Another police officer was killed (and one more wounded) as authorities close in on Christopher Dorner near Big Bear, California. The picture above shows the house where Dorner is holed up, black clouds of smoke billowing out, where a gun battle is apparently still going down.

Holy Sh!t!!!

Everyone was saying that Dorner had surely left the Big Bear area and likely fled to Mexico, but it turns out, he has hardly moved over the past few days. He had taken two women hostage and tied them up in order to steal their car near Big Bear Lake, but the ladies were allegedly unharmed. Then when police showed up, gunfire erupted and two police were shot; one deputy was pronounced dead just moments ago while another one is in critical condition.

The death toll is up to at least 4 now, along with several others severely wounded, all a result of the Christopher Dorner saga. Dorner, former LAPD and former military, is currently cornered in a burning cabin in the woods, while SWAT teams surround the area, apparently getting ready to take him down. ABC 7 just confirmed that the house is “fully engulfed in flames.”

What we don’t know – is anyone else in the house?

I’ve been glued to the TV for the past half an hour or so and one thing I have not seen is a fire truck! (We don’t need no water let the mother*$#@r burn?!) The News is reporting that fire fighters will not respond to the situation until it is deemed “safe.” Pffft! Wish I was wrong, but my prediction from my previous entry seems all the more likely at this point – Christopher Dorner will not come out of this alive. Gunshots continue to be fired and the situation intensifies. Stay tuned for updates on the Deadly Dorner Drama!

The manhunt continues in Southern California as authorities offer a whopping one million dollars to anyone whose information leads to the capture of former LAPD officer and accused killer, Christopher Dorner. For the last several days, the story has plagued our news broadcasts, from Riverside to Big Bear, and now police say there is evidence that Dorner left California and fled to Mexico in order to evade capture.

In case you missed it, Christopher Dorner is accused of murdering two civilians before ambushing a police patrol car stopped at a traffic light and killing one police officer. Dorner, a 33-year-old brick house of a man, has been on the lamb since last Thursday. According to his extensive manifesto (published online), Dorner was targeting members of LAPD and their families who were involved in his being fired from the force back in 2009. In the first paragraph of his tyrade, Dorner tells friends and family “Unfortunately, this is a necessary evil that I do not enjoy but must partake and complete for substantial change to occur within the LAPD and reclaim my name.”

So…Why Was Christopher Dorner Fired From LAPD? The short version: he lied about one of his training officers having kicked a mentally ill man during an arrest.

The Background

Christopher Dorner and his training officer Teresa Evans responded to a call out for a disturbance at a San Pedro hotel. When they arrived, the subject was uncooperative and after throwing a punch at them, Evans used her electric Taser to subdue the man. Two weeks after the fact, Dorner went to his supervisor (allegedly in tears) to report that Evans had kicked the man in the face, shoulder and ribs. Evans, according to Dorner, had instructed him to leave it out of their initial report.

The "Investigation"

An internal review ensued and later determined that Dorner’s report was a lie and charging him with having made false accusations. There were numerous witnesses who testified that there was no kicking involved in the arrest; further, there was no evidence of the kicks on his clothing and the man’s injuries were apparently inconsistent with having been kicked. As for the defense, the victim’s father testified that his son had told him he’d been kicked, but the Board found that due to the victim’s mental illness, he was not capable of giving a reliable account of what happened.

The Findings

The initial internal affairs investigation officially found that the kicks did not occur. In 2010, in one of Dorner’s appeals, Judge David P. Yaffe reviewed the case and said he was “uncertain whether the training officer kicked the suspect or not” but nonetheless upheld the Board’s decision to terminate Dorner’s employment. Now the case has been reopened, police citing their desire to show the public that Dorner’s termination was justified. Police Chief Charlie Beck told reporters “It is important to me that we have a department that is seen as valuing fairness.”

The Charges

Today, Christopher Dorner was officially charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in Riverside County, California. Prosecutors have also alleged “special circumstances,” since the killing was of a police officer, meaning that Dorner now faces the possibility of a death sentence if caught.

My 2 Cents

No way Christopher Dorner is going to be taken into custody alive. In fact, I would be shocked if it ends with anything short of a guns-blazing battle royale, possibly (and God forbid) claiming additional innocent lives.

HOPEFULLY this will shed some light upon LAPD’s internal review system, which is the most inbred, pro-blue blood institution around. Without talking you into dizzy circles, suffice to say that the Board – comprised of appointed lackeys with self-interest for days – does little to ensure justice within the Department. I learned all about it during law school in one of my favorite classes, Police Practices, taught by triple threat (cop-lawyer-professor) and personal hero Steve Lurie, who too agreed that the department’s review for allegations of excessive use of force was tantamount to a kangaroo court.

Guess who’s back in the news – the accused from my favorite celebrity trial, Ms. Casey Anthony!  She was found not guilty of all homicide-related charges back on July 6, 2011, after a jury trial that drew massive media coverage.

 Casey Anthony's Appeal

Although she was absolved in the death of her daughter Caylee Anthony, she was convicted of four misdemeanor counts for lying to law enforcement during the investigation. Now, two of those convictions have been overturned by the Appellate Court; Florida’s Fifth Circuit agreed with Anthony’s lawyers, that the numerous counts for an ongoing act violated double jeopardy laws. Anthony’s other arguments, related to ‘Miranda’ warnings and the vagueness of state law, were both rejected by the court.

Lifetime Does Casey Anthony, Rob Lowe Prosecutes

I couldn’t help but watch the Lifetime Movie “Prosecuting Casey Anthony,” documenting…you guessed it, the prosecution of Casey Anthony, from the perspective of Florida Prosecutor, Mr. Jeff Ashton. Led by sexy Rob Lowe, the film showed how confident – nay cocky – the prosecution was in the success of their case, never once considering the possibility of Casey’s innocence. Should you see it? Only if you’re a nerd like me and enjoyed getting caught up in the Casey Anthony trial nearly two years ago. It’s interesting but far from cinematic genius.

Where is Casey Anthony Now?

Under the terms of her probation, Casey had to stay in Florida for one year after her release from custody. She has since completed the term of her probation and as of August 2012, could be just about anywhere. Turns out there are Facebook pages and other sites claiming to track Casey or report sightings of her, but most seem to be yet another forum for people with poor grammar to talk sh!t. Truth is, I hope she stays in hiding and avoids the threatened violence of the ignorant yahoos on these sites.

Casey Anthony first “resurfaced” back in October 2011, when someone posted her video blog (“vlog”) on YouTube. Here it is.   It’s 4 minutes and 20 seconds in which Casey Anthony appears in a white tank top and glasses, talking about her computer, her love for personal ownership, and the dog she adopted. She does not mention Caylee or the trial at all, and only notes “it’s just a little surreal how much things have changed since July…and how many things haven’t changed,” no doubt referring to her Not Guilty verdict.

On January 1, 2013, a member of the paparazzi was struck and killed by an SUV on Sepulveda Blvd., in Los Angeles. He had been trying to photograph Justin Bieber’s white Ferrari, which had been pulled over by California Highway Patrol on the 405. CHP officers ordered the paparazzo back to his car; his compliance with the order led directly to his death. The driver of the SUV was interviewed, but no charges have been filed thus far.

Bieber Shmieber

Meanwhile, bee-bop pop star Justin Bieber has made a big fuss about changing the laws surrounding the actions of paparazzi. In a statement to the press, the Biebs (who was neither driver nor passenger at the time of the incident) had this to say:

Hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders and the photographers themselves.

To which, I respond as follows:

Really Justin Bieber? What action would you prevent with new “legislation and whatever” in order to prevent tragedies such as this from happening? The ‘no-walking-across- streets-while-taking-pictures’ law? Because that is how this tragedy occurred. It had nothing to do with reckless driving or stalking or taking pictures. This is not the time to carve out new criminal charges they could have filed against the guy in his capacity as a photographer, this is the time to mourn his passing. How about you keep to pippity pop starring – and let the grown folks do the law making.

Stepping down from soap box now…

The Law on Paparazzi

Last year, California’s “Anti-Paparazzi Law” was struck down by a trial court judge in another Bieber-related matter, as being violative of the First Amendment. (Amen!) The 2010 law created harsh punishments for paparazzi who drove dangerously in order to snap pics. The accused in that case, Paul Raef, was represented by the power-lawyers at Kestenbaum, Eisner and Gorin, whose office was directly below my old digs in Van Nuys! Lead attorney Dimitry Gorin successfully argued that the law infringed upon our First Amendment right to free speech.

Gorin also pointed out that existing laws pretty much have this covered, such as laws against reckless driving, speed laws, etc… Someone’s motive for violating these laws may be one thing or another, that is not for the law to say. Is it a consideration? Sure, if you get the right lawyer to argue it for you! Got a story behind your traffic citation or criminal charges? Call me. Let’s talk.