Bratton: Dorner package 'very disturbing'
Shooting suspect Christopher Dorner sent a DVD, letter, and bullet-riddled coin to Anderson Cooper. He is accused of shooting three police officers and threatening more harm.
A note on the DVD says, in part, "I never lied! Here is my vindication," which is apparently referencing his dismissal from the LAPD in 2009. The video on the DVD is testimony from a man who says he was kicked by an officer. That confirms the story Dorner told the LAPD, which he says resulted in him losing his job.
The police coin marked by three bullet holes was wrapped in duct-tape with the handwritten inscription "Thanks, but no thanks Will Bratton." Bratton is the former LAPD Chief who was in charge when Dorner served on the force. The "challenge coin" bears Bratton's name because he gave them out on certain occasions, like for good luck when an officer in the military was going overseas for duty.
Anderson Cooper asked Bratton what he makes of the package from Dorner, the message on the tape that mentions him, and the coin. "What you've shown me is, to be quite frank with you, very disturbing," he said.
Bratton, along with many others, was also included in a long manifesto posted on Dorner's Facebook page. "I was the Chief of Police that signed off on his discharge from the LAPD, so in terms of his grievances, I could understand his grievance directed toward me in my capacity as Chief of Police," said Bratton. "A lot of police officers get discharged and none of them resort to the actions that this young man has taken."
Bratton doesn't remember Dorner's case out of the hundreds he oversaw in 2009. "In the course of a year in the LAPD, I would probably handle anywhere from 200 to 400 disciplinary cases, major cases, and in a 10,000 person department over the space of seven years, I don't recall him...and I don't recall the specific set of circumstances for which I fired him," he said.
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Post by: Anderson Cooper Filed under: Crime |
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It is bizarre that he sent that to you Anderson. Just a bit more than creepy.
Police forces already have so much stress to deal with every day in their job. It's heartbreaking when they are forced to hunt down one of their own. My heart goes out to them. I hope they can capture him before anyone else gets hurt.
I agree 100% with you!
doesn't the general public have a right to the expectation that police forces are trained adequately enough to be able to handle the stress of a manhunt situation without giving into the 'mindset' of 'shoot first, ask later'? The newspaper deliverers were apparently fired upon with no warning: someone with NO TRAINING could have performed that heroic feat! The public has a right to assume that cops are supposed to be able to deal effectively with a given situation without shooting innocent bystanders.
Anderson, if you've read the manifesto, perhaps Dorner is implying (pleading) you to investigate on his behalf. No other news reporter has claimed they also received a package. The subtleness seems to be that, he's perhaps asking YOU to investigate his claims.
I find it very disturbing what Mr. Dorner is doing and do not condone it. However, I find it just as disturbing what has happened to him while with the LAPD. If what he says is true, shame on the department and it's top officials. This however does not justify what Mr. Dorner is doing but if the man was somewhat unstable and his allegations are true, I could somewhat understand his emotional state. Why does the media not find out about the facts on his greivances with LAPD and report if they are factual or not.
I agree with Dorner's message, but not the execution in which he chose to exact it. This is very similar to that movie "Falling Down" with Michael Douglas. Where a man who plays by the rules his whole life, gets kicked and crapped on by those who are supposed to be doing the same. Unfortunately, the end game to this scenario won't be a pretty one for anyone involved, but I can tell you one thing for sure. Dorner's message is being heard loud and clear. Hopefully the media does not distort his message by tying them to his actions.
As a military man myself, former LEO, and lifetime shooter, I firmly believe that the note on the badge, 1 MOA refers to "One Minute of Angle", which is a shooting term that refers to extreme accuracy. It equates to being able to place all shots into a 1" circle at 100 yards. The note and badge were obviously sent to reinforce the shooter's ability to carry out his threats and to emphasize his skills with weaponry. A typical "group" fired by a marksman to test accuracy usually consists of 3 to 5 shots. The holes in the badge which could be covered by a 1" circle equate to the 1 M.O.A. Scary stuff. Thanks
1 Minute of arc. indicates an extremely high level of accuracy when firing a rifle. It would indicate that that coin was hit from a range of approximately 100 yds. This means the gunman is totally lethal at that range, and probably up to 300 yds. That was not done with a .22 by the way, that load wouldn't have the velocity to cause that kind of damage to a metal coin. More likely a .223 Remington Cartridge. Almost the same diameter, LOTS more power and mass. Also known as .556 the typical projectile is around 95 grains and travels in excess of 2000 feet per second. The standard military load, very lethal. This represents a credible and substantial threat that I guarantee you every officer on the NYPD understands quite clearly. I would be extremely nervous wearing that uniform about now.
Chris Dorner is pictured in football and military attire. I wonder if his behavior is the result of conclusive injuries earlier in his life.