Christopher Dorner Believed Dead; LAPD Denies Reports That His Body Was Recovered in Burning Cabin
![](http://d20hvt89h2l7r8.cloudfront.net/18egvjx23hxk0jpg/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636.jpg)
A gun battle in Angelus Oaks, California, today ended with alleged killer cop Christopher Dorner presumed to be holed up in a flaming cabin and surrounded by police.
According to the LA Times, Dorner broke into a home near Big Bear last week and held the two homeowners hostage until this morning, when he released them, stole a car, and attempted to flee down Highway 38. Fish and game wardens attempted to stop the truck, at which point Dorner fired on them before running away on foot. Police tailed Dorner and are now engaged in a shootout with him in the woods. KCAL 9 is reporting that two officers are down.
Updates:
4:52 PM EST: This episode of the gun battle, recorded by a local CBS affiliate, just happened a few minutes ago. The officer is telling the reporter to "get the fuck outta here."
4:56 PM EST: CBS has confirmed that two sheriff's deputies are down. Their condition is unknown, but paramedics are on the scene.
5:00 PM EST: There looked to be plumes of smoke wafting into the sky from the area Dorner is believed to be cornered.
5:07 PM EST: Authorities say Dorner is holed up in a cabin, which is now surrounded by police.
5:15 PM EST: CBS reports that there are unconfirmed reports that a fish and game warden has been injured, along with the two deputies.
5:17 PM EST: Dorner's current location, Angelus Oaks, is about 20 miles away from where police found his burned-out pickup truck in Big Bear last Thursday.
5:23 PM EST: CNN's Wolf Blitzer reports that San Bernardino police have asked all news helicopters to leave the area because "gunfire is being exchanged and your personnel are in danger."
5:26 PM EST: CNN reports that FAA has imposed flight restrictions over Big Bear.
5:31 PM EST: Big Bear-area police scanners have been disabled online to "ensure officer safety." There have been theories that Dorner, an ex-cop, had been listening in to police scanners to help him evade capture.
5:46 PM EST: CNN, citing the LA Times, is saying that Dorner is currently holding a couple hostage.
5:53 PM EST: Dorner is not holding a couple hostage. CNN mistook an earlier report of Dorner holding a couple hostage to be current.
5:57 PM EST: SWAT teams are inspecting every vehicle coming down the mountain from where Dorner is pinned down.
6:05 PM EST: In a live press conference, LAPD Commander Andrew Smith says he can't confirm that the man holed up in the cabin is Dorner. He also said that the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department is leading the charge in Angelus Oaks, with other police forces acting as support.
6:10 PM EST: Asked if he has a message for Dorner, Commander Smith says, "Enough is enough. It's time to turn yourself in."
6:15 PM EST: CBS reports that people have begun arriving at Angelus Oaks bearing signs reading, "Don't kill Dorner."
6:17 PM EST: CBS anchorman Paul Magers just said of Dorner, "He's a cold-blooded killer. There's no doubt about that." Magers should probably not be chosen for the jury if Dorner is arrested.
6:30 PM EST: Here's the prank call to CBS presumed to be the work of one of Howard Stern's henchmen:
6:36 PM EST: The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department is asking all members of the press to "stop tweeting immediately." Seriously:
The sheriff has asked all members of the press to stop tweeting immediately. It is hindering officer safety.#Dorner
— SB District Attorney (@sbcountyda) February 12, 2013
6:49 PM EST: How wild is the reporting flying around this story right now? Check out this CNN update: "[Updated at 5:34 p.m. ET] In posts at 5:06 p.m. ET and 5:09 p.m. ET, we reported apparent information from Big Bear Lake Mayor Jay Obernolte. We have learned that the man we spoke to was not the mayor, so we've removed the information. We regret the error."
6:56 PM EST: The LA Times is reporting that one of the two sheriff's deputies who first responded to the Dorner shootout today has died.
7:06 PM EST: Drudge being Drudge:
they pulled the helicopters out of there; trying to hold back images that could cause riots.half of LA rooting for #ChrisDorner
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) February 12, 2013
7:13 PM EST: KCAL 9 is reporting that police are attempting to fire tear gas canisters into the cabin. A "green gas" is blowing in the air around the cabin.
7:17 PM EST: The cabin is now "engulfed in flames," according to CBS. It's uncertain how the fire was set.
7:21 PM EST: Huge plumes of black smoke are now rising from the cabin.
7:28 PM EST: KCAL 9 is reporting "a small possibility" that Dorner may have escaped the cabin and made his way to a nearby horse corral.
7:35 PM EST: An image of the burning cabin. It is unclear whether Dorner has fled the scene:
![](http://d20hvt89h2l7r8.cloudfront.net/18egmjefx2wrlpng/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_470.png)
7:42 PM EST: A single gunshot that rang out from the cabin immediately after the fire started has led news outlets to begin speculating that Dorner has killed himself.
7:47 PM EST: Authorities say gunshots in the cabin are presumed to be ammunition exploding from the heat.
7:52 PM EST: There are firefighters in the area of the cabin, but they are making no effort to put out the fire.
7:57 PM EST: KCAL 9 reports that police around the cabin are now smoking cigarettes. Tension has eased
8:01 PM EST: ABC reports that that the second deputy shot in the early moments of today's firefight is in surgery and should live.
8:35 PM EST: From the AP: "Man believed to be fugitive ex-Los Angeles cop never emerged from burning cabin."
8:48 PM EST: San Bernardino firefighters are finally moving in to put out the cabin fire.
9:04 PM EST: NBC LA reports that the fire originated from within the cabin immediately following a single gunshot, lending credence to the belief that Dorner committed suicide.
9:31 PM EST: KTLA reports police have downgraded security around the cabin.
9:40 PM EST: CBS is reporting that Dorner is dead.
10:20 PM EST: NBC reports a source inside the Los Angeles mayor's office has confirmed Dorner's death. According to CNN, an official announcement could take hours or day, depending on DNA tests.
10:50 PM EST: Several outlets are now reporting that a charred body has been recovered from the debris of the burned-out cabin in which Dorner was thought to be taking refuge. Unlike NBC, however, many other news sources are refusing to go so far as to say the body is definitely Dorner's. Presuming it is, this brings to a close a nine-day saga that saw Dorner allegedly kill four people—including two police officers—and wound several others.
11:10 PM EST: The LAPD is now denying that a body has been recovered from the cabin. LAPD Commander Andy Smith said earlier reports were false and that the cabin is still too hot to enter. "Until [Dorner is] confirmed as deceased or handcuffed and in jail, we're going to proceed like he's still out there," said Smith during his most recent press conference. He also said a positive identification could take days or weeks.
11:50 PM EST: San Bernardino County Sheriff spokesperson Cindy Bachman said it's believed the suspected shooter's body is still inside of the burned cabin, although she refused to confirm Dorner as the shooter. Bachman also said investigators may not be able to enter the cabin until Wednesday morning because of the heat and live ammunition inside.
12:10 AM EST: Here's video of police reportedly shouting "burn that motherfucker" and "burn him out" as Dorner was surrounded inside the cabin.