For over a week, former Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner has been on a twisted mission to clear his “good name”. In the process, he’s opened fire on several people in Southern California, killing three of them, and leaving the rest of the population terrorized. He also posted what has become known as his “manifesto”, detailing the lifetime of persecution he’s suffered from just about anyone who ever came into contact with him. At times, there appears to be some reasonable explanation of the straw that broke the camel’s back – his dismissal from the LAPD for giving a false statement, something he claims was the truth. A good part of it, however, rambles on, in some stream of consciousness type of opinion piece.
If you’ve read it already, you’ve probably figured out that this is a man who fancies himself some sort of whistle-blower, righting the wrongs done to him at the hands of a corrupt police agency. Dorner offers up a story about how the department’s Board of Review railroaded him out of a job by ignoring evidence that may have exonerated him. Instead, he alleges, the members of the board chose to believe other witnesses whose versions of an act of brutality didn’t mesh with his at all. Their findings led to his firing.
There are elements to Dorner’s side of things that make sense. It’s not uncommon for police officers to view the thin blue line as a special code, a wall of silence. The brotherhood can become something darker, and those who dare to break the wall are shunned and treated as rats. The word of those officers who play by the code of silence or are favorites within a department is taken as fact, because to do otherwise may uncover something or more troubling or sinister. If there’s an ounce of truth to Dorner’s side of what happened, then the LAPD has some serious problems and the fired officer got a raw deal. One almost feels sorry for him.
His course of action to regain his reputation, however, reveals much more about him than it does about the department he has come to hate. There are paragraphs that detail instances of the poor treatment that he’s been the victim of dating back to his childhood, at least as he perceives them. In each and every one of them, Dorner claims no responsibility. In his mind, he’s been bullied and tormented his whole life, for no good reason, when all he ever wanted was to do the right thing. No one has given him a break – not his mother or wife or girlfriend or co-workers. Through it all, Dorner has been misunderstood and put upon , and now he’s a martyr – just ask him.
These feelings of persecution had to have been building up for a long time. He’s let these wounds fester until he believed that he had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do but start this week’s events into motion. He wants to punish the people who were responsible for his firing – not by taking his claims to court or providing evidence to the media, but by making them afraid. His murder of Monica Quan and her fiancé was designed to bring pain to his former attorney, and fellow officer, Randal Quan, who had represented him at the Board of Reveiew. By threatening and killing family members, Dorner has found a way to inflict the most pain he can on his target list. He will take from them the very things that matter the most to them – their security, their peace of mind and their loved ones. This where you no longer feel sorry for him. This is where his “good name” went from being just an alleged liar to becoming a murderer, a coward and an egomaniacal thug.
His last known whereabouts were in the resort area of the Big Bear mountains. His truck was found because he’d set fire to it. There was no reason to set it on fire unless he wanted to draw law enforcement officers to the site. He claims, in his manifesto, that he’s one step ahead of those who are hunting him and that he’s an expert at everything, from weapons to combat techniques. Dorner really believes that he’s the best, the most righteous and that no one can stop him, not if he has anything to say about it.
He has lots more to say, now that he’s standing on the world’s stage. What the hell, he’s got everybody listening and following his every word and move, so why not spout off on just how intelligent and insightful he is? It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is, Dorner has an opinion – and advice for some – and it’s all spelled out in that tome of a statement. He likes the First Lady’s bangs, and doesn’t like Lance Armstrong. He’s for gun control and supports the rights of the LGBT community. Ellen de Generes and Charlie Sheen are the bomb but making a series of three of “The Hangover” movies was one too many. He’d like to see Chris Christie or Hillary Clinton become President of the United States in 2016.
I don’t know what his end game is. I don’t even know if he has one. If he’s still alive, and hasn’t taken the easy way out and ended his own life, he’s probably loving all of this attention. Chief Beck of the LAPD released a statement that the department is going to reopen the investigation into what happened to Dorner years ago. I’m sure that Dorner sees this as a victory of sorts. Even if their findings, this time around, do exonerate him, it doesn’t really matter anymore. Dorner has done much more damage to that “good name” of his. The only thing any of us will remember him for is his murderous rampage and now, that’s all he really deserves.
Full transcript of Dorner’s manifesto: http://laist.com/2013/02/07/christopher_dorners_manifesto_in_fu.php
UPDATE: Dorner is engaged in a firefight with police at this time. He is barricaded inside a cabin, after having stolen a vehicle, in the Big Bear resort. Hundreds of rounds have been fired with officers wounded. Live coverage is available on CNN and other networks. IMHO, I hope he’s captured and tried in court.
Empress
realhousewifeofaiken 
SMH I’ve read that the PD has gone banana wacko during this time, shooting at 2 Asian ladies delivering newspapers because they were in a truck, etc.
I am wondering if the whole department is on meds. My late father was a PD range officer.
Hey Donna, “banana wacko” sounds about right – they’re about as jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, that’s for sure.
Not that I’m defending the shooting of the two women delivering the papers, but my understanding is that they were on a street where one of Dorner’s main targets lived, turned off their headlights and continued to drive very slowly towards the target’s home. Over reactive, panicked and trigger happy cops let loose with a barrage of bullets. I’m sure that this will cost the city some big bucks.
it gets worse.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273643/White-House-calls-drone-strikes-Americans-U-S-soil-legal-ethical-wise–evidence-pending-attack.html#axzz2KW8ksHiq
http://now.msn.com/christopher-dorner-is-first-drone-target-on-us-soil
Kinda off subject? I listened to his manifesto on my phone bc a site published it & I was in my car & wanted to read. Not realising it was 11,000 words. So as I was reading, I read & read so I just listened to the rest while I drove home. I printed it IP for my husband, not realizing, 25 f’n pages (med font) he looked at me like “Y would u print this up” all that paper and ink. LOL
*up* not IP
&http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N2dlsv9E3U
Well, the man who appears in this video, he calls himself a comedian, certainly has the right to say whatever he wants, but this is a case where his opinions weren’t clouded by any facts. The most glaring example of the holes in his rant is the fact that President Obama was only in office for 2 weeks when Dorner was fired. Most of his grievances stem from incidents that happened long before that. Dorner’s hatred of law enforcement makes about as much sense as that of the survivalist who killed a bus driver and held a 5 year old in an underground bunker for a week because he had story to tell, too.
As for the video – it’s a good reminder of why we shouldn’t tweet, blog or appear on camera while under the influence.
I’m not trying to flip here but this feels like just another twist on workplace violence by someone who was fired. Something akin to Going Postal.
I feel badly for everyone involved – and I’m sorry to say I even feel badly for the shooter who has obviously gone through a long period of time suffering obsessively over his version of events.
We desperately need better mental health services in our country. I hope this man is captured soon.
I don’t think you’re being flip. It’s actually a very good point, another disgruntled or fired employee seeking vengeance. Yes, he obsessed and acted on his impulses. Some real therapy might have gone a long way, but he didn’t see himself as the problem or has having one. Bad things do happen to good people, something Dorner couldn’t accept.
I heard a profiler describe the gunman as an “injustice collector”. He perceives he has been the victim of an injustice and cannot let that perception go. Like many of these “manifesto” vigilantes there is a ring of truth however the action/remedy they have decided on is over the top, crazy.
Live updates are available here, on CNN and other networks. Dorner is now involved in a shootout with police.
I am hoping they do take him alive….there’s more to come about this whole thing I think….
we shall see,,,,
My thoughts, too. (see post above) He’s got things to say and I also would like him to face his charges, within the system – denying him the ability to write the end of this story his way.
Apparently, Dorner had taken two hostages in one cabin. When he left, one of the hostages freed himself and called the police. The suspect was thwarted by a barricade and opened fire on the officers nearby. Dorner and LEO’s are using smoke bombs, with the police using them to afford cover so that they could rescue and bring the wounded officers to safety.
In a warrant application submitted by U.S. Marshalls, Dorner had an accomplice, referred to only as J.Y. Dorner’s manifesto mentions a man named Jason Young, who he praised as a good friend.
http://documents.latimes.com/us-marshal-dorner-may-have-fled-mexico/
Why do these things always end up in a cabin in the woods?
🙂 – Good question. Let’s hope this isn’t the end. Sadly, one of the others in the roadblock encounter has died.
The cabin is in flames – reports are unclear as to whether the fire is a result of some sort of device used by the police or was started by Dorner himself, and that exploding ammo fed the flames.
Don’t take my word for this. In fact, don’t take anyone’s word, especially the MSM’s , unless they have the official authority and proof of what I think has happened. IMVHO, Dorner is likely dead. No one could have survived that fire and, if the reports are to believed, he didn’t exit the cabin.
If that’s how this has ended, well, I think I already made clear what I think of what he’s done in the past week.
If you’ve been a regular reader, most if you know that there have been very few occasions when I’ve responded in an unreasonable way or in anger. Having said that, I’m going to indulge in a bit of a rant directed at those who have set up Facebook pages or tweeted or written blogs in support of Christopher Dorner, while vilifying every man and woman who ever donned a uniform and pinned on a badge to protect and to serve. I’m not going to defend all LEOs – they don’t need to be defended. Those of you who think you know everything there is to know about police work and officers because you found things on Google or in the news, and that somehow makes you both an armchair detective and an informed critic, you are, in large part, wrong. Stick to what you’re good at, and the next time you need help, tweet someone and see if they come to your aid. The fact that you find Dorner a man worthy of admiration speaks volumes.
Amen Sister. Dorner was one very sick man. My heart goes out to the families of the murdered.
The only thing dividing our society from anarchy are the men and women who dedicate themselves to law inforcement.
o.O http://www.infowars.com/lapd-audio-from-dorner-siege-burn-this-motherfucker/
Donna, I’ve listened to this recording several times now, and, on it’s face, it sounds incredibly unprincipled. I’m guilty of having issued some expletive laden orders to members of my squad, but even in the most heart pounding, adrenaline-fed instances, it’s a cop’s job to remain professional. The training of SWAT teams requires even more than that. This tape sounds like complete chaos, where emotions and personal feelings took over. It’s nothing to be proud of, and I’m still wondering why this course of action was necessary. I think we’ll be hearing a lot more about the entire week’s worth of events for a long time.