This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-news-blog/2013/feb/13/did-the-police-start-fire-that-killed-christopher-dorner
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Did the police start fire that killed Christopher Dorner? | Did the police start fire that killed Christopher Dorner? |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A six-day hunt for a former policeman suspected of a killing spree in California ended on Wednesday when a cabin in the mountains above LA went up in flames. | A six-day hunt for a former policeman suspected of a killing spree in California ended on Wednesday when a cabin in the mountains above LA went up in flames. |
| A body suspected to be that of Christopher Dorner was found in the ruins of the building. Dorner is suspected to have killed four people in a vendetta against LA police officers and their families; the fourth was an officer from San Bernardino County Sherrif's department killed in a shootout at the cabin on Tuesday night. | |
| Dorner had threatened to bring "warfare" to the LAPD, having claimed he had been the subject of racism when he was sacked from his job as a policeman there. Rory Carroll has the full story. It is not yet clear how the fire at the cabin was started, but there is speculation that the police started it deliberately. | Dorner had threatened to bring "warfare" to the LAPD, having claimed he had been the subject of racism when he was sacked from his job as a policeman there. Rory Carroll has the full story. It is not yet clear how the fire at the cabin was started, but there is speculation that the police started it deliberately. |
| The audio track of this video purports to be the conversation on police scanners as they surrounded the cabin where Dorner was hiding. The Guardian cannot confirm that the audio track is a genuine recording of the police scanner. | The audio track of this video purports to be the conversation on police scanners as they surrounded the cabin where Dorner was hiding. The Guardian cannot confirm that the audio track is a genuine recording of the police scanner. |
| At around the 1min mark, a male voice says: | At around the 1min mark, a male voice says: |
| All right, Steve, we're gonna go, er, we're gonna go forward with the plan, with, er, with the burn. We want it, er, like we talked about. | All right, Steve, we're gonna go, er, we're gonna go forward with the plan, with, er, with the burn. We want it, er, like we talked about. |
| He then adds shortly afterwards: | He then adds shortly afterwards: |
| Seven burners deployed and we have a fire. | Seven burners deployed and we have a fire. |
| A female voice responds: | A female voice responds: |
| Copy. Seven burners deployed and we have a fire. | Copy. Seven burners deployed and we have a fire. |
| At around 2min 20sec, a male voice says: | At around 2min 20sec, a male voice says: |
| Guys, be ready on the No 4 side. We have fire in the front. He might come out the back. | Guys, be ready on the No 4 side. We have fire in the front. He might come out the back. |
| At around 2min 50sec, a male voice requests a fire engine. | At around 2min 50sec, a male voice requests a fire engine. |
| There is then a report of a shot fired from within the residence, followed by a sharp noise of some kind. | There is then a report of a shot fired from within the residence, followed by a sharp noise of some kind. |
| This video, which purports to be a recording of KCAL TV coverage of the raid on the cabin, seems to include the sound of police shouting: "We're going to burn him out," and "Burn this motherfucker!" | This video, which purports to be a recording of KCAL TV coverage of the raid on the cabin, seems to include the sound of police shouting: "We're going to burn him out," and "Burn this motherfucker!" |
| Journalist Max Blumenthal claims to have been listening to the police scanners through an iPhone app at the time and has put together this timeline of events. | Journalist Max Blumenthal claims to have been listening to the police scanners through an iPhone app at the time and has put together this timeline of events. |
| The key tweets match the YouTube video purporting to be the police scanner: | The key tweets match the YouTube video purporting to be the police scanner: |
| Hard to decipher on San Bernadino Sheriff scanner now: "We're gonna go ahead w/the plan w/the burner... Like we talked about." | Hard to decipher on San Bernadino Sheriff scanner now: "We're gonna go ahead w/the plan w/the burner... Like we talked about." |
| - | - |
| BREAKING: PD scanners right now: "The burner's deployed and we have a fire." Sheriffs have set #Dorner cabin on fire or so it seems. | BREAKING: PD scanners right now: "The burner's deployed and we have a fire." Sheriffs have set #Dorner cabin on fire or so it seems. |
| - | - |
| SB County System 6,7,8 scanner: "We have fire in the front and it may come out the back" #Dorner | SB County System 6,7,8 scanner: "We have fire in the front and it may come out the back" #Dorner |
| - | - |
| Sheriffs now calling fire engine in. #Dorner | Sheriffs now calling fire engine in. #Dorner |
| Another tweet once the fire has started suggests the fire department may have been allowing it to continue in some way to use it against Dorner: | |
| SB County Fire: "There is a basement in this cabin, bc fire is contained, I'm gonna let that heat burn through that basement" #Dorner | SB County Fire: "There is a basement in this cabin, bc fire is contained, I'm gonna let that heat burn through that basement" #Dorner |
| According to the Associated Press, writing from Big Bear Lake, California, where the incident took place, the police attacked the cabin like so: | According to the Associated Press, writing from Big Bear Lake, California, where the incident took place, the police attacked the cabin like so: |
| A SWAT team surrounded the cabin and used an armoured vehicle to break out the cabin windows, said a law enforcement official who requested anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The officers then pumped a gas into the cabin and blasted a message over a loudspeaker: "Surrender or come out." | |
| The armoured vehicle then tore down each of the cabin's four walls. | |
| A single shot was heard inside before the cabin was engulfed in flames, the law enforcement official told the Associated Press. | |
The LA Times describes it like this: | The LA Times describes it like this: |
| Just before 5pm, authorities smashed the cabin's windows, pumped in tear gas and called for the suspect to surrender. 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. | Just before 5pm, authorities smashed the cabin's windows, pumped in tear gas and called for the suspect to surrender. 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. |
| There has been continuing controversy since 1993 over whether the fire that killed 76 Branch Davidian cult members during the Waco siege in Texas was started by military tear gas cartridges. | There has been continuing controversy since 1993 over whether the fire that killed 76 Branch Davidian cult members during the Waco siege in Texas was started by military tear gas cartridges. |
| The Los Angeles police department told the Guardian the Dorner incident was the responsibility of the San Bernardo County sheriff's department. There was no immediate response from the San Bernardo sheriff's office. | The Los Angeles police department told the Guardian the Dorner incident was the responsibility of the San Bernardo County sheriff's department. There was no immediate response from the San Bernardo sheriff's office. |