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JUMPING THE GUN

Media Prematurely Reported That Suspected L.A. Cop Killer Was Dead

Confusion reigned during live coverage of a police shootout with a man believed to be Christopher Dorner

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by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t +

Image: AP

Live media coverage of the dramatic final moments Tuesday of a shootout between police and a suspected Los Angeles cop killer looked like a scene from a movie. And news outlets couldn't wait to deliver the cinematic ending.

Citing "sources," news outlets including CBS News, CNN, ABC, NBC News, and local Los Angeles stations reported that a body believed to be that of Christopher Dorner had been found in a burned-out cabin in the San Bernadino mountains, the Huffington Post writes.

Soon after that news broke, Cmdr. Andrew Smith of the Los Angeles Police Department refuted the claims, saying no body had been recovered from the cabin because the wreckage was still too hot for investigators to enter.

Even after news outlets carried the update, the confusion continued. CNN's Anderson Cooper tweeted: "Despite LAPD's statement, multiple law enforcement sources continue to tell CNN authorities believe Christopher Dorner is dead inside cabin."

News reports today say that police are working to identify whether the charred remains of a body found in the burned down cabin belonged to Dorner, a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in four killings during a self-proclaimed war on his former department. Some outlets are reporting his wallet was found at the scene.

Via the Huffington Post and Twitter
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Does this confusion make you doubt the credibility of breaking news coverage?

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89 Comments (view in Forum)

  • DARSB
    !
    And then, in a completely UN-ironic move, he links to a Rand Paul super PAC site that relies on " media" reports of the President signing executive actions- or did he?
  • martydotcom
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    @DARSB I think it's amazing neither Fox, nor lame stream media have Rand Paul's response. Poor Marco getting thirsty from telling lies has received 100X more press.
  • DARSB
    !
    @Vance1 "Truth"? This is the Senator who grilled then Senator John Kerry about gun trade between Syria and Libya only to admit later he had no idea if such a thing had actually taken place.

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  • jessejaymes
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    "City girls just seem to find out early" I remember growing up hearing "believe that what you see with your own eyes". And then there was photoshop.
  • jessejaymes
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    @DARSB But how can you go with Lou Reed when he's busy reporting about Holly coming from F.L.A. and shaving her legs along the way then he was a she and all sorts of people started babbling about taking a walk on the wild side. I mean, the guy is not exactly rational. Heh.

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  • Yank
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    I didn't see an update on CNN or MSNBC. As of right now both are still saying a body was found in the cabin and is believed to be Dorner's.

    From CNN: "Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said authorities have a "reasonable belief" that the body found in a burned-out cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains late Tuesday is Dorner's"
  • Yank
    !
    @harold_lloyd if you chaised someone into a cabin, had a gun fight with them, burned the cabin down (and did see them escape). Would that constitue a "reasonable belief"? Yes they do not know for sure (which is why they are keeping the body guards), but feel sure enought that they stoped the man hunt.
  • harold_lloyd
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    @Yank
    I'll ignore the typos, and go with what I think you meant...

    This guy is a tricky bastard, and I'll be happier with a dental or DNA match. One charred body looks a lot like another.

    Just think how cranky people would be if he popped up again.

    Let's be careful out there.
  • Yank
    !
    @harold_lloyd the typos didn’t change the meaning of my post, and I bet it makes you feel better about yourself to point them out. Do you feel the police should continue a man hunt for some they believe to be dead? Should they say “we killed someone, but we aren’t telling you who we think it is”? There was live video of the attack and plenty of police; it is very reasonable to believe he died and that it is his body.
  • Thunderchicken
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    I've been involved in a few incidents that have made the news. If they report a plane crash. I'll believe a plane did crash but I'll reserve my belief in the details till the dust settles.
  • harold_lloyd
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    Never mind all the strange theories about subversion in the media, this is a perfect example of why you can't trust the media to get it right in the first 24 hours, if that soon.
    They're under too much pressure to get something on the air to be able to be careful.
    It's not a plot, it's unfettered capitalism.
  • NTBFW
    !
    Is it possible that a liberal could become a journalist and honestly feel they are being objective? Or a conservative for that matter? Sorry, that question didnt really fit your statement. But i am curious. I agree with what you said. With twitter and Facebook you have seconds to be first with the news. Not time to be thorough. Just throw something out there. They can always fix it later.
  • harold_lloyd
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    @NTBFW
    There are both liberals and conservatives who have the ability to be objective. But where's the incentive?

    Most people want to hear something that agrees with what they already think. And so that's where the money is.
  • harold_lloyd
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    @NTBFW
    Theoretically, pure objectivity is unattainable. The best we can hope for is to recognize whatever bias exists.
    The schism is between journalists who are at least trying to get it right, and those whose sole purpose is to try to guide public perception and opinion in a direction that serves some goal that may not be immediately apparent..
  • OhWiseOne
    !
    Just saw Bill Bratton on Fox talking about how proud he is that the LAPD is majority minority. More proof that "diversity" is not good for white folks. Can you imagine an African or Mexican saying how proud they are that their police departments are majority minority? It would never happen. They wouldn't allow it. Only messed up white folks say stupid s*** like that.
  • Zazziness
    !
    "More proof that "diversity" is not good for white folks."
    ---------
    Missing that sense of superiority you used to get when only you got to sit in the front of the bus?
  • jessejaymes
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    This guy was not an easy catch. He may have shot someone in the head three days ago and dug an escape tunnel. Until they have absolute proof they might not want to go running their mouths.
  • Zazziness
    !
    The media has got to stop this nonsense. They're so busy trying to scoop each other or stay on the air with a story even though they have absolutely no information to give that they are suffering from a severe cases of foot in mouth disease. I've been tired of it for a long time -- ever since they started to haul in "experts" to speculate about a story when they have air time to fill but no data. "Here's astrologist May Bee to guess what a Leo would do in this situation..."
    Gimme a break.
  • MadAmerican
    !
    This is just more proof that Bin Laden may still be alive. Remember how they transported him to a Navy ship and had DNA confirmation within 12 hours and a burial at sea in less than 24 hours? Naval ships do not have foreinsic DNA matching equipment and even some of the most high profile cases take more than a day to get DNA evidence. Is this guy dead? If they can tell the world Bin Laden is dead by a confirmed DNA test within 12 hours of being shot, why is it we have no confirmation here? And yes, the press is a joke trying to have bragging rights to who was the first to report his death. Don't drink the kool aid and watch those hype cookies.
  • Fishbone345
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    You can get trips and equipment to naval ships in mere hours from land bases. I'm thinking with such a high profile killing as Bin Laden they prepared ahead of time. It's not like we didn't have time to prepare.
  • Denizen_Kate
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    "Naval ships do not have foreinsic DNA matching equipment and even some of the most high profile cases take more than a day to get DNA evidence."

    Two things:
    1) When was the last time you were aboard a top-of-the-line aircraft carrier? And if you've been aboard, did they show you everything they had?
    2) The latest equipment allows for almost instant DNA matching.

    In this case, however, if there is a body, they can't recover it and take a DNA sample until the fire dies down.
  • jessejaymes
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    The urban black community will often swear and be damned that Tupac is still alive. Amazingly this guy was allegedly in a cabin that was so hot the police couldn't get in for hours but they find a charred body and the shooters drivers license. I know if I had an escape route and the cops were swarming the nation looking for me and I torched a building, left a body and a drivers license that the pressure would wane if not subside entirely. This guy may be dead for certain but the certainty will not extend to the ghetto any time soon.
  • Meanie
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    The media's main concern is about being first to report the news. Accuracy is on the low priority list. I wouldn't be surprised if Bin Laden were actually alive.
  • Buckfan4life2
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    I quit believing anything I read or here in the news and it all begin in 2008. Thats exactly thie time that I caught the media tell lie after lie and slandering good honest and innocent people. It was like they were taken over by outside forces and being controlled by the goverment. IBefore hand I always remembered the media always trying to get dirt on Washington and politicians and try to expose any corrupttion in our goverment. now they do their damnest to steer clear of any negative reporting and will even go as far as protecting and lieing for certain politicans. I neverthought I would see the day where all media is pro goverment and nobody questions it. And if you think Iam crazy and just imagining all of this I will bet my life you are a Obama supporter and you two must be Obama sheep
  • WMCOL
    !
    Heard it but also had reliable media reporting accurately.

    Haven't heard any of media question the lying police who say they didn't set the structure on fire. Of course they set the place on fire. It is SOP in these situations. They fire incendiary devices into the building with specific purpose of lighting the place up and then deny they set the fire.
  • tomincali
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    the days of journalist reporting nothing but facts is long gone,most have become the same as what you find while checking out at the grocery
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    Typical LAPD style tactics. All proving what Dorner said was trie all along. With him dead, they hope his story will go away, with him alive the story about the police brutallity he was reporting and LAPD was covering up would stay in the news...

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