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Handout / Reuters
A frame grab from KNBC4 TV aerial footage shows smoke and fire from a cabin where fugitive former Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner is believed to be barricaded in Big Bear, California February 12, 2013. Dorner exchanged gunfire on Tuesday with San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles after he broke into a home, tied up a couple and stole their pickup truck, authorities said.
Investigators discovered charred human remains late Tuesday within a torched California mountain cabin where police sources say ex-cop Christopher Dorner barricaded himself after a deadly shootout with sheriff’s deputies.
In a statement, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said that identification would be attempted "through forensic means."
Earlier, San Bernardino Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said authorities believed the suspect was still inside the cabin when the inferno began.
Gunfire erupted during the hunt for former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, who was charged with murder on Monday. The unfolding drama brought officers to a cabin in the mountains where the suspect was barricaded inside. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
The hulking former lawman declared war on the LAPD in an online manifesto because he was fired four years ago. Accused of killing three people between Feb. 3 and Feb. 7, he was the target of the biggest manhunt in Los Angeles history.
A day of dramatic and tragic developments began after police received a report around 12:22 p.m. Tuesday that someone fitting Dorner’s description had stolen a car from a home near the ski resort area of Big Bear, police said.
The car owner told NBCLosAngeles.com that a man who looked like Dorner came up to him with a rifle and demanded his pickup, and let him take his dogs out of the back before he fled.
A ground and air search ensued, and authorities located the pickup on Highway 38.
A spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game said one of its wardens was the “very first person to spot Mr. Dorner … They both got out of the vehicles and exchanged gunfire.”
Check out more coverage on NBCLosAngeles.com
The warden’s truck was riddled with bullets but he was not hurt, agency spokesman Andrew Hughan told NBCLosAngeles.com.
Dorner, who was already wanted for three slayings linked to a revenge-fueled rampage, “fled into the forest and barricaded himself inside a cabin,” the San Bernardino Sheriff’s office said in a statement. “A short time later there was an exchange of gunfire between law enforcement and the suspect.”
Two deputies were shot and taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where Sheriff John McMahon later confirmed one had died and one was in surgery. Their names were not released.
No more shots were fired from inside the cabin in Angelus Oaks before police demanded Dorner surrender and began preparing to storm the structure, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.
A source close to the probe told NBCLosAngeles.com that deputies broke the cabin windows, fired tear gas inside and began breaking down walls with an armored personnel carrier.
The deputies then heard a single gunshot, and soon after flames and smoke could be seen, the source said.
Shortly before 7 p.m. local time, Villaraigosa told Telemundo "it's over," but declined to elaborate.
Hundreds of investigators had spent a week searching for Dorner, who is accused of killing a retired captain’s daughter and her fiancé on Feb. 3 and a police officer on Feb. 7.
His burned-out truck, a Nissan Titan, was found in Big Bear last week and scores of officers have been combing the mountain, going door-to-door to see if they could find signs of forced entry.
At an afternoon press conference, LAPD commander Smith had a message for Dorner: “Enough is enough. It’s time to turn yourself in.”
“Everyone is very hopeful that this thing ends without any further bloodshed,” Smith said. “The best thing for him now would be to surrender … and he can face the criminal justice system.”
Dorner, an ex-cop and Navy reservist detailed his plans and hit list in an online manifesto — a 11,000-word declaration of war against the LAPD in which he makes it clear he would not be taken alive.
“Self Preservation is no longer important to me,” he wrote. “I do not fear death as I died long ago on 1/2/09.”
That’s the date that Dorner got his walking papers from the LAPD after being fired for making a false statement about an officer he accused of brutalizing a suspect.
Police say Dorner exacted revenge on the lawyer who represented him at the internal review, retired captain Randy Quan, by gunning down his daughter, Monica Quan, 28, and her boyfriend, Keith Lawrence, 27, in their car as they returned home to Irvine, Calif., after the Super Bowl.
Four days later, authorities said, Dorner ambushed police officers who were guarding other potential targets in Riverside and Corona, Calif., killing one of them.
LAPD officials said earlier Tuesday they were sifting through 1,000 clues and, including a video that may show the suspect stocking up on scuba gear before the killing spree.
Police confirmed they were even looking into the possibility Dorner had fled to Mexico — the destination he mentioned when he tried to steal a boat in San Diego last Wednesday.
Among the newest leads, a video that was posted on TMZ that appears to show Dorner purchasing scuba equipment at Sport Chalet in Torrance, Calif., on Feb. 1. Neiman said police had not nailed down if it was Dorner and could not say why he would be buying underwater gear.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court last week also revealed that investigators have been tracking an associate of Dorner — someone with the initials J.Y. — whose family has property not far from where Dorner's vehicle was abandoned and torched.
“We will leave no stone unturned to find out if someone was assisting this man in his terrible crimes and eluding capture,” Smith said.
This story was originally published on Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:37 PM EST
Leave a Comment:
KUDOS to law enforce authorities dealing with a HORRENDOUS situation. Thank God at least it had a happy ending this mentally polluted jerk is dead. Unfortunately it cost the lives of some law enforcement and the other innocents he targeted. He WILL not target any more!
i was particularly proud that it only took 372 cops, 287 cop cars, 4 armored personnel carriers, and 18 police helicopters to get this one guy. The efficiency of dozens of cops standing around the street drinking water and ??? for hours gave me a really calming feeling that there is nothing to worry about if a multiple situation comes to pass where more than one guy threatens the police. Could some of those cops standing around have been assigned to deal with other problems in southern California? Guess not!
How many cops does it take to deal with one shooter? As many as can drive their cars up the mountain? How many cop cars ran out of gas trying to get there?
Another reporting of "person they killed bad, that's why we are bad." But first of all, you don't burn a house down, til you know who is really in there, how many, etc otherwise you are no better then the psycho you are after. I'm afraid they are going to start sending drones to kill a crackhead that lives next door to me, kill my whole family by accident and then just say "whoops, wrong house!" in the news and keep on keeping on the psychotic thug routine.
Do you know something we don't know? It hasn't been reported yet how the cabin fire started. Were you there to know what the police knew or didn't know?
Your making assumptions and you know what they say about people who do that.
No one is being any more assumptive than you.
Considering WACO Texas Branch Davidians, considering Ruby Ridge, and considering how the LAPD shot 2 Asian women in a pickup (firing 50 shots into the truck) thinking they were a 270-lb black Dorner...
Considering the cabin fire...
Just considering...
Aww, now the LAPD won't have any more excuse to shoot innocent people like 70 year old women and guys in trucks .
But then there's always people like you.
The incompetence and corruption of the LAPD is exposed by this incident. Take a step back and take a look.
Fool:
Not people like me though; I moved away from LA.
Would be nice if YOU would move there, though.
WOW what an anti climatic ending I thought this Hero would hold Police at Bay for Months it ended just like i Thought the Coward shot himself when cornered. Typical Big Mouth all talk No Action. Don't rest in Peace.
Clearly, the guy was troubled beyond your understanding. How do you live in such a hate filled mind?
Yea, I'd like to go pi$$ on his ashes
i was particularly proud that it only took 372 cops, 287 cop cars, 4 armored personnel carriers, and 18 police helicopters to get this one guy. The efficiency of dozens of cops standing around the street drinking water and ??? for hours gave me a really calming feeling that there is nothing to worry about if a multiple situation comes to pass where more than one guy threatens the police. Could some of those cops standing around have been assigned to deal with other problems in southern California? Guess not!
How many cops does it take to deal with one shooter? As many as can drive their cars up the mountain? How many cop cars ran out of gas trying to get there?
How long has it been since you stopped taking your meds?
Apparently, you did not know your mom very well.
Sorry that the obvious escaped your attention...
Tex I hope your moniker doesn't mean your from TX You know if you needed help the first thing you would do is call 911 so don't talk smack about Police or the tactics they use. They got his worthless Fat Head. How do you live with your hatred for Authority?
ranknfile, you need to chill about Texas. Cal. cops deal with too much liberalism.
ranknfile,
I am sorry your world is so small that you cannot focus on some of the bigger issues at hand here. I knew people like you in high school. They never got past the mental age of 16 and, like you, could never understand that there are much bigger issues at work here than you will ever see.
I do not have hatred for authority as long as it is not as corrupt and inefficient as the LAPD. Read the history of this whole story and tell me they did a good job...LMAO...
BTW, I live 7 miles from pavement and 45 minutes from police support, so I take care of myself...
First thing I wouldn't do is call the police. I'd put on my ghillie suit, get out the AR15 (which is equipped with laser sight, dual bipod/handgrip, Xenon tactical flashlight, EoTech 552 holographic nightvision-compatible sight, EoTech G3 3X scope, Accutact corner sight--for shooting around corners) and don head-mounted AN-NVS-7 Gen 3 night vision goggles)
Second thing I'd do is tap out 3 or 4 shots.
Third thing, tell the cops where they could pick his body up.
What I wouldn't have done is fired 50 shots into a pickup truck with two Asian women in it.
Now this is some disturbing piece of news, if it turns out to be true...... Looks like the LAPD purposely burned down the cabin Chris Dorner was holed up in. Kill a cop or two; this is the trial you get... trial by fire (no pun intended).
Ok, was anyone else listening to the San Bernadino Sheriff's dept. scanner? I was, check it out...
They forcefully entered the cabin. They ripped the door off and went in. They were then talking about what they saw inside. Blood splattered on the wall and a mattress covering the window. One officer said "do we bring in the burner now?". Another replied, "yes, do what we talked about". My wife and I were listening and trying to figure out what that meant. The scanner went offline. The website said it was for officer's safety.
Then about 15 minutes later watching CNN, the cabin was on fire. The scanner came back live and described the flames and there was chatter about ammo going off from inside. The cabin burned down. The scanner talk was about getting the firefighters in there but they were holding them back.
So WTF was that about? I'm wondering if the scanner feed is archived somewhere. Draw your own conclusions but what I heard sure sounds suspicious. Did anyone else hear it? The website said there were 25,000 viewers on that feed.
In the name of Charlie Sheen, PLEASE, stop the racism in the LAPD...
The LAPD is like a SLAVE PLANTATION...the Chief is the Big Massah...and this officer the poor slave
Go on Facebook today and demand full reinstatement, an apology, with back pay for the killer.
It is a sad day for us all. Innocent people were killed. We failed to see the signs of danger. We lost a man that once protected us. What went wrong? I hope we find some answers so the situation may be prevented in the future. I am very sadden by this event.
What is the likelihood that we will get a straight answer to your question from the LAPD? These were the guys that got caught on camera beating an innocent man because he was the wrong color in the wrong place and got exhonerated by their own system, remember?
Barry's finest.
i agree. Fine speech last night
More lofty ideas (hot air) with no reality attached to them (better education with no teacher accountability, higher wages no matter if the employer can afford to stay in business, updated infrastructure payed for by what now....surely with middle class tax hikes, new taxes etc.)...and how is it that "some of the hottest years on record" come during a global recession if the cause is human production and manufacturing? Every time there's a storm you're going to blame that....really? The tornado in the Wizard of Oz? You folks are pretty delusional about nature and reality even though you claim to be smart and scientific. Finally, the reason much of Europe was able to afford their brand of socialism (besides high taxation) is because they didn't have to pay for our military! Wake up!
More sour grapes
Your guy Mitt was home like you and I
It sounds like he did us a favour and killed himself when he knew they would get him.
I do not understand the people who are cheering for this MURDERER....This is not a movie,and his motive is fiction.
Nobody is cheering the perp, we are simply pointing out the reality surrounding this issue. Let your mind expand, you will be amazed at what you can understand.
He is a hero in the black community
facts are ,the charred body was the newspaper delivery boy.
It's a good thing this guy was let go from the LAPD......if he thinks murdering dozens of people is justification for being fired then he had serious mental issues. And he wasn't smart....everything he did led law enforcement right to him. Just another delusional half-wit thinking they are the center of the universe. Now who else (just gave another speech) does that sound like? Sympathies to the families involved.
Krispy kritter special comin' right up
...
Oh sure.
Burn a black man alive.
Law enforcement mocking black people during black history month.
Where will the racism end??
.
Biden in 2016.
...
I want to pi$$ on his ashes
Sorry to hear of your problem, my dad had a problem pissing too.
I can't help but feel that there's more to this story than is being released to the public. Listened to a radio broadcast last night which it was clearly ordered by the LAPD to torch the cabin. Is this what our law enforcement has stooped to??? They are acting like vigilantees. What are they trying to cover up?? I don't trust MSN's reporting nor NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, FOX....The stories are always more poignant if they add their own spin. Suspect some sort of cover-up here involving police tacticts. That's not condoning Dorner's actions...if in fact he did commit them.
Only shame is he capped his ass before he could luv the heat
???
--And they found charred remains of a human---I do not believe anything until someone with molecular capability, not connected with the police has investigated the "body" and given us proof that it is that police man and killer; they do amazing jobs in fixing cases all over USA, it would be a surprise a few years from now if he showed up and got married again, hopefully then we will have DNA weddings---
Ok good if it him, but let us then get all those same police people on this case go and investigate the other 2,7 people the USA police shot and killed yesterday, the day before yesterday and the day before that and so on and on, or is it now only police people that get this attention, when they have shot a couple of their own, I am sure if it had been a civilian shot by the police, we would never even have heard about it---USA, we need to get back to being civil and practice what we preach in the Constitution, we must stop all that daily killing by the government hands-- soon we will kill more here every day by police hands than we do in Iraq and Afghanistan--- I guess the hunters/ex soldiers must have their fill---
Craw back into your cave. Leave those sheep alone tonight (baa..baa..baa).
There is actual fairly lengthy video of the shoot out on the ground, the UK has it, but I have not found it here locally. It was taken by CBS.
VIDEO: Watch the cabin battle with fugitive former Los Angeles police officer
Video of gunfight saw SWAT officers fire tear gas canisters into cabin.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2277750/Christopher-Dorner-dead-Police-recover-body-believed-wanted-ex-LAPD-killer-cop.html
Probably taken by this reporter who got caught in the middle of the gun fight.
Transcript: Reporter Carter Evans Trapped In Center Of Dorner Gunfight
http://
losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/02/12/transcript-reporter-carter-evans-pinned-down-in-center-of-dorner-gunfight/
The LAPA probibly had it comming..they screwed the wrong guy !
That is a horrible thing to say. God Bless you
No it's not and the same too you.
poncho--only a criminal thinks like this when was the last time you were in the big house. and are they currently looking for you
To bad he didn't take out a few more before the end.
maybe they should take you out pond scum you are the type that needs cleaned up off the street send you back where you came from
Hey Poncho,,,,,,,shut your pee hole you piece of taco sht! Go back to that rock you crawled out under you La Cockroach!,,,,,,freakin Mexican.
Well, if we look at the Twitter feeds. we discover that he is a hero of the Black (Obama voters) law abiding citizens of California. Naturally as long as a Black guns down police claiming racism he is a hero of his people. Let's see how long it takes Jesse Jackson to become involved.
Atelier........you are clearly a moron, so I won't even try to educate you. Police in this country have killed innocent, law abiding black citizens for decades, and before the police started doing it, it was done by your domestic terrorists also known as the KKK, and before that, it was done by Christian whites in the south under a little period of white history known as slavery. Racism is alive and well in these united states, so STFU.
If someone`s mind was focusing in killing innocent people then they all should get what this jerk got, fry them all and save our tax money. Black or white, it does not matter, its not about color its about actions. It is not racism it was an out of control monster and he got what he deserved.
Well, well well. Turns out that this guy wasn't the big gangsta / Rambo combo he thought he was, after all. Won't be doin' DAT NO MO.
Now a crispy critter. Good. At least this P.O.S. won't be tied up in this joke of a court system for eons on end.
My only wish is that he had taken out more LAPD officers and then gotten completely away to live the remainder of his life in another country. But not before heading to Houston and taking out some of those inept police in that God forsaken city. To anyone who actually believes this man was crazy, you are either white, or you've never truly listened to the news in this country. Time and time again, Blacks are victimized by the police and a legal system that is rigged against us. At what point do we say enough is enough???
darkangel your as much of a animal as this dormer guy is
You evidently have issues and should be evaluated by a Dr.
darkangel-- you are a worthless piece of pond scum you are a racist. just because he was BLACK you think he was picked on. shut the hell up you SOB.
You must be a criminal out there. Get life man! have a good heart and learn from this.
hey, media! stop showing the photo of this guy as a macho-man, or hero!! he is a coward and psychopath! show his charred remains, with his smiling white teeth. That is who he is a corps. NOT a hero! your all dazed and confused.