Cop Killer At Large in Southern CA's High Desert

August 2, 2003 | self

[lainie]

There is a major convergence of police in Llano/Pearblossom/Lake LA area of the Antelope Valley this afternoon. An ordinary rush of code-3 wouldn't be thread worthy, but this one is big.

Suspect still at large but his vehicle has been located. An officer is confirmed to have been killed. At one point, I heard officers reporting that the suspect's home appears to be booby-trapped with "pipe bombs." Armored bomb squad unit has been called.

For the last hour, this incredible scene has been unfolding in the high desert. The scanner is crazy, I can barely keep up. I've never heard anything like it. L-TAC, A-TAC, SPEC-U, three helicopters, squad cars galore.. four just raced by from Santa Clarita (I heard them giving those officers directions about 20 minutes ago).

[lainie]

Wow, good sleuthin'.

[lainie]

Whoever's in command of the CP is getting more than a little tired of guys asking for directions.

[jdontom]

Cop vehicles are running out of gas & getting stuck in sand. Good grief.

When your looking for a cop killer there are no rules, its full throttle......

[lainie]

Yeah it was really hectic there for awhile.

The victim was a deputy who perhaps lived in the area where he was killed. I don't know if he was on- or off-duty.

[lainie]

They'd have been much better off not spinning those wheels, though. And desert units getting caught out in BFE with no water is pretty unexcusable.

Last I heard, the suspect got away with the deputy's gun belt (with gun) and radio. Logic tells me that either he was in uniform or maybe the homicide occurred in his home, but I don't know either to be the case.

For those listening -- I believe it's the suspect's wife who keeps demanding to be let back into her/their home.

[lainie]

ping for another AV resident

[Riley]

Last I heard, the suspect got away with the deputy's gun belt (with gun) and radio.

Betcha a nickel that that was the source of the 'unauthorised transmitter' transmitting 'false information' on the PD frequencies.

[lainie]

Containment is to be defined as a two-mile radius now.

[jdontom]

Sounds like it could be a resident officer because of the remote area, if this is the case the officer down went out to the surounding countys and they immediately responded, thats why some of the confusion and lack of prepardness.....

[lainie]

Was that the Gorman thing? Because I thought the dispatcher took that back; said it was unrelated. I'm having trouble following that.

[Brad’s Gramma]

For those listening -- I believe it's the suspect's wife who keeps demanding to be let back into her/their home.

Is that from the above link? Or something else YOU'RE listening to?

[Riley]

Was that the Gorman thing? Because I thought the dispatcher took that back; said it was unrelated. I'm having trouble following that.

Not sure. I have some blown hearing, so I am having difficulty following this.

[lainie]

I'm actually listening to a scanner. I think everyone else that's listening is doing so online, but I'm not. There are still too many different frequencies to keep up with here. :)

[Brad’s Gramma]

OK. Just wondering......thanks.

[lainie]

A long time ago -- probably 2 hours ago -- there was some erroneous report of the radio having been spotted electronically around Gorman. Turns out to have been false.

[Riley]

Understood- they also mentioned an unauthorised transmission on the feed that I heard.

What sort of armored vehicle did you see?

[jdontom]

Live radio traffic......Cop Killer on the Run......

[lainie]

Interesting. I hadn't heard about the transmission.

The armored vehicle was not as large as a Brink's truck and had a very high-pitched siren. I'm looking for a pic. It was gray/black/tan iirc. And as far as I can tell, it still hasn't arrived.

[lainie]

It was really similar to this:

afaik, it's still broken down on the side of the highway. I could go take a picture, I suppose. :-)

[jhw61]

**You learned to drive where no one you knew could possibly see you?! ;-)**...

It was my boyfriend's car. He was the only one I kept company with anyway.