The suspect in the revenge slayings of a college basketball coach and her fiance in Irvine, as well as the early morning ambush killing of a Riverside police officer, was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy Friday, two days before the double homicide, a Navy spokesman said today.
Christopher Jordan Dorner, 33, of La Palma, joined the Navy July 3, 2002, according to a Navy spokesman.
Dorner joined the Naval reserves in January 2010 and was not assigned to any specific drills or duties, but was on call in case he was needed, the spokesman added. It's unclear why Dorner, who achieved the rank of lieutenant Aug. 1, 2006, was discharged from the Navy.
He served six months in Bahrain from November 2006 to April 23, 2007, according to the Navy. Dorner was stationed primarily in San Diego.
Dorner was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Medal, the Navy Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device, a Rifle Marksman Ribbon and a Pistol Expert Medal, according to the Navy.
Dorner was identified Wednesday night as a suspect in the slayings of 28- year-old Monica Quan and her fiance, 27-year-old Keith Lawrence, who were found shot to death at 9:10 p.m. Sunday in a parked car at 2100 Scholarship in Irvine. They were inside Lawrence's Kia, which was parked at the top of the five-story parking structure for the building where they lived.
According to police, Quan was the daughter of a retired LAPD captain who represented Dorner at the Board of Rights hearing that led to his firing, and the killings were carried out in an act of revenge outlined in a lengthy manifesto Dorner posted online -- blaming Quan's father for losing his job.
Dorner is also a suspect in the shooting of a Los Angeles police officer near Interstate 15 and Magnolia Avenue in Corona early today. The officer suffered a graze wound to the head.
About 20 minutes later, Dorner is believed to have ambushed two Riverside officers while they were stopped at a red light at Magnolia and Arlington avenues, according to Riverside police Lt. Guy Toussaint, adding that the two were on "routine patrol" and were not searching for Dorner at the time.
One of the officers -- a 34-year-old, 11-year veteran of the force -- was killed. The wounded Riverside officer, who is 27 years old, underwent surgery and is expected to fully recover, Riverside police Chief Sergio Diaz said.
- City News Service
