken one of his own guns and pulled the trigger in his wide open mouth.
I'm not sure which is the bigger evil here, Dorner or the people that drove him to it?
Many times throughout history when either politicians, or police became corrupt the only way to expose it was to do something horrible to draw attention to it. It doesn’t make it right, but in his mind I believe that is what Dorner thinks he is doing. LAPD should be made to answer these charges, because if they are as corrupt as he makes them out to be maybe just maybe more lives will be saved than lost. When this is over the LAPD should have to have a separate outside group look into the allegations made by Dorner. Especially the violence against civilians. Look the scared LAPD just shot two women "mistaken" identity they say. To me it sounds like they were ready to wet themselve before they opened fire - poor training. Prayers to the families impacted by this terrible situation.
At 5:15 a.m. in Torrance, police assigned to watch the home of a potential target got a report of a vehicle like Dorner’s in the area, and then spotted it driving with the lights off.
Police fired at the vehicle and wounded two women who were out delivering newspapers. The Los Angeles Times reported that one was shot in the back and one in the hand and both were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The back of their blue pickup was riddled with bullet holes, the report said.
LOL GOD DAMN!, the police just open fire on vehicles that resemble the preps auto, wtf is up with that???.
That is exactly the reason this event occurred in the first place. Rogue cops doing illegal things.
'Crownpoint', get off the Pipe...
Get off the cool-aid you worthless liberal nut case. Go back to your Obama worshipping.
And stop smoking it, too!!!
Load up the bombs on the drones. Let kill that Sucker:
Time to band cops!
Anyone can go crazy or could be insane, let's stop blaming the guns!
This really seems bizzare not sure what to say about it but I have always wanted to write my Manifesto so far I am just to lazy but some day it will happen.
Clear his name?? How 'bout if we simply print his name clearly on a piece of granite?
It's as such time as this it's very important to have FAITH. The shooter is sooooo HURT by losing his police work (apparently.) Maybe, it's good that he lost his job. Maybe if he would have kept the job, he gets killed on a duty or somethign worse happening?
GUYS GUYS look at the positive side of things. Don't force things to happen. Some people call this "fate" but I call it "divine will."
If you believe Justice isn't served and you're impacted, leave it to Karma and go seek your peace, your calling and your purpose somewhere else.
BOY, BOY! I disagree. Sucking it up and moving on is not always the way to deal with injustice. I think this guy MAY have had a very legimate grievance and was trying to right a pretty nasty wrong. (Look at the history of the LAPD).
I don't for a second condemn his actions, but you can bet there is going to be a microscope on the LAPD brass. And that is a good thing. Sometimes INSTANT Karma is needed. Every dark cloud . . .
Seems like the CA cops ain't the brightest bulbs in a uniform, if they can't read the different license plate of a similar-colored pickup truck-- and shoot at innocent civilians.
Still, I do hope they blast this psycho ex-cop to smithereens, before he harms someone else! This sick bastard is not gonna get away for long.
No doubt...!!
I'm not saying you're wrong, C_D_J, in fact I agree with you. However, I have been in dangerous, high stress situations and adrenalin caused insane behavior. If you got word a person in a certain make, model, and year vehicle was coming to kill you, and you saw such a vehicle coming toward you in the dark (5:15AM) with its lights off and we can assume moving slow (delivering newspapers) we, too, would likely feel a fair bit of panic too. Like I said, I'm most definitely NOT disagreeing, but still...
DIRTY LITTLE PIGGY'S ban the LAPD ! also the victims who got shot up by the police should sue the balls off of the police dept &the officers personally who shot them in the back ,they should also sue to get there copcars and shoot them up as payback too ,they trashed up her ride ,she should be able to do the same!!!
Original American "law enforcement forces" were NOT formed to protect "all" people.They were meant to control a certain set of people.To make the forces appear to be trustworthy(after certain civil rights laws were passed)a sprinkling of "others" were allowed in to make the system appear to be "squeaky clean and devoted" to the protection of all.The "few" inductees always have been internally policed themselves by the "elite" of the force.It has not been outwardly explained what USA law enforcement "blue" truly represents here.Even those who serve who truly NEED to know are unaware.
Everybody is just falling for lying , Our Society couldn't tell the
truth anymore if they tried. Government on BOTH sides are liar's, State and County
Governments are liar's, it's the new truth to lie.......
And then there is Society as a whole, it is very sickening.
This man needs to be STOPPED, but the questions to the LAPD need to be asked.
But what am I saying, we will never know the truth.
The police need to chill. They're shooting at Nissan Trucks as long as it's gray color. This shooter is smart. He has done his homework (apparently) in researching and tracking down every move of the daughter of the firing office. He has probably ditched the truck by now. Comeon police. THINK like him for a second and LEAVE the nissan truckers alone.
Unfortunately, yes. There are three people dead, but there are so many moronic political @!$%#s, that is all they can focus on.
And that is not to mention two perfectly innocent women who were shot by overzealous, scumbag, "we're above the law" f'n cops. Damn @!$%#s.
"BACON TAKIN BACON" looks like these pigs like to kill there own,as well as take innocents too ! filthy pigs ,they kill even after"squealing" on eachother
uh oh, someones gotta criminal record............... YOU
clean as a whistle Paul bearer ,just seen alot of dirty pigs around,one even robbed me of $1500 bucks years back,i seen them shake down alot of people all across this country ,they need to rid them of there power and corruption, they forget they are "PUBLIC SERVANTS" and they EXPECT the "PUBLIC SERVE THEM" as well as the POLITICIANS, police are suppose to be "peacekeepers" and be neutral from politics ,but the political cronies twisted it around to there advantage
Be careful Mark, you wouldn't want to upset the cool-aid drinking Obmaites with the truth.
The only thing more dangerous than a black man is a college educated white man....
Really ? I thought it was a Jewish lawyer.
Dear Lord, how awful both for those he has killed and those who must live right now in fear of finding themselves in the crosshairs. My sincere condolences to the families who've lost loved ones.
As for Dorner, the man is a psychotic hypocrite! He has the audacity to ambush innocent civilians and brave public servants using them and at the same time supports a ban on assault weapons? Talk about the perfect poster child for MSN in their campaign to write up every incident, every THOUGHT anyone has involving assault rifles to cause harm! I would love to find HIM in the crosshairs of MY DPMS A-4.
I will pray for the men and women of the LAPD to find this animal and bring him down as they remain unharmed.
LOL at the crazy ass cops shooting up any vehicle that looks like his.
LOL at the liberal land of milk and honey always making the news for their cops behaving badly.
And LOL at MSNBC for mentioning that this psychopath supporst an "assault weapons" ban.
I read this guys entire manifesto and the LAPD has a real problem on their hands he knows their procedures and their tactics. Though he rambles a bit at some point he dose not sound crazy he sounds angry. He seems to have accepted the fact that he will die as a result of his actions and dose not care there is nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose.
I was just wondering now that thousands of California cops are looking for one man with a gun, if thousands of California criminals also with guns are out getting away with murder ? Too much focus on one guy. Schools were even locked down. He dosen't seem the sort of guy who will kill school children to me. My crystal ball sees an even bigger debt for CA with all the cops overtime pay on this one. Cop killers get all the focus. Those killing civilians are mostly running free. Sad.
A friend of a friend of a friend once told me LAPD is pretty corrupted and crooked.
So, they fire his butt for being a liar and he blames someone else because he got fired? Nah, he got fired and it was his fault! But, like most of these guys, it's always some one else that did it. I hope this is a shoot first and don't even bother to ask questions manhunt! He deserves no respect, just shoot him and be done with it, it's what he did to the people he killed. Can you believe this is all because he told lies about a situation? To become kill crazy over that says he was looney tunes to begin with!!