The Irvine police accused an ex-cop of a series of homicides after he implicated himself on a Facebook manifesto that threatened over two dozen people. The former police officer, Christopher Dorner, was thought to have been targeting police across the area, beginning with the daughter of the police captain who he blamed for his dismissal from the police force. The captain was involved in a review of Dorner's conduct; Mr. Dorner was being questioned because of serious statements that he made about his training officer. His allegations that his training officer abused a homeless man were found to be false and ultimately led to his removal from the LAPD.
He allegedly murdered the captain's daughter and her fiancée in Irvine on Wednesday, February 6. After this incident, police began searching for Dorner and moving those that he had mentioned in the manifesto into protective facilities. Later the same week, Dorner supposedly showed up at one of the relocation sites and shot at the two officers who were protecting a person that he had mentioned in his manifesto. One of the officers incurred a head wound from the gunfight with the suspect.
Soon after this had occurred, two more police were shot at a stoplight in Riverside. Police believe it was Dorner due to its proximity to the other shooting and the surrounding circumstances. These officers were not thought to have been actively looking for him. One was killed on the spot and the other is currently still in the hospital. LAPD then issued a "blue alert" for Dorner, warning the nine surrounding counties that he was armed and dangerous.
On Tuesday, February 12th, the six-day manhunt for the former police officer was brought to an end after officers cornered him at a cabin in Big Bear. Dorner had been hiding in another cabin in the area, but the couple who owned it had walked in on him. He subsequently tied them up and took off in their car to another cabin where the police found him. The couple was able to get free and call authorities after Dorner left.
When the San Bernardino police arrived at the scene, a shootout with the suspect ensued, in which an officer was killed, and one was wounded. Police report that they introduced tear gas canisters into the cabin, after which the cabin ignited into flames. Deputies say that the tear gas generates a lot of heat and so that may have caused the blaze. The shooter was killed inside the cabin from the blaze.
Though an autopsy is still being done on the body, law enforcement officials believe it was Dorner based on a state game warden's testimony, who claimed he got in a roadway shootout with Dorner shortly before he took cover in the cabin. If you have been charged with a violent crime like Dorner, don't wait to get help from an Orange County criminal defense attorney at the Law Offices of Jacqueline Goodman. Our firm has had much experience successfully fighting on behalf of accused individuals across the Los Angeles area. Contact our firm today!