The Chris Darner situation.
Mad man or upset and tired of being tired
Mad man or upset and tired of being tired
After doing a little research and
reading about the Ex LAPD officer Chris Darner, I learned more about why he
snapped. He got terminated from the LAPD for supposedly making false
statements about misconduct against one of his fellow police officers.
Chris Darner made a complaint against his field officer Sergeant Teresa Evans,
accusing her of kicking suspect Christopher Gettler. The Los Angeles
Police Department Board of Rights found that he was making false
statements. According to the evidence and testimonies from bystanders
there was no incident that involved kicking of a suspect that had been
apprehended. No eyewitnesses could confirm Sergeant Evans kicked suspect
Gettler. Also there were no foot prints or kick marks on suspects
shoulder and face where he was supposedly kicked. Police say the33-year-old
ex-cop killed three people and injured others on a campaign of revenge against
those who blamed Darner. Chris Darner made a statement on his Facebook
before the killing spree stating, "I am a man who has lost complete faith
in the system, when the system betrayed, slandered and libeled me."
Chris Darner wanted revenge for those who he felt betrayed him which was the
LAPD.
Another reason why Chris Darner
snapped was because of racism. He felt that racism was big in his
department and he wanted to bring it out to the public but got
terminated. He felt that racism was a big factor and needed something to
be done, which he took it in his own hands. According to the LAPD Chris
Darner shot himself before being captured. The cabin he was in set on
fire due to reasons not specified and a special vehicle was rammed inside the
cabin after they believed they heard a gunshot. But there is always a
second side to any story.
There
was a journalist by the name of Max Blumenthal who tweeted a different
scenario. He used an iPhone app that featured a police scanner and
through the scanner he heard officers screaming, "to go with the plan,
burn the guy, several burners deployed," were some of the things heard
through the police scanner. In my opinion I believe the LAPD set the
cabin on fire in order to kill Darner not capture. Police violence has
been increasing and such actions wouldn't surprise me.
(Rebound Intern)
I remember when this story was big news. The story of Chris Dorner seems to be out of the norm but I wonder how many others have felt the way he has, but didn't do anything about it. The article that was linked said that Dorner killed the daughter of the man (former police captain) who represented him in his hearing. The hearing resulted in the termination of Dorner which probably set him off. This post add to the mystery of Chris Dorner as no one can really say what exactly happened in the cabin. I do agree that police violence has been going up but also citizens becoming watchdogs for these types of activities. His manifesto obviously shows that he's an intelligent person. His statements "You are saying to yourself that this is completely out of character of the man you knew who always wore a smile wherever he was seen. I know I will be villified by the LAPD and the media." shows a deep understanding of society and how society would view him. It kinds of reminds me of other black historical figures who talked about their inevitable death because they were aware of the influence they were having on society. He documents/writes about instances because he wants there to be some record of his side of the story. Aside from the celebrity shout outs, he seems to be an articulate human being who just got fed up with everything going on around him. A part of me empathizes a little on how he must be feeling and another part still believes there could have been a better way to resolve his issues. I think people largely would call him a psycho because he killed people. Death is taken very seriously, but then again. No one can completely understand his point of view and what he felt like. Even as I type this, I'm not too sure what to make of him. What could have prevented this, I wonder. And how can we try to prevent more of these from happening. Whatever the solution be, will not be an easy or simple one. I think it starts with looking at the reasons someone might feel as though there is no other way out, or what led to them thinking so. I just hope we don't start seeing more of these type of events happening and we see more programs/awareness to prevent them.
ReplyDeleteChris Dorner was a whisteblower who, instead of being protected, was terminated. I can sympathize with his frustration and while I don't agree on the way he ultimately dealt with his frustration, anger, and depression, I couldn't help but feel bad for him. The LAPD has a reputation for being corrupt and I don't doubt for a second that the officer he filed the report against really did use unnecessary force. The way our government deals with whistleblowers is completely unacceptable and reflects the mindset of people in authority. If you don't look the other way when you witness corruption you will face retribution. The way that our government has handled the Edward Snowden case is a prime example of how whistleblowers are villianized. I think there is much value in people reporting abuses by authorities because how else will governmental agencies be kept in check?
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