SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO THE ATTACKS BY CHRISTOPHER DORNER PREPARED BY THE POLICE FOUNDATION The Police Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting innovation and improvement in policing through its research, evaluation, professional services, and communication programs. Established in 1970, the Foundation is known for groundbreaking research in police behavior, policy, and procedure. It has also been praised for its ability to transfer to local agencies the best practices for dealing effectively with a range of important police operational and administrative concerns. Through the Foundation, many researchers have entered into a lasting, constructive relationship with law enforcement. We have worked for over 40 years to build the spirit of collaboration and trust with law enforcement agencies and leaders that continue to facilitate our work. The Police Foundation has worked with police agencies of all sizes, in every region of the United States, and throughout the world. Our work is grounded in the practical world of policing and in developing the science of policing and new ideas, strategies, and technologies to improve the quality of police service Cover Photo: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputies continued a search for Christopher Dorner in a raging snowstorm. AP Photo/Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Police Under Attack Southern California Law Enforcement Response to the Attacks by Christopher Dorner Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................................... 5 THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO AN “ATTACK ON OUR OWN” ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 LESSONS LEARNED IN THE WAKE OF THE CHRISTOPHER DORNER SHOOTINGS ........................................ 9 NARRATIVE OF THE POLICE RESPONSE TO ASSAULTS AND MURDERS BY CHRISTOPHER DORNER ................................................................................................................................................ 13 CRISIS FORCES DISPARATE AGENCIES TO WORK TOGETHER ............................................... 41 THE EMOTIONAL AND DECISION-MAKING SETTING ................................................................................... 41 THE MULTIAGENCY SETTING ..................................................................................................................... 44 COMMAND AND CONTROL ............................................................................................................... 47 INCIDENT COMMAND AND COMMAND CENTERS ........................................................................................ 47 MULTIAGENCY COORDINATION CENTER .................................................................................................... 50 SELF-DEPLOYMENT .................................................................................................................................... 53 PERVASIVE COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES .............................................................................. 58 TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS ............................................................................................................................ 59 Interoperability ........................................................................................................................................ 59 Dead Zones .............................................................................................................................................. 61 UNINTENTIONAL COMMUNICATION FAILURES ............................................................................................ 62 Interagency Communications Gaps ......................................................................................................... 62 Mistaken Assumptions ............................................................................................................................. 63 INTENTIONAL WITHHOLDING OF INFORMATION .......................................................................................... 65 Protecting the Investigation .................................................................................................................... 65 MANAGING THE FEAR AND SENSE OF VULNERABILITY ............................................................................. 66 COMPETING INTERESTS ................................................................................................................... 68 INTERESTS ................................................................................................................................................... 68 Criminal Investigations ............................................................................................................................ 68 Threat Assessment and Management ..................................................................................................... 69 Manhunt .................................................................................................................................................. 69 COMPETITION .............................................................................................................................................. 70 CASE HIERARCHY ....................................................................................................................................... 70 COMPETING PRIORITIES AND DECISION-MAKING CONTROL ..................................................................... 71 POLICE AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CHRISTOPHER DORNER CASE ...................................... 76 OVERVIEW OF LESSONS LEARNED ............................................................................................... 82 Police Under Attack Southern California Law Enforcement Response to the Attacks by Christopher Dorner Page 3 SUMMARY OF LESSONS LEARNED ............................................................................................................. 83 Overarching Themes ................................................................................................................................ 83 Command and Control ............................................................................................................................. 84 Communication ....................................................................................................................................... 85 Competing Interests ................................................................................................................................. 86 Social Media ............................................................................................................................................ 87 INVOLVED AGENCIES .................................................................................................................................. 87 Corona Police Department ....................................................................................................................... 87 Irvine Police Department ......................................................................................................................... 88 Los Angeles Police Department ............................................................................................................... 89 Riverside Police Department .................................................................................................................... 91 Torrance Police Department .................................................................................................................... 92 San Bernardino County Sheriff ................................................................................................................. 93 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 95 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... 96 POLICE FOUNDATION TEAM .................................................................................................................... 98 COPYRIGHT ........................................................................................................................................ 101 Police Under Attack Southern California Law Enforcement Response to the Attacks by Christopher Dorner Page 4 FOREWORD For nine days in early February 2013 I, like millions of Americans, was glued to news reports of a former police and naval officer who was targeting police officers and their families. It was one of the most bizarre and violent acts of vengeance against law enforcement officers this country has experienced. By the time he was finally stopped, Christopher Dorner had murdered four people and wounded several others. His threats and actions put Southern California policing agencies in an unprecedented collective state of alert – one in which both excellent and heroic police work was done and some regrettable decisions were made. This incident represents a sentinel event in American policing – one that serves as a warning of needed changes in parts of our public safety system. For the first time, a trained former police officer was hunting cops and