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CNN Live At Daybreak

Lawyers Representing Some of Seven Chicago Men Accused of Being Part of Frenzied Mob Accusing Police

Aired August 06, 2002 - 05:07   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Lawyers representing some of the seven Chicago men accused of being part of a frenzied mob that beat to death two people in a van last week are now accusing police. The attorneys say the cops rushed to make arrests while the real killers are still at large.

Here's CNN's David Mattingly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It started last Tuesday afternoon with a rented van out of control crashing into the front porch of a Chicago home. Three women on the porch were injured, at the time, one critically. All three were sent to the hospital. But details of what happened next -- a violent, angry mob, the murders of the two men in the van -- are only now becoming clear.

SUPT. TERRY HILLARD, CHICAGO POLICE: That was a simple accident, a simple accident, traffic accident, crash accident. And for a mob to pull these individuals from the vehicle and beat them the way they did, you know, you would think that you was in some Third World country.

MATTINGLY: According to prosecutors, Robert Tucker punched and dragged out of the van the 62-year-old driver, Jack Moore. 16-year- old Antonio Fort allegedly did the same to 49-year-old passenger Antony Stuckey. Prosecutors allege Henry Lawrence joined in the attack, kicking and punching the driver. His brother, Roosevelt Lawrence, allegedly stomping on the passenger. Both men reportedly related to two of the crash victims.

The 16-year-old attacker, along with 20-year-old Lamont Motes, allegedly smashed the driver's head with a block of concrete. Both Moore and Stuckey later died.

QUESTION: How many people were beating these men?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I couldn't even tell you, it was so many. It was so many guys jumping in there.

QUESTION: It was like a crowd?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A crowd of guys. MATTINGLY: In all, seven men were taken into custody. But based on eyewitness accounts, authorities believe more may have been involved. Charges include two counts of first degree murder. The teenager, Antonio Fort, is charged as an adult.

But one defense attorney argues police moved to arrest too quickly, that the real killers may still be loose. Another attorney says his client wasn't involved in the beatings at all, but was instead attending to one of the women struck by the van.

SAM ADAM, JAMES OUSLEY'S ATTORNEY: James Ousley is as innocent of this crime as you and I are. He was simply there only to help the victim.

MATTINGLY: 26-year-old Shani Lawrence was one of the three women injured in the crash. She died shortly after noon Monday of internal injuries. The other two have been released from the hospital.

Meanwhile, a community works to address the tragic outbreak of violence.

ROOSEVELT WATKINS, COMMUNITY PASTOR: Unfortunately we have terrorism right here in our own city, in our own backyard. And we're bringing an end to the terrorism and the violence that's in our community.

MATTINGLY: The seven suspects remain in jail without bond while authorities continue to look for others, possibly as many as 20, from an angry mob that killed two men.

David Mattingly, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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