OK, I’ll play lawyer. I say that when Dorner was in that cabin and surrounded, he was, in effect, “captured.”
Now, as long as someone yelled “You’re under arrest” then we’re home free.
Let me just add that I don’t think it’s a good idea to try and weasel out of rewards. They are generally meant to appeal to friends of the bad guys who are all too often borderline “bad guys” themselves and already tend to distrust authority. If word gets out that these rewards won’t really be paid, then they will be less effective.
I guarantee that in the official paperwork of all those that responded - someone signed and wrote that they ID’d themselves as police officers - that they stated he was under arrest - and to surrender — it’s a liability if they didn’t write that out...
per the Park Ranger - I would say the two hostages that Donner had - then one escaped to call the police - also has a claim to that reward...the ones that had a house near the actual Incident HQ...
But, I'm with you. The people that led the cops to him deserve the cash. Without them he may have killed again.