By Matthew Bramlett |Managing Editor|
A former LAPD officer is suspected of going on an unprecedented killing spree across multiple southern California counties as retaliation for what he sees as unlawful activity and corruption within the department.
Christopher Jordan Dorner, 33, who was discharged from the force in 2008 for filing a false report against a fellow officer, left a 11-page manifesto on his Facebook page detailing the reasons why he decided to go on his rampage.
“I know most of you who personally know me are in disbelief to hear from media reports that I am suspected of committing such horrendous murders and have taken drastic and shocking actions in the last couple of days,” Dorner’s letter begins. “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.”
Dorner is suspected of killing a young Irvine couple, Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence, in the parking lot of their upscale apartment complex. In the manifesto, Dorner implicates himself in the couples’ deaths by referencing Quan’s father, former LAPD Captain Randy Quan, who represented Dorner in a LAPD Board of Review hearing and was allegedly instrumental in his firing.
“I never had the opportunity to have a family of my own, I’m terminating yours,” Dorner wrote. “Quan … look your … surviving children directly in the face and tell them the truth as to why your children are dead.”
Dorner is also the main suspect in two other violent incidents, one in Corona and another in Riverside. In Corona, two LAPD officers who were investigating a separate incident came under fire from what eyewitnesses believe to be Dorner. One officer was injured when a bullet grazed his forehead.
In Riverside, one officer was killed and another seriously wounded when Dorner allegedly ambushed their police cruiser while at a stop light.
A massive all-points bulletin encompassing all of southern California was immediately issued by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. Information regarding Dorner’s vehicle – a grey 2005 Nissan Titan – was plastered on electronic billboards and news bulletins across southern California.
Dorner’s manifesto outlined various reasons as to why he decided to embark on his crime spree. He mentions an incident involving a fellow officer, Sgt. Teresa Evans, using excessive force on a suspect, Christopher Gettler.
According to the manifesto, Dorner was terminated after a LAPD Board of Review hearing determined that he filed a false report in regards to the incident.
“Evans, you are a [piece of s—] and you lied right to the [Board of Review] panel when Randy Quan asked you if you kicked Christopher Gettler,” Dorner wrote. “You destroyed my life and name because of your actions. Time is up. The time is now to confess to Chief Beck.”
The LAPD has taken unprecedented precautions to protect its officers in the wake of Dorner’s killing spree. All motorcycle officers have been assigned to police cruisers and the officers mentioned by name in Dorner’s manifesto are under round-the-clock surveillance.
In Torrance, local police officers opened fire on a blue Toyota Tacoma, believing it to be Dorner’s truck. Two women in the vehicle, who were delivering newspapers at the time, were both shot and, at press time, were in stable condition at a nearby hospital.
Dorner’s manifesto outlines his apparent desperation over what he sees as his ruined reputation.
“I have exhausted all available means at obtaining my name back. I have attempted all legal court efforts within appeals at the Superior Courts and California Appellate courts,” Dorner wrote. “This is my last resort. The LAPD has suppressed the truth and it has now lead to deadly consequences”
On Thurs. afternoon, during a extensive manhunt for Dorner, the charred remains of a vehicle matching the description of his Nissan Titan were found in Big Bear. State and local authorities, as well as the FBI, have been combing the area around Big Bear in search of Dorner.
At press time, Dorner still remains at large.
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