Officials have not yet confirmed whether the body found in a Big Bear, California, cabin was that of accused cop-killer Christopher Dorner.

Authorities say they need time to sift through the remains of a fire set in the cabin on Tuesday and “identification will be attempted through forensic means,” but they do believe the remains are Dorner's.

Earlier reports said authorities had recovered and removed the dead body of ex-Los Angeles police officer Dorner, the man accused of killing three people—including one cop—last week.

Dorner had been on the run for the last week. On Tuesday, police exchanged gunfire with him in Big Bear. Police believe Dorner had barricaded himself in the cabin after the shootout earlier in the day.

Multiple media outlets had reported a "charred body found in rubble of burned cabin in Southern California mountains" was Dorner, who may have died in the cabin.

According to one report:

...police had broken down windows, pumped in tear gas and blasted a loud speaker urging Dorner to surrender. When they got no response, police deployed a vehicle to rip down the walls of the cabin "one by one, like peeling an onion."

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