Following a shoot-out between authorities and fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner this afternoon in the mountains outside of Big Bear, California, Dorner was believed to be holed up in a cabin and surrounded by police, before the cabin caught fire and burned to the ground. Follow along for updates.
Update 10:56 a.m.: Did police start mysterious the fire on purpose?
Update 10:48 a.m.: The AP reports that Dorner’s wallet and I.D. were recovered from the cabin.
Update, 8:00 a.m.: Charred human remains have been found in the cabin and a forensics team has been dispatched to see if it’s Dorner.
Update, 12:20 a.m.: While authorities won’t confirm that Dorner’s body has been found, L.A. Times writer Joel Rubin pointed out on CNN that they’re not exactly raising the alarm that he’s still at large. Cindy Bachman, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, said in a live news conference that police believe the person holed up in the cabin (thought to be Dorner), did not leave while it burned. But they won’t be able to recover the body until probably tomorrow.
Update, 11:11 p.m.: The LAPD just made a statement live on CNN saying no body had been found, contrary to reports picked up by multiple news outlets. The department is still on tactical alert, and Dorner’s whereabouts haven’t been officially confirmed.
Update, 9:48 p.m.: A body, likely Dorner’s, has apparently been found among the burned-out remains of the cabin, according to CBSLA. A police source confirmed to KTLA that the body was, in fact, Dorner’s.
Update, 9:17 p.m.: KTLA is reporting that authorities believe Dorner is dead inside the cabin, but they haven’t said that officially. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that police heard a single gunshot when they first saw the flames, after they started using a vehicle to pull the walls of the cabin down from the outside: “By the time they got to the last wall, authorities heard a single gunshot, the source said. Then flames began to spread through the structure, and gunshots, probably set off by the fire, were heard.”
Update, 8:35 p.m.: There has been some uncertainty about whether Dorner could have escaped, but the AP is now reporting, “Man believed to be fugitive ex-Los Angeles cop never emerged from burning cabin.”
Update, 8:12 p.m.: Take it with a grain of salt for now, but an NBC reporter from East Texas (?) is reporting that Dorner has been killed.
Update, 7:36 p.m.: Here’s the view from the air, via CNN:
Shots were reportedly fired or ammunition exploded inside.
Update, 7:26 p.m.: CNN reports that SWAT team members have entered the cabin, which is up in flames.
Update, 7:21 p.m.: The cabin is on fire, according to CBS’s live coverage. Police are still standing guard.
Update, 6:56 p.m.: The L.A. Times reports that one officer involved in the gun battle this afternoon has died. Another wounded deputy’s current condition is still unknown.
Update, 6:42 p.m.: “It’s quite shocking,” the owner of the cabin where authorities believe Dorner is holed up told the Los Angeles Times. “I mean, it’s good and bad news. If it is him, I hope that they catch him and this whole horrible thing is put to rest. At the same time, who wants this happening on their property?”
She said the cabin was supposed to be empty and does not have access to cable, Internet, or phone service.
Update, 6:10 p.m.: The media is being asked to hang back: “Gunfire is being exchanged between law enforcement and the suspect; your personnel are in danger and could contribute to officer safety on the ground,” the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
At an LAPD news conference, a spokesperson was vague on specifics in case Dorner is watching. He could not confirm media reports that a hostage situation is in progress at the cabin.
If Dorner is following along, the LAPD rep said he’d tell him, “Enough is enough. It’s time to turn yourself in.”
Update 5:24 p.m.: Here’s some audio from that firefight earlier:
