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| Ex-Officer Locked in Mountain Standoff With Police | Ex-Officer Locked in Mountain Standoff With Police |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. — In a dramatic, blazing climax to the city’s largest manhunt and following a shootout and a forest standoff on Tuesday afternoon, Christopher J. Dorner, the former Los Angeles police officer wanted in a police killing spree, was believed to be trapped in a forest cabin as the building burned down around him. | |
| Mr. Dorner, a self-described survivalist said to be heavily armed, had holed up in the rental cabin hours earlier and engaged deputies in a shootout, killing one deputy and wounding a second. | |
| The chain of events, which included taking hostages and a chase in vehicles and on foot, played out in the sun-dappled, snowy San Bernardino Mountains. It was unclear how the fire began, but the authorities said no one escaped the blaze, and that Mr. Dorner was believed to be alone inside the cabin. Officers, shouting orders through loudspeakers for Mr. Dorner to surrender, heard what they believed to be a single gunshot from within. | |
| Both the suspect and the police were believed to have used smoke grenades during the shootout. The two wounded officers had been airlifted to a nearby Loma Linda University Medical Center; the second officer’s condition was not disclosed Tuesday evening but he was expected to recover. | |
| The standoff drew scores of police officers and sheriff’s deputies from surrounding jurisdictions, who were led by the San Bernardino Sheriff-Coroner Department. The tension heightened as the day passed. Local schools were locked down. | The standoff drew scores of police officers and sheriff’s deputies from surrounding jurisdictions, who were led by the San Bernardino Sheriff-Coroner Department. The tension heightened as the day passed. Local schools were locked down. |
| Law enforcement agencies ordered news helicopters to keep their distance from the standoff for the protection of the officers involved. The sheriff’s online feed to the department’s radio scanner was shut down for the same reason. Reporters were asked to stop posting updates on Twitter. | Law enforcement agencies ordered news helicopters to keep their distance from the standoff for the protection of the officers involved. The sheriff’s online feed to the department’s radio scanner was shut down for the same reason. Reporters were asked to stop posting updates on Twitter. |
| The police believe that Mr. Dorner might be monitoring the news, and Cmdr. Andrew Smith, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, addressed him directly at a news briefing on Tuesday afternoon. | The police believe that Mr. Dorner might be monitoring the news, and Cmdr. Andrew Smith, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, addressed him directly at a news briefing on Tuesday afternoon. |
| “Enough is enough,” Commander Smith said. “It’s time to stop the bloodshed and let this incident be over.” | “Enough is enough,” Commander Smith said. “It’s time to stop the bloodshed and let this incident be over.” |
| Officers have been searching Big Bear since last week, when Mr. Dorner’s burning truck was found on a forest road. A former police officer and reservist in the Navy, Mr. Dorner has boasted about his sharpshooting and survival abilities. | Officers have been searching Big Bear since last week, when Mr. Dorner’s burning truck was found on a forest road. A former police officer and reservist in the Navy, Mr. Dorner has boasted about his sharpshooting and survival abilities. |
| Days ago, Mr. Dorner apparently broke into a couple’s home on Club View Drive, the authorities said on Tuesday. The street is nestled in a community called Moonridge, beside a golf course near Big Bear Lake, off California Route 18. Mr. Dorner reportedly tied them up as his hostages and stayed out of sight until Tuesday afternoon. | Days ago, Mr. Dorner apparently broke into a couple’s home on Club View Drive, the authorities said on Tuesday. The street is nestled in a community called Moonridge, beside a golf course near Big Bear Lake, off California Route 18. Mr. Dorner reportedly tied them up as his hostages and stayed out of sight until Tuesday afternoon. |
| Shortly after 12 p.m., the authorities received a report of a stolen white pickup and a description that fit Mr. Dorner’s. Soon after, he was spotted driving a white 2005 Dodge pickup by an officer with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The suspect was driving toward the officer in the opposite lane, said Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the department. The officer recognized Mr. Dorner, stepped out of his vehicle and fired at the suspect, who returned fire. Neither was injured, Mr. Hughan said. | Shortly after 12 p.m., the authorities received a report of a stolen white pickup and a description that fit Mr. Dorner’s. Soon after, he was spotted driving a white 2005 Dodge pickup by an officer with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The suspect was driving toward the officer in the opposite lane, said Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the department. The officer recognized Mr. Dorner, stepped out of his vehicle and fired at the suspect, who returned fire. Neither was injured, Mr. Hughan said. |
| The officer and a colleague chased the man, who crashed the pickup, fired at them and ran into the cabin, where the standoff continued to play out on Tuesday evening. | The officer and a colleague chased the man, who crashed the pickup, fired at them and ran into the cabin, where the standoff continued to play out on Tuesday evening. |
| More officers arrived and surrounded the cabin, and more gunfire was exchanged. Mr. Dorner fired out a window of the cabin before trying to flee from the rear, throwing a smoke bomb to hide his escape, but police gunfire drove him back inside, The Los Angeles Times reported. The newspaper also reported that deputies used smoke bombs to cover their evacuation of the fallen deputies. | More officers arrived and surrounded the cabin, and more gunfire was exchanged. Mr. Dorner fired out a window of the cabin before trying to flee from the rear, throwing a smoke bomb to hide his escape, but police gunfire drove him back inside, The Los Angeles Times reported. The newspaper also reported that deputies used smoke bombs to cover their evacuation of the fallen deputies. |
| At the news briefing, Commander Smith said the department had officers on alert ready to be deployed at the San Bernardino airport, several miles from the cabin. He said the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department had not yet asked for help from the Los Angeles police. Commander Smith would not say how many officers were there because they did not want to “tip their hand” to Mr. Dorner in case he was watching. | At the news briefing, Commander Smith said the department had officers on alert ready to be deployed at the San Bernardino airport, several miles from the cabin. He said the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department had not yet asked for help from the Los Angeles police. Commander Smith would not say how many officers were there because they did not want to “tip their hand” to Mr. Dorner in case he was watching. |
| The standoff came while officers investigated some 1,045 clues and tips as to Mr. Dorner’s whereabouts, past and present, Commander Smith said. | The standoff came while officers investigated some 1,045 clues and tips as to Mr. Dorner’s whereabouts, past and present, Commander Smith said. |
| The standoff capped a dramatic week of sightings, shootings and false leads in the hunt for Mr. Dorner, who was dismissed from the department in 2008 after investigators concluded that he had lied in his claim that a training officer had assaulted a homeless person. | The standoff capped a dramatic week of sightings, shootings and false leads in the hunt for Mr. Dorner, who was dismissed from the department in 2008 after investigators concluded that he had lied in his claim that a training officer had assaulted a homeless person. |
| In a 6,000-word manifesto that Mr. Dorner published on his Facebook page, he complained that he had been wrongfully dismissed. He cited racism and corruption in the department and threatened to kill several police officials, whom he named in the manifesto, as well as threatening their families. Officers guarded 50 families around the clock, a significant chunk of Los Angeles police manpower. | In a 6,000-word manifesto that Mr. Dorner published on his Facebook page, he complained that he had been wrongfully dismissed. He cited racism and corruption in the department and threatened to kill several police officials, whom he named in the manifesto, as well as threatening their families. Officers guarded 50 families around the clock, a significant chunk of Los Angeles police manpower. |
| On Feb. 3, the police in Irvine, Calif., discovered the bodies of Monica Quan, 28, and her boyfriend, Keith Lawrence, 27, in their car in a parking garage near a condominium complex where they lived. Ms. Quan turned out to be the daughter of a retired Los Angeles police captain who played a role in the disciplinary process that led to Mr. Dorner’s dismissal. | On Feb. 3, the police in Irvine, Calif., discovered the bodies of Monica Quan, 28, and her boyfriend, Keith Lawrence, 27, in their car in a parking garage near a condominium complex where they lived. Ms. Quan turned out to be the daughter of a retired Los Angeles police captain who played a role in the disciplinary process that led to Mr. Dorner’s dismissal. |
| On Feb. 6 at 10:30 p.m., the police believe that Mr. Dorner tried to hijack a boat at a marina in Point Loma, Calif., a community in San Diego. The man mentioned to the boat’s captain that he intended to take the craft to Mexico. But the boat became disabled as he was trying to steal it, so he fled instead. | On Feb. 6 at 10:30 p.m., the police believe that Mr. Dorner tried to hijack a boat at a marina in Point Loma, Calif., a community in San Diego. The man mentioned to the boat’s captain that he intended to take the craft to Mexico. But the boat became disabled as he was trying to steal it, so he fled instead. |
| On Feb. 7 at 1:45 a.m., two officers in a protection detail for one of the people named in the manifesto confronted a man they believe was Mr. Dorner near the person’s home in Corona, Calif. Shots were exchanged, and one of the officers had a graze wound to his head. The gunman fled. | |
| A short while later, two police officers in Riverside, Calif., were sitting in their patrol car at a stoplight when they were attacked by a man they believe was Mr. Dorner. | A short while later, two police officers in Riverside, Calif., were sitting in their patrol car at a stoplight when they were attacked by a man they believe was Mr. Dorner. |
| One of the officers was killed, the other injured. Again, the gunman fled. | One of the officers was killed, the other injured. Again, the gunman fled. |
| At 5:20 the same morning, Los Angeles officers mistakenly shot and wounded two women delivering newspapers, thinking the pickup truck they were driving matched the description of the one Mr. Dorner was driving. | At 5:20 the same morning, Los Angeles officers mistakenly shot and wounded two women delivering newspapers, thinking the pickup truck they were driving matched the description of the one Mr. Dorner was driving. |
| Late that afternoon, the police found the suspect’s actual truck up in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear Lake. The manhunt then focused on that area, which has only a handful of access roads. | Late that afternoon, the police found the suspect’s actual truck up in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear Lake. The manhunt then focused on that area, which has only a handful of access roads. |
Ian Lovett reported from Big Bear Lake, Jennifer Medina from Los Angeles, and Michael Wilson from New York. | Ian Lovett reported from Big Bear Lake, Jennifer Medina from Los Angeles, and Michael Wilson from New York. |