Monday, February 11, 2013

Christopher Dorner Needed A Good Lawyer, Not a Gun

Profile of a cop killer? Christopher Dorner, a former Los Angeles police officer pictured here courtesy of A.P., is suspected in three killings.  At first glance, Dorner does not seem to fit the profile of a mass murderer. Dorner served in the Navy where he earned distinction as a rifle marksman ribbon and a pistol medalist. In the navy, he was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and received aviation training.  Dorner took leave from the LAPD for a six-month navy deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007.  Dorner claimed he was a dedicated law enforcement officer who loved his job.   Yet Dorner was terminated from the force after a bitter hearing. 

Post termination Dorner allegedly vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues whom he blames unfairly ended his career. Dorner allegedly posted on the internet that he would use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families.February 1st was Dorner's last day with the Navy.  CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that same day with a note allegedly written by Dorner.  The note read, "I never lied." A bullet hole ridden coin that former Chief William Bratton had given out was included with the note.

On Feb. 3, Dorner allegedly shot and killed a couple in a parking garage in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that
ended in his termination. (Dorner allegedly wrote that he believed William Bratton, the retired captain, had represented the interests of the department instead of Dorner's interests during the hearing.)  Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect, police accused Dorner of also wounding an LAPD officer in Corona and subsequently ambushing two Riverside police officers.  One Riverside officer died and the other was seriously wounded. (The slain officer, Michael Crain, was an 11-year department veteran of the Riverside Police Department. He was a father and a former Marine who under no circumstances deserved to die.) 


So after three deaths and two injuries, authorities on Sunday announced a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.  LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said, "This search is not a matter of if, but a matter of when.  I want Chris Dorner to know that.”

The possible sighting of Dorner in Northridge, California apparently was a mistaken identity.  However, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck continued to urge the public to submit any leads to authorities.   to decrease the chances of Dorner making another possible attack. Meanwhile, authorities appear to be narrowing in on Dorner.  Camping gear was found along with weapons inside Dorner's burned-out pickup truck. The vehicle found near Big Bear Lake was so charred that investigators couldn't be any more specific about its contents. Dorner may have also called the father of the woman believed to have been killed by Dorner last week. It is still unclear whether the call was made by the 33-year-old Dorner or by someone posing as him. Furthermore, Dorner claims his lawenforcement career was sabotaged by racist fellow officers. Consequently, every lead and every allegation needs to be examined independently.

Chief Beck said officials would re-examine the allegations by Dorner that his law enforcement career was undone by racist colleagues. Beck promised to listen to Dorner if he surrenders; however, Beck promised an independent review of Dorner's 2007 case because he takes "the allegation of racism" seriously. Beck said, "I do this not to appease a murderer. I do it to reassure the public that their police department is transparent and fair in all the things we do." In the mean time, the three killings and threats have led to 24 hour protection for 50 families.  Capt. Phil Tingirides chaired the board that terminated Dorne's law enforcement career. He publicly criticized Dorner's actions and stated, "From what I've seen of (Dorner's) actions, he feels he can make allegations for injustice and justify killing people and that's not reasonable... The end never justifies the means."

A recent surveillance video showed Dorner tossing items into a Dumpster behind an auto parts store in National City. A store employee allegedly found a magazine full of bullets, a military belt and a military helmet. Majid Yahyai and his employee turned the items over to the police. On Friday, a warrant was served at a house belonging to Dorner's mother. Officers collected 10 bags of evidence.

The eventual capture of Dorner is inevitable.  Unfortunately, even if he was wrongfully discharged, the remedy was an appeal or a civil lawsuit.  The remedy was never violence.

Update 2-14-13:  By now the news is out that Dorner is believed to be dead. Apparently Karen and James Reynolds were the two people held hostage Tuesday by former Los Angles police officer Christopher Jordan Dorner.  According to Southern Califronia Public Radio, the Reynolds own the vacation property near the Big Bear mountain resort where they were detained by Dorner. Dorner had apparently been hiding in the unit for several days.  When they discovered Dorner, they were calmly bound and gagged. According to NBC4 Los Angeles, "Karen said she tried to run away when she recognized the man matching Dorner's description. With his gun drawn, the man yelled at the pair to stay calm... Karen said the man was 'very, very calm' as he 'very methodically' bound her and her husband's hands and legs, pulled pillowcases over their heads and stuffed towels in their mouths."

Dorner apparently left in the couple's car. When the couple were able to free themselves, Karen called police. Later that night a shootout in a different mountain home resulted in the death of a sheriff's deputy and the death of Dorner.  (Dorner's charred corpse will need to be conclusively identified by DNA.) Dorner is suspected of killing four people, two of them police officers.  The fire at the home where Dorner was holed up was not set on purpose. "We did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner out... deputies lobbed pyrotechnic tear gas into the cabin, and it erupted in flames," reported the AP.
 
All suspects are presumed innocent until otherwise proven in a court of law!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

dangerous dude

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Video Guy said...

Well they got him, and many will wonder if it was an execution. He shot two more cops and killed one, (this dude was one bad mofo), but apparently did no harm to the general public as he was in contact with at least three over the past few days.

I don’t put much faith into an investigation as we seen what happened with the Rodney King case, and according to this guy, things haven’t changed.
The results of such policing are paid in many ways. OJ got off for murder because the LA local African Americans on the jury felt that LAPD would frame a black man.

Video Guy said...

Allycatz834...Do you think his divorce was a factor?
Apparently it happened a year before his release from LAPD.

Anonymous said...

V.g., i think the divorce post was spam advertising....

Allycatz edited said...

Allycatz edited post reads: Divorces can cause emotional and financial strain. It is important to reduce the impact of the difficulties involved with divorce as much as possible. One of the ways this can be accomplished is by attempting to work constructively with the other party to reach agreeable solutions in divorce matters. An uncontested divorce is often a quicker and less expensive proposition than a contested divorce. If you want to move through the family law system harmoniously, without a detrimental effect to you or your loved ones, you need the help of a divorce lawyer who will work to protect your interests. Every divorce is different, as are the needs of the individuals involved. There is no "one-size-fits-all" method of helping someone navigate divorce proceedings.

That being said, this appears to just be spam and not apply to the reason behind this shooting.

Legal Pub said...

As reported in the update, Dorner is dead. We may never know the complete story behind the dispute that led to this tragedy.

Video Guy said...

If one looks at the photo of the vehicle of the two women shot delivering newspapers by the LAPD without warning, it is easy to assume that LAPD had no intentions of taking Dorner alive. The last thing they want is a trial where their dirty laundry exposed…so they killed him.

On a lighter note, many photos on the net of LA citizens vehicles with signs on them saying, “Don’t shoot, I’m not Dorner”

Anonymous said...

True V.G. Dead men tell no tales. Nor can they testify.