Clear skies aid mountain manhunt for fugitive ex-cop
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) - Searchers took advantage Saturday of a break from recent stormy weather in their hunt for a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in three killings, patrolling a mountain resort town in heat-sensing copters and fanning out on foot in fresh snow even as vacationing families and weekend skiers frolicked nearby.
The stark blue skies that emerged after a Friday snowstorm allowed San Bernardino County sheriff's choppers to fly low over the forest and SWAT teams to look for tracks and other clues that might lead to Christopher Dorner, 33, whose burned out pickup truck was discovered Thursday in town.
Authorities suspect Dorner in a series of attacks in Southern California over the past several days that left three people dead, including a police officer. Authorities say he has vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues who he believed cost him his law enforcement career.
The intense manhunt Saturday didn't appear to bother the majority of tourists intent on enjoying the perfect winter weather, which made for strikingly odd contrasts: the sound of barking bloodhounds mixed with rap music blaring off the ski slopes; a family with kids strolling by a deputy, who was clad in full tactical gear and practicing his aim on a small snowdrift.
San Bernardino County sheriff's Det. Chad Johnson said he and others were intent on finding Dorner but also looking for other telltale signs of his whereabouts.
"There's a million clues in the mountain. You've just got to be patient to find them," Johnson said.
Johnson said the foot search includes mountainous areas that are very steep and high climbs that often end in cliffs.
"It's a challenging day of work," Johnson said.
The search was the third full day of the massive multi-agency effort now centered on this resort town about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Investigators continue to analyze the burned out truck discovered Thursday on a local road, and are trying and determine whether Dorner torched it or if it caught fire for other reasons.
Officers armed with semi-automatic weapons have been going door to door examining hundreds of vacant cabins, aware that they could be walking into a trap set by the well-trained former Navy reservist who knows their tactics and strategies.
"Christopher Dorner is probably one of the most dangerous fugitives that law enforcement has gone after in recent times," said Clint Van Zandt, former supervisor of FBI's profiling unit. "The challenge is, with his law enforcement and military background, he's very competent with weapons."
Sheriff's Det. Jeremiah MacKay, who began his patrol at 5 a.m. Saturday, said the operation was both massive and tactically complex.
"This one you just never know if the guy's going to pop out, or where he's going to pop out. We're hoping this comes to a close without more casualties. The best thing would be for him to give up," MacKay said.
Police said officers still were guarding more than 40 people mentioned as targets in a rant they said Dorner posted on Facebook. He vowed to use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families.
Dorner served in the Navy, earning a rifle marksman ribbon and pistol expert medal. He was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and various aviation training units, according to military records. He took leave from the LAPD for a six-month deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007.
Last Friday was his last day with the Navy and also the day CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that contained a note on it that read, in part, "I never lied." A coin riddled with bullet holes that former Chief William Bratton gave out as a souvenir was also in the package.
Police said it was a sign of planning by Dorner before the killing began.
On Sunday, police say Dorner shot and killed a couple in a parking garage at their condominium in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that led to his firing.
Dorner wrote in his manifesto that he believed the retired captain had represented the interests of the department over his.
Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect in the double murder, police believe Dorner shot and grazed an LAPD officer in Corona and then used a rifle to ambush two Riverside police officers early Thursday, killing one and seriously wounding the other.
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Associated Press writers contributing to this report include Christopher Weber, Greg Risling, Haven Daley, Michael Blood, John Antczak, Mark Evans and Julie Watson.
The stark blue skies that emerged after a Friday snowstorm allowed San Bernardino County sheriff's choppers to fly low over the forest and SWAT teams to look for tracks and other clues that might lead to Christopher Dorner, 33, whose burned out pickup truck was discovered Thursday in town.
Authorities suspect Dorner in a series of attacks in Southern California over the past several days that left three people dead, including a police officer. Authorities say he has vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues who he believed cost him his law enforcement career.
The intense manhunt Saturday didn't appear to bother the majority of tourists intent on enjoying the perfect winter weather, which made for strikingly odd contrasts: the sound of barking bloodhounds mixed with rap music blaring off the ski slopes; a family with kids strolling by a deputy, who was clad in full tactical gear and practicing his aim on a small snowdrift.
San Bernardino County sheriff's Det. Chad Johnson said he and others were intent on finding Dorner but also looking for other telltale signs of his whereabouts.
"There's a million clues in the mountain. You've just got to be patient to find them," Johnson said.
Johnson said the foot search includes mountainous areas that are very steep and high climbs that often end in cliffs.
"It's a challenging day of work," Johnson said.
The search was the third full day of the massive multi-agency effort now centered on this resort town about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Investigators continue to analyze the burned out truck discovered Thursday on a local road, and are trying and determine whether Dorner torched it or if it caught fire for other reasons.
Officers armed with semi-automatic weapons have been going door to door examining hundreds of vacant cabins, aware that they could be walking into a trap set by the well-trained former Navy reservist who knows their tactics and strategies.
"Christopher Dorner is probably one of the most dangerous fugitives that law enforcement has gone after in recent times," said Clint Van Zandt, former supervisor of FBI's profiling unit. "The challenge is, with his law enforcement and military background, he's very competent with weapons."
Sheriff's Det. Jeremiah MacKay, who began his patrol at 5 a.m. Saturday, said the operation was both massive and tactically complex.
"This one you just never know if the guy's going to pop out, or where he's going to pop out. We're hoping this comes to a close without more casualties. The best thing would be for him to give up," MacKay said.
Police said officers still were guarding more than 40 people mentioned as targets in a rant they said Dorner posted on Facebook. He vowed to use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families.
Dorner served in the Navy, earning a rifle marksman ribbon and pistol expert medal. He was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and various aviation training units, according to military records. He took leave from the LAPD for a six-month deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007.
Last Friday was his last day with the Navy and also the day CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that contained a note on it that read, in part, "I never lied." A coin riddled with bullet holes that former Chief William Bratton gave out as a souvenir was also in the package.
Police said it was a sign of planning by Dorner before the killing began.
On Sunday, police say Dorner shot and killed a couple in a parking garage at their condominium in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that led to his firing.
Dorner wrote in his manifesto that he believed the retired captain had represented the interests of the department over his.
Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect in the double murder, police believe Dorner shot and grazed an LAPD officer in Corona and then used a rifle to ambush two Riverside police officers early Thursday, killing one and seriously wounding the other.
___
Associated Press writers contributing to this report include Christopher Weber, Greg Risling, Haven Daley, Michael Blood, John Antczak, Mark Evans and Julie Watson.
Somehow I don't think he will be found in the mountains. Given his experience and training, he will probably be hiding out in plain sight in LA or any other large city, not out in the woods by himself.
Aren't they still looking for jason Bourne as well.??
I don't think he was guilty either..
Anyone with a truck, and is a shade dark, watch out! Â LAPD will shoot you from behind!
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 @Playanekes  âWhen the gunman realizes that nobody else is armed, he will lay down his weapons and turn himself inâ¦. thatâs just human nature.â rofl. Feinstein proof an idiot can get elected.
 @TreeWizard  @Playanekes ~  I could easily believe that quote coming from either Feinstein or Boxer; they both live in a dream-world full of rainbows and unicorns...
From what I've read, Dorner doesn't sound like he's the least bit interested in disarming and/or surrendering... Right, wrong, or indifferent, he has an agenda... Â Insofar as that area is concerned, somebody who knows what they're doing can hide out in the city of LA or its suburbs, in the San Bernadino Mtns, and in almost all areas i between... that's an awful lot of territory to cover... (oh yeah, plus some other nearby states...and even Mexico)...Â
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out...Â
 @Playanekes  @TreeWizard ~  That doesn't surprise me in the least... he might've used the burned-up truck as a decoy, doubled back to wherever... San Diego's only what, about an hour and a half from LA..?  He can be all over the map if he's got other vehicles he can get to (or steal), or buddies who'll help him...  Hunting this guy isn't going to be like hunting for the usual crooks who have the IQ of a small fence-post...Â
I just hope that they get him before he kills anyone else...Â
 @margay1  @TreeWizard CNN is showing video of him dumping a helmet, magazines and a gun belt in a dumpster ACROSS THE STREET from a police department, looks like in San Diego.
 @TreeWizard  @Playanekes ~  Um-hmm... and unarmed teachers and other school personnel as well... A declared "gun-free zone"... what a piece of cake for the shooter...just walk right in there...rooms full of live targets ~ and NONE of them can shoot back..!  Â
"Gun-free" did't work out very well for 26 of those people... maybe it's time to try a different approach..."for the kids"...
 @margay1  @Playanekes Maybe someone should tell her those kids at Sandy were unarmed.
 @TreeWizard Caveat: I'm not sure the quote is authentic but Feinstein is so absurd it's plausible. Still trying to verify the quote so I deleted the URL in the meantime.
Does he have a silencer?
 @lee986321 Won't matter.
 @TreeWizard  @lee986321 Yes, he is reported to have silencers for most of his weapons...the LEO tactical teams have them in San Diego too for some reason.With the .50 BMG he can shoot down a helicopter or hit an armored car from over half a mile away but if it's a sub-sonic round there will be no "crack" as the round passes.
 @axpman I know, I think they are illegal in like 5 states. And California is one of them.
 @TreeWizard They are actually legal is many places.
Nope! Sorry, never saw it!
 @jpk Does this remind you of Mark Wahlberg in "Shooter"?
OK, but IF this guy had friends, they may have attempted to talk him out of it. But then again, I think this guy was a low flyer under the radar of normal people. Like anything unlawfully converted, like semi-auto to full auto, the ones respponsible don't normally share that info with anyone. It's their own little self-satisfying secret.
 @jpk I just meant if his friends had knowledge of him owning a suppressor, before the shootings, they should have reported it to LE.
Yes, that was in relation to the reporting aspect by his friends. Â
 @jpk Was that in response to my comment?
Sorry, but what was there to report? I'm sure he knew how to make them per internet instructions. I would not doubt anything said about this rogue dude!
 @margay1  @Playanekes  @lee986321 Playa said, "Friends who shot with him said he's not lying about everything" so I am just confused. Did he buy all these suppressors recently, or did he friends know and never report it?
 @TreeWizard  @Playanekes  @lee986321 ~ Black market?
 @Playanekes  @lee986321 How did he get suppressors?Â
Where there's a will, there's ALWAYS a way! No one can know what his position really is. That's why he's so dangerous now! California law enforcement cannot expect this guy to do anything the way mere mortals do.
 @jpk Seems impractical in his position to be lugging a .50 BMG around.Â
Allegedly!
 @Playanekes  @lee986321 He has a .50?
 @TreeWizard well if he is hidden, he can take popshots 1 might not give his poition away..2 might...three they would no which way he was shooting..also if he has a rifle with a scope..he could take as chopper down and no one would hear a thing...3 ways to bring down a bird, Prop shot, 1 in a mill, pilot, or fuel tank.
Careful, there. He might be bored stiff and reading all these posts! LOL
 @TreeWizard plus, I doubt he might still be in the state.
 @TreeWizard there is a reason why hw went to the mountains...there his comfort zone..and he may know them well.
 @TreeWizard Eh , I am not trying to be..eh..you know...just stating posibillities. I have a feeling this is going to get spendy for cali...are there any rivers in those mountains? if so how many? where do they go?
I would bet he set that vehicle on fire and left the area.. All a decoy.. I would not be surprised if he is right under their nose in L.A.   Sad story.
The way the police down there are on a all out kill mission to get this guy makes me think that some of what is in his manifesto is true. Â I don't and could never condone his behavior, but something smells fishy with LAPD.
Â
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/2-Shot-in-Case-of-Mistaken-ID-in-Ex-Officers-Manhunt-190238221.html
If anyone thinks that the search for this killer was stopped at the end of shift yesterday, I don't think so. Not everything is know to the media or the public, especially since the killer also monitors the media reports.
 @jpk I have to agree.
 @lee986321  @jpk Feinstein and Boxer want the police to lay down their weapons because, you see, once they do, human nature says the fugitive will surrender:http://www.palookavillepost.com/2013/02/07/feinstein-and-boxer-ask-californians-to-lay-down-their-weapons-during-statewide-manhunt/
@jpk I have found that most liberals that always say "I was raised with guns" or "I own a gun" are liers! I would never lay down my weapon, but as for my gun, I wouldn't let those skanks get five feet from it!
She needs it! Liberals only tell YOU what to do, not what they do!
 @Playanekes  @lee986321  @jpk Feinstein and Boxer are friggin idiots. Hey Feinstein, how about you laying down your concealed weapon?
I think they will find him when things start to thaw. dead and half eaten. Suspect found in Big Bear (belly)
@Pvpbw Probably left his truck where he burned it up, then headed in the opposite direction on a motorcycle. Remember, this guy is trained in many disciplines, and diversion is one of them.
 @jpk  @Pvpbw damn so I wasn't so off when I said he could snype from a distance? gee that makes me feel real good...he could really set up a lot of booby traps..
I hope I was just running off with the mouth..
 @lee986321  @jpk  @Pvpbw Friends who shot with him said he's not lying about everything but the Surface to Air Missile, and they say he's resourceful enough to have those too. But if he does, he has to have some way to access or transport them or he might as well have a fleet of aircraft carriers parked five miles offshore, and no boat to get to them.If he's got the .50, silenced, and the right ammunition, he can shoot right through the side of an armored vehicle and hit the gas tank or the driver, and they won't know where it's coming from unless they're using a Boomerang.
If this guy is as smart as he claims to be, then why would he be anywhere near his burned out truck?
If he is that smart, then its either a trap or a ploy meant to throw the police off the trail.
Also, if he has access to the types of weapons he claims to have, then there is no way he is traipsing over that snow covered mountain with a fraction of what he claims to have. Does he have a bunker there? If so, then again, why would he leave his burned out truck anywhere near his bunker?
Lot of things don't add up here, or he isn't nearly as smart as he would like people to think he is.
 @Jack_Bauer He's probably at Disneyland laying low.
Fantasyland?
Check his past cell phone records for location pings. There is a possibility he scouted the area out prior to going on the rampage. He might have maintained and built a structure high up in the hills/mountains.
Â
 @ThinkingAboutThings he probably destroyed it..cells can be tracked..