Ex-LAPD police officer Christopher Dorner seemed to have disappeared into the mountains of Southern California following the alleged shooting of three people days ago, but reemerged in a gun battle with law enforcement officers who found him hiding in a cabin about 80 miles east of the city.
The saga began Feb. 4th when Dorner, making good on threats he voiced after losing an administrative battle for reinstatement following his termination from the LAPD, allegedly shot and killed three people, one of whom was the daughter of the man who represented Dorner at his disciplinary hearing.
Dorner, whose ex-military training includes sharpshooting and underwater warfare, was an LAPD officer for four years before being fired for allegedly making false statements regarding his then partner’s physical abuse of a mentally disabled suspect. Dorner argued he was telling the truth during his disciplinary hearing and it was only when all of his legal avenues were exhausted that he apparently turned to revenge.
On Feb. 12 it was reported that Dorner took two women hostage before stealing a car in an attempt to flee his pursuers. The women escaped unharmed and Dorner later crashed the stolen vehicle and continued his escape on foot.
Later the same day, he was trapped by LAPD SWAT officers in a cabin in the Big Bear resort area of California’s San Bernardino Mountains. The cabin was set aflame after a brief exchange of gunfire that left one officer dead and another wounded, and law enforcement officials were seen waiting for the fire to die down before conducting a more comprehensive search of the area.
Friends of Dorner are shocked by the actions of who they describe as a good-natured man and his record as a Navy veteran and college graduate arguably lend credibility to his allegations about abuse and racism within the LAPD. It may be part of the reason why department officials have decided to reopen Dorner’s case as the saga continues to unfold.
