E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Reuters / Patrick T. Fallon
Police opened fire on this blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in Torrance, Calif. while searching for a similar vehicle driven by murder suspect and ex-cop Christopher Dorner.
Published 6:30 p.m. ET: They were in the wrong car at the wrong time.
Two women who were delivering newspapers in Torrance, Calif., early Thursday were shot by jittery Los Angeles police officers who mistakenly thought cop-hunting fugitive Christopher Dorner might be in their vehicle, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.
One was shot once and the other twice; both were were expected to survive. Police did not release their names.
REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon
Police detectives investigate a shooting scene involving a black Honda pickup truck in Torrance, Calif. Police opened fire on the vehicle in a case of mistaken identity while searching for former Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner.
The LAPD detectives were in the neighborhood to watch over a home they believed Dorner might target. Hours earlier, the fired cop had allegedly ambushed officers in two other cities, killing one of them.
Across the region, cops on high alert were on the lookout for Dorner's dark-colored Nissan truck. In the predawn dark, they saw a blue pickup rolling through the streets with no headlights on.
It's unclear what happened next, but LAPD Chief Charlie Beck confirmed the officers fired on the vehicle, hitting the two occupants. He said it was a tragic case of "mistaken identity."
Less than a half-hour later, cops fired on another vehicle in Torrance, just two blocks away from the first scene, NBCLosAngeles.com reported. No one was injured in that vehicle, which was similar to Dorner's truck, police said.
Dorner, 33, remains at large. Police say he waging a vendetta against the LAPD for firing him, and has already murdered a retired captain's daughter and her fiance, along with the officer slain in Riverside. They say he detailed his plans and hit list in a twisted online manifesto titled "Last Resort."
Related:
Hunt on for ex-LAPD officer in revenge slayings
Leave a Comment:
NO sorry Officer CHIEF dude we lower class people call that murder, NO probable cause or reason. Any cop not knowing someone could forget to turn on their headlights? could not watch their actions to asertain theri doings? Ex USMC MIlitary Police and i can say this, totally wrong ! HOW MANY POLICE SHOOTINGS of innocent does it make this year so far....................OH wait the LA police bought gun's dop their officers would not get jittery?.................didn't work
Dorner, 33, remains at large. Police say he waging a vendetta against the LAPD for firing him, and has already murdered a retired captain's daughter and her fiance, along with the officer slain in Riverside. They say he detailed his plans and hit list in a twisted online manifesto titled "Last Resort."
gun control needs mental test? but police don't need on after all thier life is on the line
Let`s see;
Anybody else see a trend developing here?
The trend I see developing is this...
A national hysteria is generated to ban assault rifles... then it's rifles in general.
Then a story comes out that our government has plans to present to Congress the blueprint for using drones all over America to spy on US citizens and if necessary, target them for immediate kills without warrants or trials.
This I know... the bullet from a rifle can travel up to a mile. I don't know how close a drone would have to be to spy on the average citizen, but I can see the wisdom in trying to deplete the supply of rifles in the country so that the average citizen, on a bad hair day, wouldn't take aim at one of the damn things just for target practice and try to blow it out of the sky.
Where have you been? Its basis is called the "Patriot Act" and pre-emptive strikes is the by-word. [Thanks George and the Republican Congress.]
The freaking president had to sign it to renew it, Willie Boy... that means Barack Obama. It expired under HIS watch and he could have let it die but he didn't want to give up the power. So he renewed it.
Thanks Obama.
Money money money all those people in the pickups should get enought money to take care of the fiscal cliff.
Sue for 500 trillion each.
The FBI should take over this case and remove the LAPD. This sounds like there is something else that cops are trying to hide or they are just a bunch of cowards. This sounds somewhat similar to the Enron case: Destroy the man and all evidence before it becomes public. This guy should definately be taken alive. Why shoot to kill rather than to take alive?????? It is said: The LAPD has not changed!!
WTF?!? This should be on every National front page along with the shooter...
I agree. They should put pictures of every cop involved on the front page in these shootings of innocent people. Then you will see what a real wacko looks like with a gun.
Too bad about the ladies getting shot; but sounds like a payday is on the way to them. Hope they make speedy recoveries. With what they should get; won't have to deliver papers anymore.
so he hasnt killed anyone non related to cops. yet cops are shooting citizens like crazy.
lol, i hope he kills all cops.. really.
and this also smells really, really bad like some kind of police corruption.
good luck to christopher, i wish the guy all the best.
Two police officers ambushed, one dead; retired police officer's daughter and fiancé [campus officer] killed. And you tweets are surprised that the LAPD is shooting a truck that is 'prowling' the neighborhood of one of Dorner's targets?
The folks in Southern California are in a 'combat zone' at this time, and until such time as Dorner is taken. Use all due precaution and don't get in the crossfire or make yourself a target.
Will, explain how two women delivering newspapers were at fault in their own shooting.
you are making excuses for incompetence and extraordinarily poor judgment on the part of what are supposed to be trained professionals.
These shooters are criminals, not police officers - unless in the LAPD those two ideas are not mutually incompatible.
Sorry, I get your point.
Lucky there were no little children in the bullet riddled truck.
After reading Dorner's manifesto I'd bet the COPs that shot up this truck will get pay paygrade increase and make Captain in no time!!!
The LAPD already know exactly what they need to do to stop this violence-- Tell The Truth! It is stated plainly in Dorner's manifesto, that he will stop when they tell the truth about his firing.
Dorner is now a murderer and I'm sure he knows this. After the killings stop, there will be plenty of time to put him on trial for the homocide's he has now committed. In the meantime-- every further innocent life lost, or people harmed, is the direct responsibility of the LAPD-- including the people they are shooting themselves!!!
It's time for the LAPD to do what it should have done long ago-- Tell The Truth, and stop covering up and protecting corrupt cops!!!
Assuming that what Dorner's claimed is the truth. Just for the sake of argument, what if it's a paranoid fantasy?
From what I've seen so far it could be either. And if it's a paranoid fantasy, why do you think he'll stop shooting?
Truth or not, shooting of innocents is WRONG!!!!!!! The police are supposed to have been trained to evaluate a situation and THEN take action. What evaluation took place here?? hmmm, truck, shoot!!!
So, let's see, crazy cops on rampages, jittery cops shooting at innocent passerby's (apparently, these two women look remarkably like a large, Black man...), but I'm supposed to believe that cops with guns are good while my owning a gun is bad. Big "whatever".
Look, this is a horrible and tragic situation and I have some sympathy for the cops who are rightfully spooked, but it certainly disproves the notion that we are only safe if we give our guns up and throw ourselves on the mercies and competence of the authorities. A police uniform is no guarantee of sanity.
LAPD seems to be going along with the script rather nicely, proving how incompetent and irresponsible they are as an organization. We see that the cops are so determined to take this guy down that they are willing to kill everything in sight. Hardly the work of professionals. We will have to wait and see just who among these shooters will get arrested, what the nature of the criminal charges filed against them will be, what the result of the criminal trial will be and what sentence will be imposed to judge just how corrupt the whole system truly is. The shooting of the newspaper ladies was inexcusable. The eyes of the world are on you.
The civil trials will of course be dead bang winners.
Jittery my behind. This was an attempt at a cover up from what is possibly a semi-corrupt police force. Detectives have more experience than this. The fact that they shot at the truck so many times, and from behind no less shows me that they just wanted whomever was in the truck dead. plain and simple. And the fact that this was LAPD, considering their history, REALLY makes me suspicious.
This is exactly it!
The Chief has the nerve to call shooting at people who were never identified as being involved a "tragic case of mistaken identity?" Is he completely insane? There is absolutely NO excuse for these officers to be opening fire without positive identification and a credible threat. They need to be fired, charged as appropriate and put away for awhile. Actually, so does the Chief, if for nothing else than being an asshat.,
If I were the Governor of California, I would send the National Guard to arrest the LAPD police chief and stop the killing of bystanders. It's clearly out of control, ie the hunt for the rogue cop that is already no doubt left the state or area.
I tell you what. Jittery, a bit but these are trained police officers. I do not think they are "that" jittery. I know real law enforcement officers are NOT jittery. Do they get "angry" and "frustrated"? Yes, but not that jittery. So, HOW do I say something good here about the Law Enforcement I try SO hard to support as a sober man who went through way more than even the worst felons who got sober and turned their lives around? How when I was drinking out of control but never a violent hateful dangerous criminal? How when I went through more reform while getting into and involved in a 12 step program to get and stay sober? How do I say something positive here where I can see through the narrow minded hype? I can't. I am sorry but (strangely enough women want to be in charge but can not take the physical abuse or non female stuff. This is not sexist on my part. Just reality. so having mentioned this part of it, there you are women. enjoy the other military combat privileges women demanded. but...). This is not fair to many sensible equality minded females. As well as men. Did they shoot these people/women to make a statement and to back off the nosy public while on the manhunt? probably only part of it. How about THIS. They are experts at shooting firearms as well as shooting to injure if they want it that way. I have noticed MANY Spanish/Latino law enforcement officers HURTING Spanish minorities and I really feel as if to HELP them win a lawsuit. I definitely KNOW they do this for women as it draws media attention to problems and advertises need for more taxes for law enforcement AS WELL AS totally opens a door for the intentional victim to SUE. White male like myself? Obeys the law. Supports law enforcement. Does not METTLE gets HATED by the public, by women, AND THE POLICE and always discriminated BUT NEVER GETS TO SUE or RECOVER THEIR LEGITIMATE LOSSES! Ta DA!
What?
Oh they were just jittery. You're right NBC. The police repeatedly trying to kill random innocent citizens is just an unfortunate side effect of a single individual on this planet trying to kill police.
Surely this shouldn't slow down the state from further disarming law abiding citizens and deferring our natural rights to the police. They have our interest at heart of course. This is really the women's fault. Just as the media has said. They shouldn't have been in that neighborhood with a vehicle. Really they should apologize for it.
This man killed three and wounded two. The para-military wounded two and missed another. This story headlines only briefly mentions the near murder and ambush of three citizens before going back over the former teen police Explorer and policeman's exploits. He sounds like he had always wanted to serve the public and NOT serve the LAPD gang.
I didnt realize that Rham Emanuel lent those 200 paper shuffeling cops he pulled off desk work in Chicago to LA.
But senator Feinstein & Obama would allow only police and other lawmen to have and use assault type weapons,because they are trained too use them and we are not? Thank God these guys were not very good at their use.
But senator Feinstein & Obama would allow only police and other lawmen to have and use assault type weapons,because they are trained too use them and we are not? Thank God these guys were not very good at their use.
Just another one of many LAPD's shooting innocent people in Southern California with total disregard for life and limb. LAPD cops are trigger-happy numb skulls who can't distinguish a Honda Ridgeline from a Titan pickup truck that suspect Dorner was last seen driving in. Whereas Dorner has vowed to retaliate against certain LAPD cops, the LAPD cops have been randomly targeting civilians, including this latest shooting of two women in a Honda Ridgeline. Essentially, the courages LAPD cops are taking no chances with their own lives by shooting civilians first and asking questions later. When your life is in danger, do you think the LAPD would be as enthusiastic? Ask Regina Denny, the White truck driver pulled from his vehicle and beaten nearly to death by Black rioters during the LA riot while the Eye Witness helicopter broadcaste the entire crime for nearly 15 minutes. Where was the LAPD riding to the rescue? LAPD's great motto: To Serve and Protect, begs the question Whom?
Apparently, civilians are safer with Dorner running loose than LAPD cops' man hunt.
Guess we should hold the gun manufacturers liable for these shootings
/sigh