No One 'Wants To Be A Cop Killer,' Says Ex Cop Suspected Of Killing Three People & Declaring War On Police
Feb. 7 2013, Published 4:32 p.m. ET
Three people are dead and a massive manhunt is taking place in Southern California as law enforcement authorities search for an ex Los Angeles Police Department officer who has vowed to conduct warfare against them in a frightening and detailed online manifesto.
Christopher Jordan Dorner is suspected of killing a couple and shooting three police officers, killing one, after writing on his Facebook page that he would conduct "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against police.
"This is a vendetta against all Southern California law enforcement," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said at a press conference Thursday as the manhunt, involving local, state and federal authorities, was underway in California to capture the 33-year-old suspect who previously was dismissed from the police force.
When asked if police felt they were under attack, Riverside, Calif. Police Lt. Guy Toussaint said: “Based on the circumstances of the shooting, yes I do.”
Before allegedly shooting three police officers, Dorner was already the prime suspect in the murder of a couple who were found fatally shot in the parking lot of their apartment complex in Irvine, Calif., reported the Los Angeles Times.
The first victims in Dorner's alleged rampage were Keith Lawrence, 27, and his fiancée Monica Quan, 28 The killings were believed to be a revenge attack on her father, Randy Quan, an LAPD captain who retired and became an attorney. Quan was involved in the review process that eventually led to Dorner's dismissal from LAPD in 2009 for allegedly making false statements about his training officer.
In his manifesto, the former U.S. Navy reservist made direct threats against Quan and accused some members of the department of singing "nazi hitler youth songs," according to the full transcript on ABC 7 News.
“The violence of action will be high .... I will bring unconventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in LAPD uniform whether on or off duty," he promised.
"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. The department has not changed since the Rampart and Rodney King days. It has gotten worse," he wrote, referring to two of the most high-profile racist stains on LAPD's reputation.
"No one grows up and wants to be a cop killer. It was against everything I've ever was. As a young police explorer I found my calling in life. But, as a young police officer I found that the violent suspects on the street are not the only people you have to watch."
The motivation for the massacre is thought to be an incident in which he made a complaint against his field training officer, Sgt. Teresa Evans. Dorner said that in the course of an arrest, Evans kicked suspect Christopher Gettler, a schizophrenic with severe dementia. Following an investigation, Dorner was fired for making false statements and he is now believed to be trying to clear his reputation.
"With the discovery and evidence available you will see the truth. Unfortunately, I will not be alive to see my name cleared. That's what this is about, my name. A man is nothing without his name," he wrote.
"The Violence of action will be HIGH. I have the strength and benefits of being unpredictable, unconventional, and unforgiving. Do not waste your time with briefs and tabletops."
He threatened to kill more than a dozen people including police in his deadly and lengthy online message and opened fire on two police officers Thursday morning in Riverside, east of Los Angeles.
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Los Angeles was put on a citywide tactical alert with armed officers patrolling the streets near the shooting and the California Highway Patrol issuing a "blue alert" for nine Southern California counties with freeway signs asking drivers to call 911 if they see his gray 2005 Nissan Titan pickup truck.
