Maniac On The Run: The Story Behind Christopher Dorner

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.