Rick Heltebrake said it all started Tuesday afternoon when he turned onto a road and something caught his eye.
"I saw some movements in the trees, and it was Christopher Dorner. He came out onto the road, out of the snow, and he pointed his big rifle at me and my truck," said Heltebrake. "I stopped, put my truck in park, put my hands up. He said, 'I don't want to hurt you. Just get out and start walking up the road and take your dog with you.' He was calm. I was calm. I would say I was in fear for my life, but there was no panic. He told me what to do and I did it."
Chris Dorner manhunt: See a timeline of key events
Heltebrake said the suspect was dressed in all camouflage and had a sniper-type rifle and a bulletproof vest. A short time after he started walking, Heltebrake said he heard a volley of gunfire, about 10 to 20 shots.
The California Fish and Wildlife Department was assisting law enforcement in searching for Dorner in the Angeles Oaks area. According to officials, when the suspect realized he had been spotted, he began shooting at the wardens.
Only one warden discharged his firearm, officials said. No wardens were injured. It's unknown if the suspect was struck.
Authorities said the suspect then fled into the forest on foot and barricaded himself inside a cabin. There was another exchange of gunfire between law enforcement and the suspect, leaving two San Bernardino sheriff's deputies wounded. One deputy died of his injuries at the hospital. The second deputy was in surgery and was expected to survive, an official said.
Ex-LAPD Officer Chris Dorner manifesto: Read it now
Late Tuesday, investigators said a charred human body was found in the rubble of the burned-out cabin where Dorner was thought to be barricaded.
