Ex-cop and accused cop-killer Christopher Dorner isn’t everybody’s “cup of tea” and would definitely be placed at the “un-cola” end of the spectrum if he were a bottled soft drink; nonetheless, he already has some kind of a following. Is this a routine phenomenon or is it different this time ?
Desperadoes, all alone against the authorities zeroing-in on them, long have had a certain appeal in American legend and folklore, and in fiction as well as feature films. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Humphrey Bogart behind a rock on a craggy high Sierra mountainside or a crazed James Cagney shouting-out to his mother standing on top of an ignited globe about to explode. Why would Christopher Dorner be any different from those fictional characters or their real-life antecedents and successors? Among those we could number: John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Butch and Sundance, Jesse James and the rest of the robber-type fugitives; Andrew Cunanan, Christopher Wilder, Alton Coleman and the sex-road-trip spree-killers, although the sex-driven-killer-fugitives seem more “popular” in fiction than real life, with our local David Berkowitz in a unique sub-category getting little respect, even in jail, for his evasiveness and moment in the spot-light; even long ago executed domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh was briefly being sought as a fugitive “Arab” or other swarthy, even while he was in custody and nearing release as a blonde, pasty-skinned armed drifter picked up for driving in a car with a missing license plate. Who can forget that other manifesto-writing fugitive serial killer, Ted Kaczyinski, the “Unabomber,” whose exploits covered years -- attacking very high-value targets ? And let’s don’t get started on the cult-killers like Helter Skelter Manson; or the ones that had nifty names like the Beltway Sniper(s), or Zebra or Zodiac. They all had secret and not-so-secret cheering sections.
One could argue that Dorner is no different — yet, many, right and left, say he is completely different. If you look at the comments threads on the stories about him and the coverage of the manhunt trying to track him down, you’ll see that there are distinct groups pulling for him, rooting against him and/or pulling for or rooting against the authorities.
That phenomenon had been observed several days ago with respect to pro-Dorner messages popping up all over the social media ( See “Christopher Dorner Fans On Facebook, Twitter Call Alleged Cop Killer A 'Hero,' Citing Police Brutality” by Kathleen Miles, 2/8/13, Huffington Post [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/christopher-dorner-fans-facebook-twitter_n_2647754.html]). According to Ms. Miles, ‘Call it the ‘Dark Knight Complex.’ In the age of the Internet and social media, behind certain high-profile alleged murderers, there are loyal fans. *** Supporters of Christopher Dorner, the former LA policeman turned ‘cop killer,’ have shown up online, with tweets and fan pages on Facebook. Some call Dorner a ‘hero’ for writing a manifesto on alleged racism and corruption within the LAPD. *** Numerous supporters on Twitter are calling the alleged murderer a ‘Dark Knight.’ One Facebook page calls him ‘the hero LA deserves, but not the one it needs right now ... He's a silent guardian, watchful protector against corruption, he's our Dark Knight’.” Similar observations were made on other media-oriented blogs (See e.g., “Accused Killer Chris Dorner Called ‘Hero’ On Twitter, ‘Dark Knight’ On Facebook” 2/9/13, “The Inquisitor” (containing several quoted Tweets)
[www.inquisitr.com/516688/accused-killer-chris-dorner-called-hero-on-twitter-dark-knight-on-facebook/]) and it has even gotten onto the “radar screen” of broadcast TV news ( see “Cop Killer Christopher Dorner Gaining Supporters on Facebook” 89.3 KPCC (blog)[CBS CH 13 – Getting Answers], 2/10/13 on YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YjtiniAuO4]).
According to one not quite mainstream source, “... A strange social media movement supporting the actions of alleged cop killer Christopher Dorner has sprung up.” ( “Morning Show – > Expert: Dorner Groupies Spring From Cynicism Surrounding LAPD” by Ric Young, 2/12/13, 9:31(Moscow Time), “The Voice of Russia – American Edition” [http://voicerussia.com/radio_broadcast/61124198/104524199.html]); another off-beat outlet says that “Some Twitter users say Christopher Dorner is ‘kinda sexy,’ ‘I’d honestly hide Dorner in my house’.” ( Post of the same title by “the Staff...” 1/9/13, “Twitchy – Who said what” (contains sixteen similar Twitter Quotes) [http://twitchy.com/2013/02/09/some-twitter-users-say-christopher-dorner-is-kinda-sexy-id-honestly-hide-dorner-in-my-house/]).
The push-back from the Right was as quick and pungent as it was predictable. Sort of typical was this post on Brietbart, “A MESSAGE FOR CHRISTOPHER DORNER SUPPORTERS” ( by Sonnie Johnson, 2/10/13, [http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/02/10/A-Message-for-Christopher-Dorner-Supporters]). The formulation was along the lines of, "IF YOU"RE FOR DORNER, YOU PROBABLY WERE FOR OBAMA" and it continue by going into significant detail in that formulation.
There are already other posts and comments making provocative pronouncements, and possibly posing inflammatory queries about any of the positive outpourings on behalf of Christopher Dorner like some of those mentioned above. This series is particularly fascinating: “If Christopher Dorner were a White conservative, would liberal groupies still love him? asks Cap Black” ( See comment by Nadra AKA Cap Black, 2/10/13, Move-On-Up.org [http://moveonup.ning.com/profiles/status/show?id=2579286%3AStatus%3A66848]; more fully discussed at “Christopher Dorner Isn’t Malcolm X 2.0” by Capblack, 2/11/13 at “#CAPBLACK THEHOODCONSERVATIVE! – Defiant defenses of traditional values!” [http://capblackhood.blogspot.com/2013/02/christopher-dorner-isnt-malcolm-x-20.html]; and most recently today’s “Christopher Dorner: Racist Time Bomb” by CAPBLACK, 2/12/13, “The Western Center for Journalism” [http://www.westernjournalism.com/christopher-dorner-racist-time-bomb/]).
This debate has hardly been joined. As bad as everything he’s been accused of doing to date, one suspects that Mr. Dorner and his manifesto will be emerging as a fully fledged Left-wing cause before too long; and for those on the Right, that all will be fresh red meat.
UPDATE to post below "Where is Christopher Dorner? LA Offers One Million Dollars... " : “The biggest US police manhunt in living memory appeared to be over on Tuesday night after Christopher Dorner was cornered in a mountain cabin outside Los Angeles in a siege which ended with the building engulfed in flames and his fate still uncertain.” ( “Fiery end to Christopher Dorner hunt — Cabin burns down after rogue ex-policeman barricaded himself inside and killed a Los Angeles officer in shootout, ” Rory Carroll in Los Angeles,
ReplyDeleteguardian.co.uk, 2/12/13 [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/13/christopher-dorner-standoff-barricades-cabin]).
According to an earlier LA Times report, fugitive Christopher Dorner had taken a page out of the 1930s Public Enemies Era with a running gun battle ala Bonnie and Clyde, and an armed standoff and shootout with law enforcement officers ala the Barker family. In what at times had been described as a running shootout earlier today, two deputies were shot – one killed and one wounded.
In what seemed to have started as a vehicle-to-vehicle confrontation with a California Fish and Wildlife Officer in a pickup truck, Dorner was spotted by the state’s agent, when it is alleged that Dorner riddled the agent’s truck with gunfire before crashing into it with his own vehicle. Dorner then fled to a vacation cabin in an area called Angeles Oaks that was quickly surrounded by San Bernadino County Deputies. During another fire fight two of the deputies became the most recent casualties to Dorner’s display of gun fighting ability, as Dorner first fired at the deputies and then tried to exit the cabin using (a) smoke grenade(s) as cover. According to early reports, gun fire from the remaining deputies drove Dorner back into the cabin where he remained “holed up.” (See “Christopher Dorner shootout: Ex-cop may be watching news, police say” LA Times – L.A. Now – Southern California - - This Just In, 2/12/13 [latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/christopher-dorner-police-believe-fugitive-is-watching-tv-news.html]
Reports from a news helicopter indicated the cabin, in which Christopher Dorner was believed to be hunkered down, burst into flames and was quickly fully involved. It is not known whether Dorner or some police pyrotechnic device caused the conflagration.