LAPD officer Christopher Dorner’s killings and the manhunt that they sparked left Angelenos in a state of terror. Innocent people were, wounded, or psychologically traumatized as a result of Dorner’s actions and those of his former fellow officers. These tragedies were not random flukes. They were a direct result of political government, its monopoly on “legitimate” violence, and the psychology of entitlement bred by its authority.
Maggie Carranza, 47, and her 71-year-old mother Emma Hernandez were delivering newspapers in a truck not even the same color as Dorner’s when LAPD officers shot Hernandez in the back, hospitalizing her. Though Carranza was not hit by gunfire, she was wounded by shattered glass from the windshield. According to their attorney, “There was no warning. There were no orders. No commands. Just gunshots.”
Soon afterward in Torrance, California, resident David Perdue met a similar unannounced hail of bullets from his own city’s police department. While he emerged physically uninjured, he likely won’t look back on the incident as just another day. The psychological trauma is unimaginable.
Luckily for southern California drivers, Dorner’s truck was discovered burning near Bear Mountain. One wonders just how many more innocent people might have been fired upon had his vehicle not been found.
The LAPD and surrounding police departments were out in full force, their penchant for unleashing deadly violence without warning on no more basis than a hunch on open display. In truly military fashion, police even unleashed a surveillance drone as part of the search. Understandably, many felt unsafe.
And for what? While bringing Dorner in — or down — was clearly a priority, the way in which he was pursued, the pile of resources devoted to his capture, and the unprovoked violence inflicted on civilians made it clear that that priority wasn’t rooted in publicly safety.
Consider this in the context of the 6,000 word manifesto released by Dorner concerning corruption among his fellow officers. It’s difficult to escape the conclusion that police diverted a disproportionate amount of resources, and more importantly, waged total war on the citizens of California, to settle a personal and political score.
The pursuit was gang warfare writ large, made possible only by the territorial monopolies LAPD and other police forces maintain on “legitimate” violence, and the funding they extract forcibly from the citizens they claim to protect and serve.
They do not function as legal equals of the civilians they endanger They know they will never be held fully accountable for their actions, or pay the full costs of whatever damage they do, or of the resources they call upon to do it. The horrifying spectacle they created was made possible (and inevitable) by political government.
Chris Dorner’s murders should obviously disgust everyone, and his psychological sense of entitlement to do violence at will was contemptible. It would be just as contemptible, though, if he still had the badge that gave him that sense of entitlement in the first place.
The LAPD and other police forces should do everything in their power to make sure this never happens again. The logical first step toward that goal is their immediate disbandment.
Translations for this article:
- Portuguese, Christopher Dorner e o Caos Inerente ao Governo.
Solid analysis, Jason.
One could certainly call Dorner a monster. His actions and his sense of entitlement are (or were, pending identification of the charred corpse found in the debris of his cabin) certainly monstrous. But Dorner is (was?) a monster created and nurtured by the LAPD and by American militarism. A quick look at his Facebook rantings reveals a man that totally bought into the war on terror mentality of "high value targets" and regrettable collateral damage." The other day I saw a picture of Dorner that was photo shopped to make him look like Rambo. How appropriate!
So the people that tried to turn Dorner into some kind of folk hero are, frankly, ill- informed idiots. Or, more charitably, they have been afflicted with the same uniquely American sickness that afflicted Dorner– a sickness that makes a fetish of violence, vengeance and tough guy, action hero authoritarianism.
At the same time, California law enforcement has shown its true colors during their hunt. They weren't just scared, they were seething at a challenge–no matter how deranged–to their authority. In the minds of many officers, this event apparently confirmed their suspicion they are at war against the populace. They've been rambling about it for years. Now it was the real thing: Us versus Them! So they resort to shooting at on-coming vehicles like they are manning a checkpoint in Iraq. Serve and protect????
I only hope that people can see past the Hollywood action movie aspects of this case. Beyond the sensationalism there are some important lessons to be learned from this tragedy.
David Perdue was physically injured, "suffering a concussion and an injury to his shoulder."
The LAPD proves what should be obvious to any libertarian. That government officials are above the law.
But most importantly, that *any* crime against a government official is considered to be a greater affront to society than an equal crime against an ordinary citizen. Sure, they'll punish you if you commit a crime against a random citizen. But commit the same crime against a police officer or politician, and it is as if you've committed a crime against God himself. This forces one to come to the conclusion that they are indeed sending the message: We ARE your rulers, and don't you dare think or act otherwise.
That's a very good synopsis at describing the itchy trigger finger mentality and "get the bad guy at all costs" irrespective of law abiding citizens. The police in this country have gone from "protect and serve" to "shoot to kill". Although I don't agree with what Dorner did, it was obvious through the magnitude of police force involved that he wasn't allowed to make it out alive. Dead men tell no tales! There's been a long, torrid history in the LAPD and he was one who finally said "enough is enough" and was going to take care of it in the best way he knew how, in the same manner the LAPD takes care of its' business, shoot first, ask no questions because we're the police and you're not!
Well done in your piece. Some very good points. I pray that the homeschooling community is doing a much better job at teaching their children the proper role of government/State than are the State-controlled State-is-god schools that raise 87% of all young Americans. Considering how our government is behaving, should we conclude that State-run public schooling is a "success"? –Brian in Oregon
Political government is the correct and accurate term. It is not the same as economic government, such as Amazon.