BIG BEAR LAKE — Investigators on Wednesday were in the process of identifying remains found in the charred cabin where fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner was believed to have been holed up.
An official told the Associated Press that a wallet and personal items, including a California driver’s license with Dorner’s name, were found with the body in the basement of the cabin.
At a briefing on Wednesday morning, Lt. Andy Neiman said that the LAPD has been back in a normal state of operations since late Wednesday.
He said that the department had not been on tactical alert since early Wednesday.
Neiman also said that “about a dozen or so” protective details of people named in Dorner’s manifesto will remain in place until the department and the families feel safe.
He emphasized that the investigation is not stopping just because the suspect is believed to be dead.
“We don’t just stop a murder case simply because we think the suspect in that case is no longer with us,” he said.
Neiman would not comment on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation of the remains.
He also said that the city attorneys involved will determine who, if anyone, gets the reward money, and that any decision on that matter could take some time.
If the body is identified as Dorner’s, the standoff would end a week-long manhunt for the ex-LAPD officer and Navy reservist suspected in a string of shootings following his firing several years ago.
Four people — an Irvine couple, a Riverside police officer and a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy — have died allegedly at Dorner’s hands.
Police say Dorner’s first victims were the daughter of the retired LAPD official who represented him at his disciplinary hearing and her fiance.
Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence were found shot to death Feb. 3 in their car in their condo complex’s parking structure.
Days later, officials said, Dorner allegedly attempted to steal a boat in San Diego in a failed bid to escape to Mexico.
By Feb. 7, authorities said, he had fled to the Inland Empire. In Corona, police said, he fired at an LAPD officer searching for him at a gas station.
About half an later, he allegedly opened fire on two Riverside officers, killing Michael Crain, 34, and injuring his partner.
His burning truck was found near Big Bear later Thursday, prompting hundreds of officers to scour the area and conduct cabin-to-cabin checks.
That search was scaled back as authorities found no new signs of the wanted man.
Meantime, authorities scoured more than 1,000 tips that poured in from across Southern California after officials announced a $1 million reward.
Then, on Tuesday morning, a couple entered their cabin in the 1200 block of Club View Drive and ran into a man they said resembled the fugitive, a law enforcement official said.
The cabin was not far from where Dorner’s singed truck had been found and where police had been holding news conferences about the manhunt.
The man tied up the man and woman and he took off in a purple Nissan parked near the cabin, the official said.
About 12:20 p.m., one of them broke free and called police.
Nearly half an hour later, officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife spotted the stolen vehicle and called for backup, authorities said.
The suspect turned down a side road in an attempt to elude the officers but crashed the vehicle, police said.
A short time later, authorities said, the suspect carjacked a light-colored pickup truck and took off, only to be spotted by another Fish and Wildlife officer.
A gun battle ensued before Dorner crashed the truck and ran to the cabin.
He later shot two San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies, killing one and seriously injuring the other, authorities said.
The injured deputy is expected to survive but it is anticipated he will need several surgeries. The names of the two deputies have not been released.
An intense gun battle ensued as authorities swarmed the cabin, people with knowledge of the situation said, adding hundreds of rounds were fired in just more than an hour.
“There were very few lulls in the gunfire,” one person familiar with the investigation said.
Just before 5 p.m., authorities smashed the cabin’s windows, pumped in tear gas and called for the suspect to surrender, officials said.
They got no response. Then, using a demolition vehicle, they tore down the cabin’s walls one by one.
When they reached the last wall, they heard a gunshot. Then the cabin burst into flames, officials said.
“There would have been a lot more casualties” if officers had to “assault the cabin and make entry,” the source said. “There weren’t a lot of options.”
-KTLA/Los Angeles Times
691 Comments to “Dorner Manhunt: Ex-Cop’s Personal Effects Found in Cabin”
February 13, 2013 at 10:11 AM
I bet the officer that was killed in the shootout standoff, was killed by friendly fire.. but of course they have Donner to blame. LAPD needs to get their shit together
February 13, 2013 at 10:11 AM
So Since He's a Black Man They Shoot to Kill…. The Government & Police officers are Super Fucking Racist!!!! James Holmes Murdered 12 Still Alive, Jake England Murdered 3 BLACK men Still Alive, Scott Dekraai Mureded 8 & All These Men were Giving TRIALS Why was it so Important to Kill Chris? Fuck the Police
February 13, 2013 at 10:36 AM
Isn't it tiring hitting the 'shift' to capitalize every starting letter? Aside from it making you look even more uneducated that you appear to be..
February 14, 2013 at 9:35 AM
Your opinion is like an ass Hole everyone has one…. So who cares what u think, Post how I like… u mad
February 13, 2013 at 10:13 AM
dat boddy chard iz da chezznut.
February 13, 2013 at 10:14 AM
Why do they still hav all those cops in l.a. under protection? Dorner is still alive.
February 13, 2013 at 10:23 AM
SLA all over again, they had no intentions on taking him into custody. There going to go crazy if it is not him all bar b qued in the house.
February 13, 2013 at 10:25 AM
Some sick folks be blogging, getting there rocks off.
February 13, 2013 at 11:17 AM
These are all lies. Last week they found his “wallet and badge” when he tried stealing the yatch now all of a sudden there in that cabin. Get your sh*t, I mean lies together.
#teamdorner
February 13, 2013 at 11:18 AM
go on youtube and search Cops torch cabin where Christopher Dorner was held up. Its 5 mins of tactical radio conversation. They talk about putting in 7 burners to get him. They set the fire.
February 13, 2013 at 11:32 AM
everybody just asumes he is dead just like they asumed he was lying about his partner. Just remember she will live with lies for ever.
February 13, 2013 at 11:39 AM
everybody thinks he is dead and he may be just like everybody thought he was lying about his partner.
Only she knows the truth and she will have to live with it.
February 13, 2013 at 11:50 AM
haha!!
February 13, 2013 at 11:59 AM
Anyone who would get a tattoo of Chris Dorner on their body to honor him, should also get a tattoo of Adolph Hitler, Charles Manson and Ted Bundy. These people are sick! The man cared nothing for anyone but himself. He was evil. He killed an innocent couple and bragged he would kill more family members of LAPD. That is EVIL. Color has nothing to do with it. Grow up people.
February 13, 2013 at 12:07 PM
all the tragedy involved with this and we get a load of jokers making fun. you all should be ashamed of yourselves.
February 13, 2013 at 12:23 PM
im curious, how did the other cleaning lady, who was still tied up, get out alive? or did she burn in the cabin as well? and where is the escaped maid? the one who called 911?
February 13, 2013 at 12:26 PM
anyone know if/how the other cleaning lady made it out alive?
February 13, 2013 at 2:00 PM
2 seperate cabins, pay attention!
February 13, 2013 at 12:40 PM
Watching the services for officer craine made all of this too real while society is busy hating one another and voicing opinuons which are very valid there are families who were affected by what dorner did be it wrong or right children, more children are going to grow up without a father.
February 13, 2013 at 12:59 PM
everybody thinks he is dead and he may be just like everybody thought he was lying about his partner.
She is the one that knows the truth and she will have to live with it
February 13, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Your folks that think lapd or SB Sherrifs did something wrong are woefully misguided. Do you think some squirrell killed that officer on Big Bear, or shot the other cop. If Dormer was in your neighborhood no one of you would say a word for the police or their actions. A burning house means you get out. The fool shot himself when the fire started and now will suffer in the afterlife over and over again. Police did what they had to do to avoid more deaths.
February 13, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Why does the media keep putting a smiling picture of this killer. Is he a hero? I cannot believe the media and this station and all the others that keep doing this. Misguided stupidity.
February 13, 2013 at 2:02 PM
If you read the testimonies from his friends, he was a quiet/peaceful man. Hence, the constant smile!
February 13, 2013 at 2:46 PM
He was burned by the police. Do a search for the scanner feed. The police torched him.
So much for due process. This is a disgrace. How can you people let the police get away with this.
February 13, 2013 at 3:11 PM
everybody thinks he is dead and he may be just like everybody thought he was lying about his partner.
February 13, 2013 at 3:18 PM
its funny how is id shows up in two different spots,, in the burnt cabin and at the San Diego Marina,, just seems , a little step up to me
February 13, 2013 at 3:44 PM
Why are people still commenting that Dorner started the fire? It was VERY clear on LIVE T.V. that officers were heard "burn this mother****er down!".. Not only that, over 30k people listening to the police scanners heard them say "bring in the burners…like we talked about"
February 13, 2013 at 4:58 PM
They knocked down all of the walls but one, then they heard a gunshot and the cabin burst into flames…
If you knock down all of the walls but one, the cabin falls down. How could it have burst into flames. Wasn't it already in flames and if you were knocking it down (thinking heavy machinery) how did you hear a single gunshot?
If two women saw him and he tied them up, how did they contract the police.
There was a gun fight where Dormer shot the two police chasing him. If he shot both of them, killing one and wounding the other enough to need surgery, how did the chase continue?
February 13, 2013 at 5:31 PM
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February 13, 2013 at 5:51 PM
Ignorance is all through these comments. The F words, the N words… how intelligent do you sound? Not very… more like idiocracy. Hate is pathetic, seeing as how you can go tit for tat on which ethnicity has more violence…. lets not do that. 1 Race.. Human! Use your brains please.
February 13, 2013 at 6:33 PM
The absolute ignorance I have read in so many comments is insane. In NO WAY is murder EVER justified people. Whether his firing was right or not, it does not give him a reason/permit to kill innocent people or the brave police officers who protect you and I every day. Remember folks, police officers are the men and women that will put their lives on the line for you and I, without even knowing who you are. This includes all of you scumbags who continue to post racist and hateful comments. That's right, they'll even put their lives on the line for you. So before you continue to post the crap that a lot of you are spewing….why don't you try to walk in their boots for a minute and consider the sacrifices they have made. When you show support for a scumbag killer, all you are actually doing is showing your level of ignorance. Dorner is EXACTLY where he belongs.
February 13, 2013 at 7:23 PM
Enough with the lies. This report is different from the police scanner report on you tube as far as them knocking walls down. There was just report on this channel from an officer and he said that they did not plan to set the fire. According to the scanner that's not true. http://youtu.be/QMU1RNURtHs
February 13, 2013 at 7:34 PM
I hope that wasn't him in that cabin!!
February 13, 2013 at 9:25 PM
Lapd set fire to the cabin.
February 13, 2013 at 9:25 PM
So much lies! So much lies! When are they going to start telling us the truth … They always bullshit us like we are stupid… They pull the same damn song and dance and everyone just accepts it with no issue. People like to say we moved forward as humans but I believe we have become weaker our government punks us around all the time and we just take it, it's rather pathetic.
To all you haters reading my shit gonna hate, fuck you in advance and suck my dick.
Also to you major media outlets that keep changing your story, fuck you. How about giving us some real fucking news rather then just brain washing people feeding them bullshit and pushing your agenda on us, again, fuck you and suck my dick!
I'm out, Los Angeles, CA in this bitch!
Fuck corrupt police!! Do your fucking Research before you speak, look up "sf kid killed over bus fare by cop" "ca kid killed in subway by cop" there are plenty of videos out there of cops killing kids… People used to think the Rodney king beating was bad, HA!!! That shit was minor league, cops smoking kids now on video and ain't shit happening to them!
Rise up mother fuckers, Rise up!!
Yours truly, not your average white boy.
626 welcome to the cove.
February 13, 2013 at 10:45 PM
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February 13, 2013 at 10:47 PM
Ktla stop comparing him to those other psychos like aurora, Sandy hook or Columbine. The cops shoot innocent people all the time. If he was so bad he would have killed that man he hijacked or the people he tied up. Don't get me wrong I feel horrible for those families that lost love one's but innocent people die all the time. This is something that should wake us up. You can't tell me that everything he was accusing lapd of wasn't true. This happens nd just because they are cops doesn't make it ok. Wrote this quick so sent be so hypocritical on my spell check.
February 13, 2013 at 10:47 PM
I'm siding with Dorner! Too many secrets going on in the LAPD dept. There are lots of people out there who wants a murderer or a rapist put away. Yet there is no million dollar bounty offered for these people. I wonder if the LAPD used tax money to reward that one person who caught Dorner. Ugh!
February 13, 2013 at 11:10 PM
I'm more scared of a cop with a gun than dorner with a gun
February 13, 2013 at 11:20 PM
why are so many female cops such biatches? this spokesperson is so rude and condescending. just answer the effen questions without talking to them like they are stupid. it's their job to ask questions, stupid or not!
February 14, 2013 at 5:57 AM
I wonder if Timothy McVeigh will make a guest appearance at the LAPD headquarters now. It is standard operating procedure after these "burn them out" arrests. The force takes no prisoners and executes anyone that crosses them.
Was the kick in the chest, the cover-up, the firing, the poor remediation and all the rest really worth the outcome? Is it over, or just round one? How much more is this going to cost?
February 14, 2013 at 12:02 PM
He was after LAPD, but got no active duty LAPD. Epic failure in the history of 2013.
February 14, 2013 at 8:20 PM
What a surprise ..They killed him… LAPD is a criminal organization….shooting innocent people and firing an officer who turned in thug cops who were beating up on a mentally impaired guy..
Dormer knew too much so they made him look like a bad guy, said he murdered people and then they murdered him…Cops and the Gov. is not to be trusted ..Get GUNS ___a Lot of them…
February 14, 2013 at 8:30 PM
Youre a little naive…I hope the cops never abuse,shoot, intimidate or kill one of your family members….its a horrible helpless feeling and it happens ALL the time…What are your thoughts on those two women shot by cops delivering news papers in their pickup truck? The cops gave NO warning just started firing on two unarmed Innocent Citizens….