Fugitive Former Police Officer Faces Murder Charges

Fired Los Angeles Police Department Officer Christopher Jordan Dorner, who has been the target of a massive weeklong police dragnet and is suspected of killing two people in Irvine, was charged today in Riverside County with capital murder for the shooting death of Riverside police Officer Michael Crain.

Crain was gunned down Thursday morning while on patrol with his partner, who was wounded in the shooting.

According to Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach, Dorner was also charged with three counts of attempted murder—for allegedly shooting Crain's partner and two LAPD officers who were fired upon shortly before the Crain shooting. One of the LAPD officers suffered a graze wound.

Dorner, 33, remains at large.

Zellerbach said the murder charge against Dorner includes the special circumstance allegations of murder of a police officer in the performance of his duty, and intentional discharge of a firearm from a motor vehicle.

The special-circumstance allegations make Dorner eligible for the death penalty, although Zellerbach did not say whether prosecutors actually seek capital punishment.

Dorner is also suspected of the Feb. 3 killing of 28-year-old college basketball assistant coach Monica Quan and her fiance, 27-year-old Keith Lawrence, whose bodies were found in Lawrence's car in the parking structure of their Irvine condominium building.

Orange County prosecutors have not announced any charges against Dorner, although an arrest warrant was issued under seal by a Superior Court judge on Wednesday. According to a federal arrest warrant affidavit filed Thursday, that arrest warrant notes that Dorner has been charged with multiple counts of murder.