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LAPD report: department was 'just' in firing Dorner
Police Chief Charlie Beck at a press conference earlier this year about the manhunt for ex-cop Christopher Dorner, who allegedly turned killer in revenge for being fired.
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ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
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LAPD report: department was 'just' in firing Dorner
The Los Angeles Police Department issued a report Friday that said the department was correct when it fired Christopher Dorner, the disgruntled ex-officer who allegedly murdered four people and prompted a massive manhunt before fatally shooting himself during a standoff in the San Bernardino Mountains in February.
“The record is clear that Dorner fabricated allegations against his training officer, and later, against his peers and superiors. The decision to terminate Dorner was sound and just,” the 29-page report said. It was authored by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck’s special assistant for constitutional policing, Gerald Chaleff.
Dorner served as an LAPD officer from 2005 to 2008. The department fired him for falsely accusing his training officer of using excessive force against a suspect. He issued a rambling manifesto online, accusing the LAPD of racism and threatening retaliation. Dorner was African American.
RELATED: The manhunt for Christopher Dorner
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"How dare you swat me for standing up for my rights for demanding that I be treated as a equal human being?" he wrote in his manifesto posted on Facebook. "I am a man who has lost complete faith in the system, when the system betrayed, slandered, and libeled me," he wrote.
Beck ordered the review of Dorner's firing after critics of the department said some of his concerns about problems within the LAPD were valid.
“I directed this review because I wanted to ensure that the Los Angeles Police Department is fair and transparent in all that we do,” said Beck. “All of us recognize that as a Department we are not perfect, nonetheless, this report shows that the discharge of Christopher Dorner was factually and legally the right decision.”
The department is conducting a second review of issues raised by Dorner about the disciplinary system and racism. This report focused on his allegation that he was wrongly fired.
“Dorner cited a variety of reasons to discredit the validity of his termination, including numerous alleged personal relationships among his training officer, supervisors, investigators and Board of Rights members,” Chaleff wrote. “However, a number of interviews conducted in the preparation of this report revealed these allegations to be false.”
Dorner allegedly murdered the daughter of a former LAPD captain who represented him during his disciplinary case. He also allegedly murdered her fiance and two sheriff’s deputies and wounded three other law enforcement officers.
The LAPD Inspector General Alex Bustamante, who reports to the Police Commission, issued a separate report that also supported Dorner’s termination. It cited his failed lawsuit against the department.
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“The Office of Inspector General agrees with the Superior Court that the witness testimony and physical evidence failed to prove whether or not the training officer kicked the arrestee, and that the ultimate finding depended upon weighing the credibility of the training officer and Dorner. The OIG further agrees with the Superior Court that based upon the information developed in the Board of Rights, the Board of Rights' findings were not improper.”
The Police Commission will hold a hearing on the reports Tuesday at its regular 9:30 a.m. meeting.
Inspector General's Dorner Report
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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