LAPD Chief Beck: Dorner Firing Will Be Reopened

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement Saturday evening that the case revolving around Christopher Jordan Dorner's termination from the department will be reopened.

Dorner, who allegedly shot three people and injured a fourth in retaliatory killings earlier this week, has targeted a number of individuals he worked with at the LAPD in a "manifesto" published Monday on the Internet.

The manifesto threatens that the killings would continue until the LAPD admitted to wrongful termination in his case.

According to a statement from Beck:

I feel we need to also publicly address Dorner’s allegations regarding his termination of employment, and to do so I have directed our Professionals Standards Bureau and my Special Assistant for Constitutional Policing to completely review the Dorner complaint of 2007; to include a re-examination of all evidence and a re-interview of  witnesses. We will also investigate any allegations made in his manifesto which were not included in his original complaint.

Beck went on to note, "I do this not to appease a murderer. I do it to reassure the public that their police department is transparent and fair in all the things we do."

The suspect had made a complaint against his field training officer, Sgt. Teresa Evans, accusing her of kicking a suspect, Christopher Gettler, according to court papers.

The Los Angeles Police Department Board of Rights determined his complaint was false and the suspect was terminated.

He asked the courts to overturn the board's decision but he was refused, so he appealed that decision and was again refused, court papers indicate.

Dorner also pointed to pervasive racism within the department and alleged that things had changed little since the Rampart Scandal and Rodney King investigations of the 1990s.

Beck first announced the reopening Saturday evening in an exclusive interview with KCBS-KCAL anchor Pat Harvey.

Dorner had praised Harvey in his Internet "manifesto" as being "professionally and personally the way a strong black woman" should be, calling her the "epitome of a journalist/anchor." 

Meantime, officials from a variety of law-enforcement agencies announced Saturday the formation of a task force to enhance the investigation and search for Dorner.

The Irvine Police Department, Riverside Police Department, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Los Angeles Police Department and some allied organizations
will join the pursuit of Dorner.

Actor Charlie Sheen, mentioned admiringly in Dorner's manifesto, became another celebrity to release a video asking him to turn himself in.

In a 16-second video released Saturday, Sheen asked Dorner to call him directly and give himself up.

The LAPD is encouraging anyone with information about Dorner's whereabouts to call (213) 486-6860 or email DORNERTF@lapd.lacity.org.