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CNN Live Today

Crooks Back in Police Custody After Hospitalization

Aired July 12, 2002 - 13:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First this hour, the story that started with a violent arrest in Southern California. Today, the man who recorded the arrest on videotape remains in police custody on an unrelated charge. And, at this hour, activist Al Sharpton is moving in.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez and Charles Feldman are following these stories.

First, to Thelma, in the L.A. suburb of Inglewood -- Thelma.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, there's going to be protest rally that's supposed to begin at anytime now, right here in front of the Inglewood Police Department headquarters. And as I had said, it is going to begin at any time.

I want you to take a look at the -- several dozen people have gathered right behind me. You can see many people holding signs, many of those are made up of members of the media right out here in front of the Inglewood headquarters. Civil rights activists from out of town, like you had mentioned, the Reverend Al Sharpton, an actor, Dick Gregory, are also expected to lead the protests, and the Reverend Martin Luther King III is also expected to be here, and so are members of Donovan Jackson's family, he is the 16-year-old who is on that videotape.

Now, the events on the videotape, of course, the center of this national controversy. Protesters are calling for the immediate dismissal of all four Inglewood police officers who were involved in that incident. Officer Jeremy Morse, who you see on the tape, is on paid administrative leave right now. His attorney told us yesterday that the videotape doesn't tell the whole story. He claims that while Donovan's hands were behind his back in handcuffs, that the teenager grabbed the officer's groin area and wouldn't let go, and that that is why the officer struck the teenager in the face.

Now Inglewood Police Chief Ronald Banks also spoke out yesterday. He says that he is concerned about the tape, and that while he in no way condones excessive use of force, he said that the principals of due process of any one who is being investigated, including the officer, should be safeguarded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RONALD BANKS, CHIEF OF POLICE, INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA: There is no evidence, and I have had no evidence -- and I have said, with my tenure with this department, that this or any other incident is an incident of racial profiling. We serve a heavily minority community. We serve them on a daily basis, well within the guidelines of our policy, and to take this particular incident and characterize it as a -- as an example of racial profiling, to me is unwarranted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTIERREZ: The mayor of Inglewood, who has been very outspoken since the very beginning of this case said that he will not be available for comment today.

Again, he has called for the firing of officer Jeremy Morse. Now, he says that he is going to be meeting with religious leaders and community leaders today to discuss his concerns about the tape, about what occurred, and also to discuss police reforms -- Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Thelma, when you talk to some of these people out there about racial profiling, what do they say to the fact that the officers that surrounded Donovan Jackson, there was a Hispanic officer, a black officer, a white officer. I mean, it was a diverse group of officers.

GUTIERREZ: That's right. That is very true, Kyra. And, you know, we talked to some of the people yesterday, and overwhelmingly there was a sense of calm. Though, while they are outraged about what they saw on the tape, they want to wait to see what happens with the investigation, and they say that overwhelmingly they realize that not all officers are bad.

PHILLIPS: Thelma Gutierrez, live from the demonstrations there. Thank you. Now Charles, let's go over to you. You are talking about Mitchell Crooks, the man who shot that videotape. What's the latest on his arrest?

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest on him is that he's back in jail. He spent some time in the hospital overnight because he says he had some injuries as the result of the arrest, back in jail now. Mitchell Crooks, of course, the young man who took that videotape of the beating. He was arrested yesterday morning right outside CNN's building here in Hollywood, California. His arrest being captured by CNN surveillance cameras outside. The Los Angeles County DA's office saying that the arrest had nothing to do with the case of the beating, or his videotape, but rather that he had two outstanding warrants from Placer County in Northern California on charges ranging from hit-and-run to petty theft. As he was hauled away inside that SUV, you could hear him as we play by this tape, caught by a CNN cameraman screaming to be let go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITCHELL CROOKS, AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER: Help! Help me!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: Now, Mitchell Crooks has repeatedly expressed concern about his handling by police and his fears of what might happen when he goes back to Placer County in Northern California to be arranged on those charges. That might not happen until early next week.

I just spoke, not too long ago, Kyra, with the undersheriff for Placer County, a guy named Steven D'Arcy, who gave me assurances that when Mr. Crooks returns there, he will receive -- and I'm quoting now -- "excellent treatment," and that he will be treated in a fair and humane way -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Charles Feldman in Los Angeles. Thanks, Charles.

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