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Suspects Sought in Miami Police Shooting; Hurricane Humberto Makes Way Inland; President to Announce Plans in Iraq; Air Force Treats Wounded Iraqis
Aired September 13, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Big day at the White House, hours before his prime-time address on an end to the surge in Iraq, President Bush chooses his words carefully.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of surge, Humberto wasn't a hurricane long, just long enough to wallop the Texas Gulf Coast northeast of Galveston.
Hello, everyone, I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And we begin in suburban Miami, where police are looking for one, possibly two, male suspects in a double police shooting. It happened late this morning. And with the latest for us, live from Miami, is CNN's John Zarrella.
John, what do you know?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, I'll tell you, the details are still coming in. What happened is that at some point this morning -- what you're seeing there is this white Honda that police have been looking for. They believe that the suspect or suspects got away in that white Honda. They then abandoned it.
Police are looking for at least one white male, dark-complected, with a beard. He may be armed with a high-powered rifle, some sort of a high-powered weapon.
There are now, we are hearing, at least, four officers that may have been shot. At least two of them have been airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital. At least one male, one female police officer.
We do not know, Don, at this point what sparked this altercation, if it was a random shooting, if, in fact, the police were searching for this individual or individuals.
It happened in the Cutler Bay area. That's way down south, near Homestead, deep south Miami.
At least a dozen units responded immediately. Right now there is an extensive manhunt under way involving multiple police agencies, including the U.S. Customs Service, which is using its Black Hawk helicopter. The FBI has also offered assistance, as well as multiple local police agencies.
So right now, again, the latest news, at -- we are hearing, four officers shot in the south Miami area. Cutler Bay area. And a manhunt, a dragnet, under way right now, to try and find the suspect or suspects involved -- Don.
LEMON: All right, OK, John. And just as you were speaking there, again, a news conference is under way, as well. And, again, confirmation four officers shot. They've also named a suspect in this. But we'll get that information from the press conference, John. So as soon as you get more information, please update us. And thank you for your report.
Those live pictures that you're looking at, courtesy of our affiliate WSVN.
PHILLIPS: Well, it didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but it sure snuck up on a lot of people. Hurricane Humberto, or what's left of it, is now a tropical storm, and it's rumbling through Louisiana and into Mississippi.
That storm surprised a lot of people in Texas with its strength and intensity. At least one person is dead. Tens of thousands have no electricity.
Our Ed Lavandera has an update now from Beaumont, Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hurricane Humberto crashed into southeast Texas in the middle of the night, surprising many people with just how intense this storm was. Many people were aware that there was a storm kind of brewing off the coast here, but no one anticipated that Humberto would arrive here on shore as a Category 1 hurricane.
The strong winds and heavy rains fell for several hours, and there has been, in some areas, some cases of isolated flooding and some downed power lines.
About 100,000 people were left without power for some time. Emergency crews are working to get that back online, and we're told that some people might be without power for a day or so.
But one bit of sad news, in the town of Bridge City, an elderly gentleman was killed when he stepped outside in the middle of the night to see what was going on, and he was hit by some debris. So, there is that sad news to report.
But from what we've heard from other officials around the area of southeast Texas, no other injuries or deaths to report as this storm has quickly moved through this area, well on its way into Louisiana and into -- toward Mississippi and Alabama, as well, later on today.
But many people had worried that this storm would kind of linger over this area of southeast Texas and cause much more significant flooding, but so far that hasn't happened.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Beaumont, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: We're going to have more updates from the Gulf Coast straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, including a live report from High Island, Texas, which took a direct hit from Humberto.
Live pictures right now from our affiliate KTRK.
Chad Myers is in the CNN world headquarters, hurricane headquarters. Hurricane headquarters, severe weather headquarters. It's the everything headquarters for weather, bottom line.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Earthquake or tsunami. Whatever. Whatever matters. If it's science we can come here, and we'll talk about it.
And what happened yesterday was this storm was supposed to hit Galveston Island at a 50-mile-per-hour pace and then die off. Well, it didn't. As it got close to Galveston, about 30 miles away, it turned right and it stayed in the water. It stayed in this water here, High Island, right there. High Island really got on the north side of the eye wall, a little bit farther to the east, and Lake Charles also saw a bunch of this water and this wind, as well.
Now we're losing most of the eye wall. It's now into a tropical storm. It will quickly be down to a tropical depression. But the problem is, it still has an awful lot of moisture with it. All of this Gulf of Mexico moisture going to be coming over New Orleans, Slidell, all the way up into Baton Rouge.
And now we're seeing some of these storms start to pop up east of there. There's Hattiesburg and Biloxi.
So what went on yesterday? How did this happen? Well, it was so close to land, there was no way for the models to really pick it up and tell you what's going on. By 6 p.m., I had the people at the sit room, situation room, saying this could be a hurricane. And by 10 and 11 p.m., we knew it was going to be a hurricane, because it just wasn't hitting land. It was staying away from land and turned to the right.
It was supposed to be there. Well, it missed there and went here. And that's why it was in the water long enough. When you get water like that, Kyra -- it was 87 degrees out there in that water. When you get water and that storm, sitting over it long enough, it got stronger, and that's how it got to be a hurricane and not just a tropical storm -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Got it, Chad. Thanks so much.
And live pictures once again, Chad, we're just getting in from our affiliate. This is High Island, Texas. Actually, tape that we just were able to turn over. KTRK bringing these pictures to us. We are going to have more updates from the Gulf Coast, including a live report from High -- High Island here in Texas, which took a direct hit from Humberto.
LEMON: Accentuate the positive, that's what we're told President Bush will do tonight in a prime-time speech from the Oval Office and shine a light on what he sees as constructive results of the war on Iraq. Naturally, we'll carry it for you live right here on CNN.
But first, let's go to the White House right now and our Elaine Quijano for a preview -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Don.
Well, the speech, you know, has gone through upwards of 20 drafts at last word. President Bush is spending today putting on the finishing touches with his top aides. In fact, a short time ago, the White House released a photo of the president in the Oval Office, sitting down with top aides, including Bill McGurn. He is the president's chief speechwriter.
Now, the president, according to a senior administration official, tonight is expected to reiterate some familiar themes. The president will once more try to make the case that success in Iraq is linked to security for the United States.
And we're told the president, as well, will recap the security and local political progress on the ground in the Al Anbar province of Iraq.
Now, on the heels of that congressional testimony this week, by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the president is also expected to go through those recommendations and sign off on them, including General Petraeus' recommendation for a potential troop drawdown to a pre-surge level of about 135,000, 140,000 or so troops by next July, depending on conditions on the ground.
Democrats, though, say that is hardly a change in strategy. They say it's not a change in policy. They note that the troop levels -- troop levels were already slated to come down, because of limits, Don, on troop rotation -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's Elaine Quijano, thank you for that, Elaine.
Delivering the official Democratic response to the president's speech, Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed. That's expected to last about five minutes and immediately follow the president's address.
Make sure you count on CNN to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of the presidential address tonight. Join us for a special two-hour "SITUATION ROOM", starting at 7 p.m. Eastern. We'll also bring you a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" following the president's address at 9 p.m. That's all right here on CNN.
PHILLIPS: A pile of charges in the West Virginia torture case, and the prosecutor says he'll go for the maximum when it comes to prison time. We'll have the latest.
LEMON: Plus, this new mom is signed up for a nine-hour exam to get her medical license but, she says, the board won't give her enough breaks to breastfeed her baby.
PHILLIPS: And a California surgeon meets his famous patient. We'll hear more about what's ahead for Youssif.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You're looking at live pictures now. This is from our affiliate in Texas, KTRK. This is High Island, Texas, and you can just see the damage there along the coastline where Hurricane Humberto came ashore last night, packing winds, we're told, of up to 80 miles an hour. Heavy rains, of course, causing some flooding.
If you look at these new pictures just in to CNN. Look at all the damage caused there.
This was not supposed to come through and not do much damage, but bring a lot of water with it. But it certainly did some wind damage there, as happens when hurricanes come ashore.
This is, again, High Island, Texas. We have a reporter on the ground there from one of our affiliates, preparing to do a live shot for us. As soon as we get him on the line, we'll bring him to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: Hang onto your wallet, folks. ATM fees are on the rise. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us on who hiked the fee and how to avoid it.
And, Susan, you know, when you do go to an ATM, they warn you about a certain fee, but sometimes you don't realize that there are other fees from your bank, as well.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. Which makes this next story all that much more painful, Kyra.
Bank of America raising its out-of-network fee to 3 bucks, which is a dollar more than what it costs to travel anywhere in the New York City subway. It's also a dollar more than what they used to charge.
That's the fee, of course, you pay when you use an ATM that isn't your own. It used to be $2. So it's a 50 percent hike.
You're likely to run into one of Bank of America's ATMs, because they have 17,000 of them, the largest ATM network in the country.
The hike affects nearly two-thirds of its ATMs at more than 10,000 locations. The bank says the ATMs that are most heavily used by non-account holders, standalone units in airports and shopping malls, will remain at two bucks, a real bargain.
The fee increase quietly rolled out across the country in July and August, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Not so quiet now. What about the other banks? Are they going to match these fees, do you think?
LISOVICZ: Well, so far, no. But I mean, we see it in so many other industries. For instance, the airline industry, right? You get a hike, and everybody goes along.
Industry analysts say it's likely other banks will follow Bank of America's lead. The company itself, B of A, says the fee hike offsets the cost of building that big network.
For those of us who use ATMs frequently, of course, those fees add up. If you pay Bank of America's fee twice a week, that's more than $300 a year. So maybe withdraw more cash when you do, if you've got to use them and hang onto it.
(STOCK REPORT)
LISOVICZ: Coming up, a judge allowing states to determine emission standards. We'll tell you what that may mean for Motor City and your car in the next hour of NEWSROOM.
Kyra and Don, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right, Susan, see you in a little bit.
LEMON: Treating friends and foe alike.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You can become numbed when you keep hearing about casualties of war. But not when you see faces like these. This little Iraq's girl name is Ghofran. She is only 6.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The casualties of war, of every age. Straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: One nineteen Eastern Time right now. Here are three of the stories that we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A huge manhunt under way this hour in south Florida for one, possibly two, suspects in the shooting of four police officers. One suspect is believed to have a high-powered rifle. There's no word yet on the officer's condition.
A Utah jury has been chosen in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs. Seven women and five men will hear the case against Jeffs. He's accused of being an accomplice to rape.
High winds have forced aerial search teams to call off today's manhunt for missing adventurer Steve Fossett. Ground searches will continue, though. Fossett's wife has told officials that her husband was not wearing his watch on the day that he disappeared. His watch has an emergency transmitter.
LEMON: Manhunt under way in a different way for a suspect or suspects who injured four Miami-area police officers. This is in Cutler Blay (sic) -- Bay. Just a short time ago, a police spokesperson talked about a suspect and gave some details in this case. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is his driver's license photo. This is his driver's license photo. I don't have any background information on him just yet. All right, but information that we're getting from -- from our investigation is indicating to us that this is the man we need to talk to as soon as possible. Consider him, again, armed and dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You heard it, police saying he's armed and dangerous.
Just to give you a little bit of background. Four Miami-Dade County police officers shot by a gunman, a gunman, who is still on the loose, as you heard there. We're going to continue to update you on this developing story throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: President Bush addressing the nation tonight. His prime-time speech focusing on Iraq. Specifically, what the administration calls bottom-up political progress.
The president will argue that progress is being made in Iraq, and now is the time to build on it. He's also expected to announce the withdrawal of some 30,000 U.S. troops by next summer.
Critics say that's nothing to celebrate. They say it merely reduces troop numbers to what they were at the beginning of the year, before the so-called surge.
LEMON: And if you're wounded in northern Iraq and you're lucky, you'll be treated at the U.S. Air Force base hospital at Ballad Air Base. Medics there treat anybody and everybody who makes it through the doors. And 98 out of 100, well, they survive.
CNN's Gary Tuchman paid a visit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): You can become numbed when you keep hearing about casualties of war, but not when you see faces like these.
This little Iraqi girl's name is Ghofran. She is only 6. She was in front of her house when her world changed. Moyaed Hamid is her uncle.
MOYAED HAMID, GHOFRAN'S UNCLE (through translator): An IED was thrown at the police. Nothing happened to them. It hit her. Her leg was amputated.
TUCHMAN (on camera): What is your name? Nice to meet you.
(voice-over) Kawther is 7. She was shot in her left leg. Her uncle says she was purposely targeted because he is an Iraqi cop.
AHMAD ATYA, KAWTHER'S UNCLE (through translator): The terrorists shot her. The al Qaeda organization.
TUCHMAN: These wounded children, including patients like this young boy whose family's whereabouts are unknown, are all at the Air Force theater hospital at the Balad Air Base in Iraq, a facility surrounded by a 15-foot-high wall to thwart attacks.
COL. PATRICK STORMS, AIR FORCE HOSPITAL COMMANDER: We're the largest health care facility in the theater of operations.
TUCHMAN: On this day the hospital has mostly wounded Iraqi civilians. Like this 14-month-old toddler, burned over 45 percent of his body.
MAHFOUDHA MUHAMMED, AHMAD'S GRANDMOTHER (through translator): I love him so much, so dearly. He's just a baby.
TUCHMAN: And this 11-year-old boy, who cries out for water he can't have yet because of a bowel injury.
The hospital also has, as you would expect, wounded American troops. Army Private Paul Cardwell of Arkansas had an explosive thrown near his face. He's only 18.
(on camera) Did you ever see anything?
PFC. PAUL CARDWELL, U.S. ARMY: No. No. You don't see it. You don't. It just happens.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): There is 24-hour armed security here, mainly because of one other type of patient, detainees. Insurgents are regularly brought here for medical care, too.
During our visit, two badly wounded Iraqi men were choppered in. Doctors say they didn't know if these men were insurgents or not. Medical care comes first, they say.
For one of the patients...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's got a gunshot wound low here in his -- in his abdomen.
TUCHMAN: For the other patient...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to need an amputation. TUCHMAN: The amputation takes place within minutes. Both men are expected to live.
STORMS: Survival rate is 98 percent. We're pretty proud of that.
TUCHMAN: The stories we hear are harrowing. Eight-year-old Abdul was shot in the arm during a gunfight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He was shot by the Americans.
TUCHMAN: But Abdul's uncle says he accepts their apologies for the accident.
Just before we leave the hospital, we say good-bye to our new friend, Kawther.
(on camera) Salaam.
(voice-over) Doctors say Kawther could be well enough soon to return to the same house where she was shot.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Balad, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Make sure you count on CNN to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of the presidential address tonight. Join us for a special two-hour "SITUATION ROOM" starting at 7 p.m. Eastern.
We'll also bring you a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" following the president's address at 9 Eastern. That's all tonight, right here on CNN.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, a string of charges in a West Virginia torture case, and the prosecutor says he'll go for the maximum when it comes to prison time. We're going to have the latest, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips.
Humberto is downgraded to a tropical storm. But it's claimed at least one life in Texas and left plenty of damage.
LEMON: And it's not over yet. The severe weather center has the very latest for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We will get to the storm in a moment, but first, we have an update for you on that suspect in the Florida shooting of Miami-Dade police officers. We're being told -- just got this information a short time ago -- that is the suspect. His name is Kevin Wehner. And police are saying there in a press conference just a bit ago that he is armed and dangerous and still on the loose.
They have a huge perimeter set up. They've also asked people to leave their homes and to not be anywhere near this suspect. And if they know him, they should turn him in.
They say there will be a number of hours before people will be allowed to get back into the area and back into their homes. They have a huge perimeter set off.
But four Miami-Dade County police officers have been shot by this gunman, according to police, who is still on the loose.
Now, here's what they say happened. Officers were on burglary/surveillance detail. They saw a vehicle driving erratically, attempted to stop that vehicle. The subject got out of the car and shot at the officers and then drove off. And police say that they believe they have the suspect's vehicle and also a weapon in their custody. But, again, still no suspect.
They're looking for that man that we showed you just a moment ago. Kevin Wehner. They're not -- they're also not telling us the conditions of the officers.
But you can see that huge perimeter. The SWAT Team on the scene and all the resources they have available down in Miami in the Miami- Dade area to look for Kevin Wehner.
We'll continue to update you on this developing story throughout the afternoon here in the CNN NEWSROOM -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, Humberto is a tropical storm again, having briefly and surprisingly mustered hurricane strength just before crashing into Texas. Our reporter from our Texas affiliate KTRK was in the thick of it overnight as it hit land just northeast of Galveston.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAYNE DOLCEFINO, NEAR CRYSTAL BEACH, TEXAS: We think this is ground zero, Gilchrist, just between Crystal Beach and High Island. The worst wind and rain we've seen. The power is out. The only light, our floodlight, shining on me as I try to stand just up Highway 87. The wind and the rain, the rain really starting to sting as it comes ashore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Humberto grew from a tropical depression to a category-one hurricane with record speed. Even as it weakens, it could dump more than a foot of rain over parts of already soggy Texas and Louisiana. Now, Louisiana's governor has already declared a state of emergency. Some areas in Humberto's path were devastated by Hurricane Rita in 2005. And we're getting word that Governor Rick Perry has declared three southeast Texas counties disaster areas as a result of Hurricane Humberto. High Island there is just one of them.
Now, let's find out what kind of damage Humberto did leave along the Texas coast. Lee Crowder joins me by phone from High Island, Texas. He's with the Roads and Bridges Department in Galveston County where that storm came ashore.
Lee, give us an update on the damage.
LEE CROWDER, GALVESTON CO. ROAD & BRIDGES: Kyra, we have a number of downed trees in this High Island area. We also have damage to residential properties, missing roofs, houses shifted off their foundations.
PHILLIPS: How many people live in that area, Lee?
CROWDER: I think, approximately about 1, 200 to 1, 500.
PHILLIPS: Twelve-hundred to 1, 500. Is everybody OK? Is everybody accounted for at this point? Any injuries?
CROWDER: We don't have any reports of injuries at this time.
PHILLIPS: What about rescues? Did you have to carry out any rescues?
CROWDER: No, no reports of rescues at this time.
PHILLIPS: Really? So everything is -- I mean, we're looking at the high waters right now. We've got video in there of High Island from KHOU, one of our affiliates out of Houston. And it looks pretty bad. So folks were able to get out of their homes and areas once the water started rising?
CROWDER: Right. Well, High Island is actually a salt dome. It's 32, feet elevation above sea level, so there's not much high water here in High Island, just a lot of wind damage.
PHILLIPS: OK, so the water we're seeing is just minor flooding then, because I'm seeing some cars underwater and water coming up on some of the buildings, and some of these homes and some of these trailers.
CROWDER: That may be another location that you're looking at.
PHILLIPS: So we may not be looking at -- OK, now we're looking at High Island. And you're right, it looks a lot drier, a lot less water in that area. I apologize for that.
CROWDER: OK.
PHILLIPS: Well, tell us, what about electricity, just basically the needs of people. Is everything up and running?
CROWDER: No, there is no electricity. The power crews are here trying to clear the downed power lines that are on the highway, to open the highway to the rest of the Bolivar Peninsula. And there is no power, and they're estimating three to four days without power.
PHILLIPS: Is that your biggest issue, three to four days without power?
CROWDER: Yes are that's the biggest issue.
PHILLIPS: Well, what are you doing for folks -- are the able to -- how will individuals there living, the 1,200 to 1,500 individuals, be able to go forward without electricity? I mean, with regard to those on medical care, maybe the elderly, how are you responding to those people?
CROWDER: Right, the Red Cross is going to move in -- for us to help with that type of -- those type of issues, food and things for people. And most -- you know, most people here now are just trying to clean up after this mess.
PHILLIPS: All right, Lee Crowder with the Roads and Bridges Department there in Galveston County. Lee, thanks for your time.
CROWDER: Thank you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: And if you're being soaked by Humberto, well -- or you know someone who is, send us an i-report please. Go to CNN.com and click on i-report, or type i-report at CNN.com right into your cell phone and share your photos and your videos. But remember, your safety comes first. Avoid any dangerous storm situations, please.
PHILLIPS: For now, federal Prosecutors won't file any charges against six people accused of kidnapping and torturing a young woman in west Virginia. They say the state charges already filed already carry stiffer penalties than federal law. But the investigation case is far from over.
Here's CNN's Deborah Feyerick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one understands how 20-year-old Megan Williams could possibly have become a victim of these six men and women. Police say the group allegedly kidnapped, raped, stabbed and tortured and the West Virginian women over a week's time.
CARMEN WILLIAMS, VICTIM'S MOTHER: She wakes up crying, and the first thing she hollered is mommy.
FEYERICK: Local authorities are investigating what role race may have played in the alleged attacks -- Megan Williams is black, her alleged attackers are white. Officially say one suspect who butchered the victim's hair also made repeated racial slurs. WILLIAMS: I don't understand how anyone could go through the lengths they did, you know, things that they done to my daughter, just horrified.
FEYERICK (on camera): There are allegations that she was forced to eat rat and doing feces.
BRIAN ABRAHAM, LOGAN COUNTY PROSECUTOR: It's just something -- it's hard to imagine. It's something you would hear in a horror movie, not expect to see in Logan County.
(voice-over): All of the suspects had many prior run-ins with police, including 49-year-old Frankie Brewster, who served five years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. All are in jail pending formal charges. None have made statements. Chief prosecutor Brian Abraham says he is seeking maximum prison time, up to life, for the allegations of kidnapping.
ABRAHAM: She was subjected to what would be unendurable torture down there.
FEYERICK: The prosecutor says Williams had been to this house before, and she may have been romantically involved with one of the suspects, Bobby Brewster. Back in July he was charged with beating her. In these latest allegations police say Brewster raped Williams, forced her to lick blood, drink from the toilet, and told his mother Frankie to kill Williams if she tried to escape.
Defense attorney Joe Spradling has represented two of the suspects in the past.
JOE SPRADLING, DEFENSE ATTY.: I think there's some racial components, but the biggest factor is drugs.
FEYERICK (on camera): The nightmare ended when sheriff deputies were tipped off by an anonymous caller. According to the criminal complaint, when they got here, they found Frankie Brewster sitting on the porch of her trailer home. She told them she was alone. But then one of the officers noticed the victim inside limping toward the door, pleading for help.
(voice-over): Carmen Williams had not reported her daughter missing, saying she often disappeared for weeks at a time. Megan Williams who went public with the attack as a warning to others is trying to recover as best she can.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Logan, West Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Primetime from the Oval Office. President Bush speaks to the nation on troops in Iraq, progress in Iraq and the U.S. future in Iraq. Our John Roberts just came from a White House briefing on what we can expect to hear -- John.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN AMERICAN MORNING ANCHOR: Hey, good afternoon to you, Don.
Just came from about an hour-and-a-half long lunch in the state dining room with the president along with the vice president, his closest aides.
I can tell you (INAUDIBLE) he's going to be talking about tonight. I guess the major headline is the fact that he says he's going to accept the plans that General Petraeus recommended. That's not really a secret. The president will announce that (INAUDIBLE) 2,200 Marines. That will happen very soon. And then another 5,700 troops, a brigade's worth, by mid-December. And then contingent to conditions on the ground will be able to bring home the rest of the troops that have been in this so-called (INAUDIBLE) by next (INAUDIBLE). You heard from General Petraeus in the congressional hearings Monday and Tuesday of this week. And the president will not go beyond that to talk about what would happen to the remaining 130,000 troops, how long they would stay in Iraq or at what levels U.S. forces will have to stay there.
But it does appear clear that the president is going to be talking tonight about a long-term commitment in Iraq. People familiar with the president's thinking say he will say in his speech tonight that Iraq has been asking for dialogue on a long-term strategic relationship with the United States. This is another big headline to come out of his speech tonight. That would mean that U.S. troops could stay in Iraq for the foreseeable future.
Now, at what level, that's unknown. The president believed to be sort of looking at the Korean model, the South Korean model, in which there was some 38,000 troops for decades stationed there right along the DMZ between North and South Korea and that they could be staying in Iraq for some time to come.
The president will also suggest tonight that this is not him being forced to do this, that he was not forced to accept the recommendations of General Petraeus. He could have gone against them if he wanted, though critics have said while the president had to pull those troops out at some point in time, that the president fully believes, though, that if he needed to have those troops there for longer than General Petraeus is recommending, he could by drawing on the guard and reserves.
And it's also clear, Don, that the president was really, really ticked off earlier this week by that moveon.org ad that appeared in the "New York Times," that's called General Petraeus General Betray Us, saying that he's cooking the books for the United States. People who've been talking with the president suggest that he thinks that it's disgraceful that something like that ended up in the "New York Times." Also very clear that the president does not like Congress telling the military or him what to do.
So, tonight you're going to see a very forceful speech of the president saying, I'm listening to my commander on the ground. This is what he has recommended. I don't have to accept his recommendations, but who else's recommendations would you accept? General Petraeus is probably one of the most trusted generals in the military.
It's clear, Don, that the president has full faith in him, that he is accepting these recommendations. But certainly, this speech is not going to satisfy the president's critics, who will say that all they're doing is they're waiting another ten months and then going exactly back to where they were ten months ago -- Don?
LEMON: And John, I know you've covered the White House administrations for years. I'm just wondering with much -- everything that's been sort of made up, or made of, I should say, General Petraeus and also Ambassador Crocker's testimony and what they were going to say to that joint committee, I wonder if the administration and the president, that they get a sense that this is one of the most important speeches he's going to deliver about Iraq?
ROBERTS: I believe that the president fully believes that this is a damn important speech and one that he feels it's very important to give. And, of course, politically, it's very important to give, because he has a lot of Republicans who were sitting on the fence here.
They were back in June and July considering their options as to whether or not they would go over and start to sign on to some Democratic legislation in terms of setting a deadline or at least some sort of timetable for troop pullouts. It looks that some of those Republicans had been placated by what General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker said earlier this week.
But they're still not really happy. They need something better than that to take to their constituents because there is a growing sense in this country that this war was not worth it, that the U.S. should get out as soon as it can.
So, the president going out tonight and talking about this idea of being able to pull down some troops but also deciding at the same time a long-term, measured in years, if not decades, of a military commitment to Iraq certainly is going to be met with a lot of mixed reviews, Don.
LEMON: CNN's John Roberts, thank you very much for that report.
And John, we want to remind our viewers you can count on CNN to bring you the very latest comprehensive coverage of the president's address tonight. Make sure you tune in 7:00 p.m. Eastern for a special two-hour "SITUATION ROOM" and, of course, "LARRY KING" after that, all right here on CNN.
PHILLIPS: Straight to Miami, the mayor, Carlos Alvarez talking about the suspect at large that fired upon four officers. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
MAYOR CARLOS ALVAREZ, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: ...and we are looking, we are currently looking for the suspect. He fled the scene in a white vehicle, which we have a secondary scene in the area of approximately 201 Street and about 137th Avenue.
We've got a number of scenes going on at the present time. We've got a number of agencies that are working with us, FDLE, the city of Miami, BSO, a number, Homestead School Board. So, we need to -- we need the people -- the community's assistance, and in trying to locate this extremely dangerous individual that's still on the loose. I can tell you that at the other scene, we recovered a -- a car and a firearm. Unknown if he's got other firearms.
But he is to be considered extremely dangerous. Obviously, he was involved in a shooting with at least four police officers and he shot four of them. So, we need the public's assistance.
QUESTION: Mr. Mayor, could you tell us the condition of the police officers who were wounded, please?
ALVAREZ: Michael, at this point in time, we are trying to notify all the families of the four officers involved. And before we do that, we do not want to comment on any of the -- on any of their conditions.
QUESTION: Mayor, as a former police director and now the mayor, can you describe this -- this morning's view and how intense the situation was being pursued (ph)?
ALVAREZ: Well, it's horrible. And like I've been saying, and Director Parker, we've worked together for almost 30 years, and, you know, it's the worse possible feeling that you can -- you can have, to hear that not one, but four, police officers have been shot. And the initial information from the -- from the onset was that they were shot with some sort of a rifle, assault rifle, whatever you may.
So, it's a terrible feeling. It's gut-wrenching. It makes you sick to your stomach. And ...
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) determination to get this guy?
ALVAREZ: Absolutely, and I can tell you that all the resources of the Miami-Dade police department, all the resources of Miami-Dade County, and we will be asking for assistance from every police agency in south Florida, to make sure, again, that this individual that we're looking for is apprehended as soon as possible.
QUESTION: Director Parker, could we ask you for some comments? These are men who are loyal to you, served the public, and now they are in serious condition.
DIRECTOR ROBERT PARKER, MDPD: Absolutely. It's a horrible event for this community, for any community whenever you would assault a police officer who's out performing his duty.
As you know, when we have issues like burglaries, we try and be very reactive to that, and that's what these officers were doing, they were performing their duties, when they were assaulted by this individual. It's the kind of an issue that, of course, when you receive notification, you say that it is not true in your mind. But calls like that are not received as anything other than the actual event. So you -- you would doubt it for a second or two. But, unfortunately, it is the case today that we've had four of our police officers shot.
QUESTION: Director Parker, we know, because we ran in through the common -- or the police records, that he had some driving offenses. What about more serious criminal records?
PARKER: I'm not at liberty to comment regarding his specific offenses. To my knowledge, it's not anything beyond traffic here in this county. Of course, we have more checking to do in terms of his total background. But I'm not aware of his being wanted for anything or any specific concern regarding this individual.
QUESTION: Commissioner Dennis Moss, this is your district, and these police officers were trying to protect your constituents.
DENNIS MOSS, COMMISSIONER: Absolutely. And they were really responding to concerns that we've heard throughout the community in reference to increased burglaries and those kind of things, and so they were out here doing their job.
It is a very sad day for Miami-Dade County. And what I would ask is that the public, at this particular point in time, come forward and help us make sure that we can apprehend this particular individual. We want him very, very badly.
QUESTION: (SPEAKING SPANISH)
ALVAREZ: (SPEAKING SPANISH)
PHILLIPS: You're listening -- you've been listening to Carlos Alvarez, the Miami-Dade mayor, briefing reporters on the situation right now.
Here's what we can tell you. Four officers have been shot. One definitely identified as a female. She is in surgery right now at a local hospital, and the suspect, this man, Kevin Wehner, black male, 30-years-old, is on the loose, considered to be armed and dangerous.
Apparently, officers on a burglary surveillance detail saw a vehicle driving erratically. They attempted to stop that car. The subject got out and started shooting at the officers and drove off. The mayor saying they believe he fled in a white vehicle. That's all they know at this point, but they were able to recover his other car, plus his weapon.
So, now, four officers shot there in Miami-Dade. Kevin Wehner, black male, 30-years-old, the suspect on the loose. Police looking for him right now.
LEMON: We'll continue to update you on that one.
And fake air pollution is just bad for your lungs. Turns out it's also -- could be dangerous for your heart, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Sad news out of Florida right now. We just got word that one of those officers that was shot by a suspect that's still on the loose has died. Three others still being treated at this time. We just heard from the mayor, this is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALVAREZ: Just been informed that one of the officers involved in the shooting incident, one of the crime prevention unit officers assigned to Cutler Ridge, one of the officers that was shot, has passed away. We've been informed of that now. I'm not going to identify the officer at this point in time, but that just makes it even more important that we get the information out about this man so that we can locate him and arrest him as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And this is the man that the mayor is talking about, Kevin Wehner, 30-year-old black male. Police are looking for him at this time. We were just able to get his picture.
Apparently, officers were on a burglary surveillance detail. They saw a vehicle that was driving erratically. Inside that vehicle was this man. They attempted to stop him, he got out of the car, started shooting. He was able to hit four officers. One we are told now has passed. Three other officers possibly fighting for their lives. We know that one officer was definitely a female. She had been taken to the hospital, was in surgery.
Now, police on the lookout for a man they believed to be armed and dangerous, this man, 30-year-old Kevin Wehner. We're going to continue to follow this story for you throughout the newscast.
LEMON: Now, a story that affects a lot of people and their health. Medical news now. You may want to think twice about exercising outside. A lot of people do, at least in the high-traffic areas. You want to think twice about that.
A new study shows exposure to exhaust, it could be bad for your heart. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We all know instinctively that living in a polluted city is bad for us, but did you know that even just being out in pollution for an hour can be bad for your lungs and also for your heart?
That's what researchers found when they simulated a polluted city street in their lab. Then, they took men who had had heart attacks and had them run for an hour. And what they found was that that polluted air stressed out men's hearts. In fact, it nearly tripled the amount of stress on these men's hearts. And the researchers think that these holdings would hold true for women and also to some extent, to healthy men.
Now, it doesn't really matter in some ways who you are, but it really does matter where you live. The American Lung Association has come out with the list of the most polluted cities. And here's the list, number one in the United States, L.A. Probably not a surprise to the people who live there. No. 2, Pittsburgh, no. 3, Bakersfield, and tied for fourth, Birmingham and Detroit.
Now, people in those cities, or really in any polluted cities, can take steps. It's obviously a great thing to exercise. Try exercising early in the morning or late at night when there aren't so many cars on the street. You can also exercise indoors where it won't be polluted. And another thought is that you can exercise on streets where it's not quite so crowded.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much.
And should a breastfeeding mom be allowed extra time to take her medical board exam? A judge in Massachusetts will decide. Sophie Currier filed a lawsuit after the National Board of Medical Examiners denied her request. The Harvard med school graduate says the standard 45-minute break just isn't enough over a nine-hour exam. Currier's already receiving special accommodations for dyslexia and ADHD under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She's being allowed to take the exam over 2 days instead of one. But she still wants an extra hour each day to pump milk.
LEMON: And developing news out of Miami, Florida, one of four county police officers there injured by a suspect has died. One officer has died. That is according to the mayor. We just heard from him moments ago.
Police were on a surveillance detail when they noticed this man they say, driving erratically and then he got out of the car and opened fire, injuring four officers and now, killing one.
Details on this developing story, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: CNN has learned one suburban Miami police officer is now dead after a shootout with a suspect who is still on the loose.
For the very latest on this, let's go to CNN's John Zarrella -- John?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, that's exactly right.
Just a few moments ago, the Miami-Dade mayor, Carlos Alvarez, confirmed that one of the four officers shot in a confrontation with a suspect has, in fact, died at a local hospital. One other officer we know of, who is at Baptist Hospital, is reportedly in good condition, and may well be released today, at some point later this afternoon.
Now, this is a picture of the man that they are looking for. He's 30 or 31-years-old. His name is Kevin Wehner. And Wehner is believed to be the man who shot at police just a few hours ago. Police were involved in surveillance, a burglary surveillance down in the south Miami area, when they came upon a vehicle, and that vehicle was moving erratically. So, they stopped it, and that's when everything broke loose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA O'BRIEN, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: The subject got out of the vehicle, started to shoot at the officers. The subject then fled in the vehicle. I don't have confirmation yet, but we think that we do have the vehicle in our possession at this time, and a weapon. However, that does not preclude the fact that this individual may have a second weapon.
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