The fired Los Angeles Police Department officer being sought Thursday in connection with three killings filed a lawsuit against the department shortly after his termination in hopes of getting his job back—but was rejected by the court.
Christopher Jordan Dorner filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court in April 2009, asking that a judge overturn an LAPD Board of Rights finding that he falsely accused his field training officer of kicking a suspect in 2007. Dorner was fired in September 2008 based on the board's findings.
According to a 21-page opinion by a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal denying Dorner's bid to get his job back, Dorner told LAPD Capt. Donald Deming in 2007 that he "had something bad to report" and expressed remorse for not coming forward sooner. Dorner then told Deming that the training officer kicked the suspect twice in the shoulder area and once in the face, according to the appellate court opinion.
Dorner also claimed that training officer told him not to tell anyone what had happened, according to the opinion.
However, the board, after reviewing the evidence, found no evidence that the training officer kicked the suspect, according to the appellate court opinion.
"The board found there was evidence that appellant had a motive to make a false complaint, citing the training officer's testimony that (Dorner) was going to receive an unsatisfactory probationary rating if he did not improve his performance and the kicks were reported the day after (Dorner) received an evaluation," the appellate court opinion states. "The board concluded that (he) was not credible and found him guilty of the charges against him."
In May 2010, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Yaffe denied Dorner's petition asking that he be reinstated to the LAPD. Yaffe's ruling was affirmed on appeal in October 2011.
During a news conference Thursday, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said he had no intention of reinstating Dorner or clearing his name.
"That case was thoroughly adjudicated," Beck said. "It was reviewed at multiple levels. It went to the ultimate form of review in the LAPD, a Board of Rights, where two command officers and a civilian representative review the entirety of the case as represented by an attorney, and make a judgment. You know, I think in the analysis you will find Dorner's statements to be self- serving and the statements of somebody that is very unhappy with his lot in life."
-City News Service
