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Four Police Officers Shot in Miami; President Bush Set to Address the Nation
Aired September 13, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It had to happen sometime. The first hurricane to hit the U.S. in two years may not be big, but Humberto is sneaky, shifty, and deadly.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Officers down in suburban Miami. Four gunned down at a stakeout. One has now died. An armed and dangerous suspect still on the loose.
Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: A massive search in suburban Miami for a man who shot four police officers. Just a little over an hour ago, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez announced that one of the officers has died. There's at least one suspect and authorities have his name and photograph.
With the latest, live from Miami, CNN's John Zarrella.
John, what more do we know?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Kyra, well, certainly, the worst possible news coming today, just a little while ago, as you mentioned that one of the officers has, in fact, died. Another one of the officers, we believe, is in good condition at Baptist Hospital. May be released later this afternoon. We do not know the conditions of the other two.
But just a few minutes ago, police released a new photograph of the man they want to question in connection with the shooting, and shootings of the four officers. His name is Kevin Wehner. He is 30 or 31 years old. He lived in the south Miami area. In and around cutler bay. That's the photograph right there of Kevin Wehner.
He is 30 or 31 years old. He lived in the south Miami area in and around Cutler Bay. That's the phone right of Kevin Wehner, the man they want to talk to. And there is an extensive manhunt out for him at this hour. Agencies, multiple agencies, including federal agencies, the FBI, and the United States Customs Service, involved in this manhunt.
Now, what happened was that police down in Cutler Bay, Miami Metro Dade Police, were involved in what is called a burglary surveillance. There had been some problems with burglaries in the area. They noticed a suspicious vehicle, and at that point they tried to stop the vehicle. And that's when the shooting apparently broke out.
They say that Wehner may have used a high-powered rifle and may still be armed and dangerous. Now, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez talked about just how difficult a day this has become.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS ALVAREZ, MAYOR OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA: It's gut- wrenching. It makes you sick to your stomach.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... determination to get this guy?
ALVAREZ: Absolutely. And I can tell you that all the resources of 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Police say this manhunt is including at least 200 police officers, from all over south Miami, and we understand the Broward Sheriff's Office is also now involved, sending in some of their own police officers to assist in the search. The Florida Turnpike has been closed off in parts.
So, a lot of spots down in south Miami, near the Homestead area, are completely cordoned off and shut down. And the word to residents is, if you know this guy, if you have seen him, please, please, turn him in, let us know what you know. Otherwise, if you're in this area, be very, very careful. Stay behind closed doors and keep your doors locked, because, as police are saying, if he shot at us, he's going to shoot at you -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: John, obviously we're getting the name a little bit different now. It's Kevin Wehner, not Wehner. What about the age? We had been saying he was 30 years old. Do we still believe that he's 30?
ZARRELLA: Thirty or 31 years old. Believe his birth date is some time in November, I believe, is when -- his birth date . And, yes, it's spelled W-E-H-N-E-R. But it's pronounced Wehner.
So, that's where the discrepancy was. But, yes, definitely it is pronounced Kevin Wehner, 30 or 31 years old -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Got it. All right, John Zarrella out of Miami. We will keep tracking it. Thanks, John.
LEMON: Prime time 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 sat in on a pre-speech briefing today at the White House. And he joins us now to tell us about that.
Hi, John.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: In fact, Don, myself and a number of other journalists had lunch with the president and vice president today in the private residence. It was an interesting hour-and-a-half session that we spent with him.
And we found out that there's really going to be a couple of headlines, big headlines, out of tonight's speech. One will be the fact that the president is accepting the recommendations of the Petraeus report. And he's going to detail the drawdowns, 2,200 Marines to begin coming out almost immediately. Further to that, there will be 5,700 soldiers coming out -- that will be a brigade's worth -- probably some time in mid-December. He said that it would probably be some time around before Christmas, I believe.
And then the president will also announce that the rest of the brigades that were involved in the so-called surge operation, that extra 30,000 troops on top of the 130,000 already in Iraq, will come out in mid-July. No real surprise there.
We had heard that the president was ready to accept those recommendations from General Petraeus. But what is interesting is that the president will strongly tilt toward this idea tonight in the speech that the military engagement in Iraq is not going to end with his presidency, that this is going to go on well beyond 2008.
In fact, the president will say tonight in his speech that Iraq has requested dialogue with the United States about a long-term strategic relationship, which would see a contingent of U.S. forces stay on the ground in Iraq for years, if not decades, to come.
Sources close to the president say that he's thinking along the idea of the South Korea model, where we had some 40,000 troops stationed along that border from 1954 on. And while the number has been reduced slightly, still a lot of U.S. forces there. The president believes that it's important to maintain a U.S. presence on the ground in Iraq, to give security to the Iraqi people, as they try to build their future, to calm unease among Sunni countries, and to serve as an effective counterweight against Iran.
You will remember, Don, that for decades Saddam Hussein was that effective counterweight against Iran. Now it looks as though U.S. forces are going to play that role. Certainly there has been a lot of criticism that, in doing this, in announcing that the surge, the so- called surge, will be peeled back, the original force that was there, before January of this year, that we're just waiting another 10 months to go back to where we were 10 months before.
The president is trying to push back against that, saying that there is success on the ground there and that there will be the number of troops on the ground in Iraq necessary for continued success. He's really trying to win over some queasy Republicans who you will remember a couple months ago were thinking about siding with the Democrats in terms of setting a timetable for troop withdrawal.
The president is effectively doing that with the surge forces. But he will not be doing that in terms of the 130,000 troops who will stay on the ground. Certainly opponents of the president's plans there are going to see this speech as nothing new. There's going to be immense criticism of it. It remains to seen how those fence- sitting Republicans are going to react to what we see tonight -- Don.
LEMON: And, John, before we let you go, obviously a very serious subject for a lot of folks. We have to know. When you said that you had lunch with the president, all I heard behind me, was what did they eat? What was on the menu?
(LAUGHTER)
ROBERTS: Well, it started off with a -- you know, I wasn't really paying too much attention because I was listening to the conversation more than anything.
It started off with a corn bisque. Then there was something that looked like it was perhaps a pork tenderloin with a little bit of lobster thrown in. And there was a really interesting chocolate thing is what I will call it for dessert.
But, yes, it was really enjoyable. There were probably about 10 or 12 of us there. And it's always good to spend time one-on-one with the president and his aides and the vice president and get a real sense of what he's thinking going forward. It helps to lend a lot of context to it.
But I can tell you, Don, that this speech tonight is not going to placate Democrats at all.
LEMON: Yes.
ROBERTS: In fact, it may just further their resolve. But one thing that we did learn today is that the president is really hot about this ad that was in "The New York Times" the other day...
LEMON: The "Betray Us" ad.
ROBERTS: ... which said "General Petraeus, General Betray Us."
LEMON: Yes.
ROBERTS: In fact, the word that was kicked around the table by people close to the president was despicable, can't believe that that crap ended up in "The New York Times."
LEMON: Yes, that's been getting a lot of play on the news and also on the blogs and Web sites as well.
John, always appreciate it. Thank you so much for your report.
ROBERTS: All right, Don. We will see you.
LEMON: In the meantime, we have some new numbers for you showing what Americans think about how the president is handling his job.
A new CNN/Opinion Research poll has the president's approval rating at 36 percent, same as it was a month ago; 61 percent disapprove. Thirty-four percent believe the president's policies would move the country in the right direction; 61 percent disagree. Democrats in Congress fare better.; 50 percent believe their policies would move the country in the right direction; 39 percent disagree.
And you can 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 7:00 Eastern. We will also bring you a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" following the president's address at 9:00 Eastern.
That's all tonight, right here on CNN.
PHILLIPS: Strong winds are stalling the hunt for Steve Fossett. Rescue officials have suspended flights over the Western Nevada desert where the search is primarily focused. They are hoping to be in the air again tomorrow. Ground teams are still on the job. Several recent tips apparently haven't panned out. And, today, officials announced that Fossett's wife, Peggy, told them Fossett was not wearing his watch September 3 when he left in that single-engine plane. That watch has an emergency transmitter.
Now, it showed up practically unannounced and now it's decided to stay a while. Hurricane Humberto is now a tropical storm dumping rain on Louisiana and Mississippi. Overnight, it was quite a different story. The Category 1 storm blew into southeast Texas knocking out power and flooding streets. One person is confirmed dead. Top winds were clocked at 80 miles an hour. There were no evacuations, so people in the storm's path had to hunker down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were all home. Yes, we were all asleep in bed. And, all of a sudden, it sounded like a freight train running through here.
I mean, it was just like the whole house was shaking. It was just awful. We thought the windows were fixing to come in on us. And, I mean, we just tried to hover, you know, in the safest place in the house until it would stop. And it just didn't seem to stop. It just didn't stop for, like, two hours. And when lightning would strike, that's when we could see outside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, if you're being soaked by Humberto or you know someone who is, just send us an I-Report. Go to CNN.com. Click on I- Report or type in ireport@CNN.com into your cell phone. You can share your photos or your video. But, remember, your safety comes first. Please avoid any dangerous situations in the storm.
LEMON: A California surgeon meets his famous patient. We will hear more about what's ahead for Youssif. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
CNN's Jack Cafferty always outspoken, always opinionated. But you have never seen this side of him. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, Jack takes a break from "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us about his revealing new venture. You don't want to miss that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: He's believed to be the brains of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, declared an enemy combatant by the United States and locked up indefinitely. Well, today, we're getting a multimedia peek inside the Pentagon process that put him there. And we hear his words on a newly released tape.
And CNN's justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, has all the details for us.
Hi, Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Don.
You know, this happens after months of debate. The Pentagon finally releasing this very heavily censored audiotape featuring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He is the so-called mastermind of the September 11 attacks.
Now, he was speaking at a military hearing to determine whether he could be called an enemy combatant. And on the tape, you hear him arguing the case for other detainees that he said shouldn't be at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay. Listen in.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, FORMER AL QAEDA LEADER: You have to be fair with people. There are many, many people which they have never been a part of the Taliban. Afghanistan, there have been many people arrested for example people who have been arrested after October 2001 after make attack against Afghanistan many of them just arrive after they don't what has happen.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ARENA: Now, through a representative, you hear Mohammed's confession to some of the most horrific acts committed by al Qaeda, including the murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Danny Pearl, assassination attempts on several American presidents and, of course, the September 11 attacks.
But what you don't hear is Mohammed himself admitting what he did or even his justification for doing it. Now, the Pentagon says that the tape is censored so that it can't be used to recruit or encourage future terrorists. But Mohammed also alleges that he was mistreated while he was in custody. And the details about that are cut out as well, both on this new audiotape and also on a previous released written transcript. And critics say, you know, wait a minute. That's more about protecting the administration from embarrassment than it is about national security -- Don.
LEMON: Kelli Arena, thank you.
ARENA: You're welcome.
PHILLIPS: Well, "THE SITUATION ROOM"'s Jack Cafferty, quick, with strong opinions and cynical jabs. Did you know that he started all that mouthing off as an altar boy? Yes, this innocent face was an altar boy.
He's written a revealing new book, and he's going to tell us all about it. Oh, good he smiled. I'm not so nervous now -- straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, for the millions of you who watch our beloved Jack Cafferty on CNN's "THE SITUATION ROOM," you probably assume that he is angry by nature.
Well, let me clarify something for you. Jack is not angry. But he is cranky, cynical and sarcastic. And he will admit it. Just go to page 184 in his new book, "It's Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America."
And, quite honestly, I can't believe CNN allowed Jack to be so candid, so raw, so uncensored. But that's our Jack. And it just wouldn't be right if he wrote a Harlequin romance novel instead.
(LAUGHTER)
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Well...
PHILLIPS: Jack joins us live from New York.
Good to see you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Kyra. Nice to be with you.
PHILLIPS: And I am sorry that you were forced to do this. But I promise you, we will attempt to have some fun.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: At least your book was very fun to read.
CAFFERTY: Well, I'm glad you read it. A lot of people that do these author interviews never bother to look at the book. So, I appreciate that.
PHILLIPS: Absolutely. And I told you last night that I couldn't put it down. And I think one thing that surprised me, of course, was how uncensored you were allowed to be. There was a time, Jack, where you were not allowed to say these types of things that you say on the air or even in this book. So, what happened?
CAFFERTY: Oh, I don't know that that's true. Nothing that I say certainly about the politicians that are failing us so miserably in Washington, D.C., is -- is grounds for any sort of libel action.
The truth is its own defense. And these people are, for the most part, pretty worthless.
PHILLIPS: Pretty worthless?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Now, you get a lot of e-mail from people that feel betrayed.
CAFFERTY: I do.
PHILLIPS: Betrayed by the system, betrayed by politicians, betrayed by specific leaders. Does that fuel your fire?
CAFFERTY: No. It's a kind of a simpatico. I feel the same thing. I think that -- I think this country has taken a turn in the wrong direction in the last half-a-dozen or so years.
I think 9/11 changed the country rather dramatically, and not for the better. And I just am encouraged by the fact that there are a lot of people out there who seem to agree with that assessment. Maybe there's enough of them to get it turned back around at some point.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk for a minute about when you first realized you loved to stand up to authority, or maybe I should say loved to mouth off to authority.
CAFFERTY: It's not mouth off.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: These are -- these are carefully crafted, well- thought-out analyses of current events.
PHILLIPS: OK.
CAFFERTY: It ain't just mouthing off, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Oh, no, no, no, no. No, I'm going back -- no, no, no, no.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: I'm going to back to your book now. Back to when you were an altar boy -- this is what you write -- "I was an altar boy in our local church, but the mean Monsignor Empee (ph)" -- I hope I'm saying his name right.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: "... was a cranky, nasty SOB..."
CAFFERTY: Yes.
PHILLIPS: "... stepped into the picture and messed everything up."
What happened there?
CAFFERTY: You know, I was a kid. And they had a high mass. For Catholics, they will understand. They know that the high mass is where they get out the incense and the fancy robes, and it's a much more formal and intricate mass than the regular low mass.
And I hadn't been an altar boy very long and at some point we're going back up to the communion rail, and I walked in the wrong place. And after the service was over, he came up and smacked me in the back of the head. And he said, you don't ever walk in front of me again.
And I said, you won't have to worry about it, because I will never darken the door of this place again. And I walked out and I never went back.
PHILLIPS: So, that's where it all began?
CAFFERTY: Well, I don't know if it's where it all began, but it was an episode that I recalled when I sat down to write this thing.
PHILLIPS: Don?
LEMON: You know what, Jack? They always say, be careful who you are nice to and mean to, because you are going to meet the same people on your way up or down.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Jack and I worked together years ago...
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Yes. What happened to you?
LEMON: Well...
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: It's down from there.
So, you have been a curmudgeon for a long time. But I do have to tell you, Jack, I have an aunt who lives in New York. And I would visit New York every summer, watch you on "Live at 5:00." And then to get to work with you in that news room was pretty amazing.
I used to watch you chain-smoke out in front of the building, but I had no idea that you were going through what you were going through. When I read your book, it said that you hadn't spoken to your dad in 10 years. And that same assignment desk that I worked on, someone called you and said, hey, your dad is on the phone.
CAFFERTY: That's right. That's right.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: You worked there then, right?
LEMON: Yes, I did.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Yes.
My parents were both alcoholics, not to bore the audience with all the sordid details. But I used to send my dad money once in a while. And it turned out he was using the money to drink with, instead of pay his bills. So, when I decided that wasn't a good idea, and I said, just send me the bills and I will pay them directly, he got mad and we didn't speak for 10 more years.
When that call came into that news room at Channel 5 here in New York, Don, where you and I both worked, somebody said, your father is on the phone. Do you want to take the call?
And I said, well, sure. And I picked up the phone. And he said, I just wanted to tell you that I have been diagnosed with cancer. They have given me six months to live. I thought you would like to know.
LEMON: Yes. And he said, you know, I probably didn't tell you -- he wrote you a letter. And he said, I probably didn't tell you I loved you enough.
Do you think that affected the way that you wind through the world every day?
CAFFERTY: Of course. All of those -- all of the -- you know, we're all a product of where we have been and what we have done in one way or another.
And some of the problems I had being a child of alcoholic parents absolutely influenced the person that I am today.
PHILLIPS: And Jack, you even wrote, I mean, on that note, "Whatever my parents' heartaches and weaknesses, they taught me the importance of integrity, of truth-telling, and of being able to give a man your word."
Do you think you have to fight those demons to be able to be a real and honest person and to be comfortable in your skin, like you are, saying whatever the heck you want? CAFFERTY: Well, I have come to terms with whatever my past consisted of. It took me quitting drinking 20 years ago. I used to drink more than I should as well.
And it took some time on the analyst's couch, and it took a broken marriage and some other things. But I sort of finally figured it all out. So, I don't think of my present life in those terms that much anymore. And I figure, at 64, I have paid a lot of taxes. And, if I'm disgusted with the government, I have probably earned the right to say so.
I'm just happy that CNN gives me a platform.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: You know, I wanted to ask you on that note as well, having as well alcoholism in my family, and I remember, again, when you were dealing with that, you had the highest-rated newscast on NBC in New York there, "Live at 5:00."
And then you were dealing with alcoholism and you were dealing with that.
Any regrets? Would you change what you have done or the way you handled your past, or would you -- do you have no regrets?
CAFFERTY: Well, sure, I have a lot of regrets. I regret that I failed at some of the things I tried to be successful at. But that's part of living, I think, as we all fail at things.
And it's kind of a dead-end street to spend your time regretting stuff that's over and done with and you have no control over and no capacity to change.
Do I have regrets? Yes. Like the song says, I have had a few, but, you know, maybe too few to mention, like the song also says. I'm -- you know, I got a pretty good life. And I have a good family. And I'm a healthy guy. And, you know, I got nothing to complain about. There's a whole lot people in this world that have a hell of a lot bigger struggle than I do.
PHILLIPS: Hey, your wife, Carol (ph), is a saint, wouldn't you say?
CAFFERTY: Yes, I would. I dedicated the book to her.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: And how about your four daughters? Do they take heat for you, or are you the cool guy around town in their book?
CAFFERTY: I didn't hear the first part. Do they take heat for me?
PHILLIPS: Yes.
CAFFERTY: They have taken heat from me, but I don't know how much heat they take for me.
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: They don't tell me that. Those four girls are the absolute pride of my life. And I'm very, very proud of all four of them. And two of them are married. One lives in Tucson, Julie (ph). And her sister Jill (ph) lives in Denver. And then I have got two girls here in New York with me, Leslie (ph) and Leigh (ph).
And they're terrific. They are good kids with good hearts. And they are living by the rules, and I couldn't be happier as a father.
PHILLIPS: Final quote.
You write: "I still get e-mails from people saying, you drunk, you idiot, you this, you that. Those are a little hurtful, actually, because I have made effort not to be those things. I have got bags under my eyes. I'm almost 65 and I have a got a few miles on me. But I will say this. If you think those jackasses in Washington have been doing a bang-up job of late, let me suggest there may be something seriously wrong with you."
CAFFERTY: I rest my case.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Don, final thought?
LEMON: Final thought.
Well, Jack Cafferty has been the same way since I have known him for -- that was, what, almost 15 years ago.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: It's been a while, Don.
LEMON: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes, it's good to see you again.
LEMON: Good to see you again. And you know what? Never change.
CAFFERTY: All right, partner. Getting too old for doing that anyway.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Kyra, thank you.
LEMON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Jack Cafferty, it's always a pleasure.
LEMON: "It's Getting Ugly Out There." And we're not talking about Jack Cafferty. We're talking about his book. PHILLIPS: You won't be able to put it down, I promise.
LEMON: Always a pleasure.
All right. So, we have been talking a lot, Kyra, about the rainfall, you know, thanks to Humberto. Now it's not just Texas taking the brunt, a lot of airline passengers, too, Chad Myers tracking it all, all the flights for you. Flight tracker Chad Myers, and meteorologist as well -- next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
Major city, major manhunt -- police flood South Miami streets in a search for at least one suspected killer.
PHILLIPS: One officer is dead, three others wounded.
John Zarrella live with the latest on a breaking story.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: All right, we're going to get to that developing story in Miami.
But first, we're having some problems with the weather. And checking it all for us, Chad Myers. He's going to tell us about the flight delays being caused by this weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: We want to update you now on the search for that suspect in Miami, Florida. As you know, as we've been telling you throughout the past hour-and-a-half, police have been looking for this man, 30-year-old Kevin Wehner.
Officers were on a burglary/surveillance detail. They saw a vehicle that was driving erratically. They attempted to stop the vehicle. This man got out, started shooting. Already one officer has been pronounced dead. One, we're told, in good condition. Not sure of the other two. One, we have been able to confirm, was a female officer working in the crime prevention unit.
Right now police are needing your help in tracking him down. The manhunt's been going on for a couple hours now. He was last seen driving a white vehicle. This is the only picture that we of him, 30- year-old Kevin Wehner. Police consider him armed and dangerous and need your help tracking him down.
LEMON: Seven women and five men have been picked to hear the trial of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs in Ohio -- excuse me, in Utah. Opening arguments are set to begin this afternoon. Jeffs is a self- proclaimed prophet of the fundamentalist church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He's charged with rape as an accomplice for allegedly forcing a 14-year-old girl to marry her 19-year-old cousin.
PHILLIPS: An Albuquerque substitute teacher is behind bars this hour, accused of voyeurism. Police say that Robert Ashley used a secret camera to secretly videotape underneath a young student's skirt as she sat at her desk. Authorities arrested the 63-year-old overnight at a hotel in Montrose County, Colorado. The alleged crime happened in New Mexico.
Police say they first questioned Ashley on Friday. But when they went back to the elementary school to make an arrest, Ashley was gone. He's being held in Colorado on a $50,000 bond.
A convicted sex offender drives a little boy home from school and his mother wants some answers. According to CNN affiliate WPBI, a school bus driver in Wilmington, Delaware had a minor fender bender. Parents and designated guardians were called to pick up their kids. But in one case, a first grader caught a ride with a neighbor, and that neighbor was convicted of raping a 6-year-old girl three years ago. Nothing happened on the way home, but the state board of education is following up.
LEMON: Well, you know that saying, no good deed goes unpunished?
Juan Canales was on the job at a Thai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale when he saw a woman being attacked by a man in a parking lot. Canales ran to the rescue, tackled the alleged assailant and held him until police arrived. When he returned to the restaurant, his boss -- get this -- fired him on the spot.
But there may be a happy ending. Canales has been offered several better jobs since his heroics and firing was made public.
Injured Buffalo Bills linebacker Kevin Everett reported making significant progress. He was taken off a respirator yesterday and doctors are expressing cautious optimism about his recovery. Everett fractured his spinal cord making a hit on a kickoff Sunday. Well, his mother says he has moved his arms and his legs. But Everett's chief surgeon is still warning against being overly optimistic. He says it's premature to expect the player to walk, although he doesn't rule that out.
PHILLIPS: Hope is finally on the horizon for a young Iraqi boy, 5-year-old Youssif, badly burned by masked men in Baghdad. And since CNN first aired the story, thousands of you have donated money to the Children's Burn Foundation. That money has laid the groundwork for Youssif's treatment.
He's now in Los Angeles with his family, where he will undergo extensive surgery.
The man performing that surgery is Dr. Peter Grossman. I had a chance to speak with him just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) PHILLIPS: When you look at the before picture and you look at the picture of him now, it's heart-wrenching for anybody who sees this and knows the story.
How close do you think you can bring little Youssif back to the way he used to look?
DR. PETER GROSSMAN, GROSSMAN BURN CENTER: Well, you know, Kyra, I would love to be able to say we could get him back to the way he was before the injury. But that's just impossible. He will always, always have some scars. He will always have some disfigurement from this tragic accident -- or not accident -- this tragic violent act.
But our goal is to get him as close to his pre-injury status as possible. And as long as I think that operations will help him and not hurt him, and as long as we have the ability to continue to operate on him, we will continue to try to move toward that goal of getting him as close to his pre-injury status as possible.
PHILLIPS: Well, you men...
GROSSMAN: I do think...
PHILLIPS: Go ahead.
GROSSMAN: I do think we'll be -- we'll get close. But there's no home runs in this business.
PHILLIPS: How do you, psychologically, deal with Youssif while you work on him physically?
How do you let him know that he's still a beautiful child?
GROSSMAN: Well, there are some difficulties in a child who is from a different culture and a different language. But the first thing, Kyra, is just showing him that there is an awful lot of love out there -- to be able to hold his hand and walk him through this procedure, to show him how many people care for him and it doesn't matter, really, what he looks like. He is a beautiful boy inside. We will, with the help of so many people, be able to get that message through to him.
And if we can physically enhance him as well, then all the better. But first and foremost, we want this child to feel good about himself again. And with the help of our psychologists, our child therapists, as well as the thousands and thousands of well wishers that have come out from around the world, I really think that that's an attainable goal.
PHILLIPS: Did he ask you any questions?
GROSSMAN: No. I think at this point, my job is going to also be to build up his trust. He's a little apprehensive with me right now. He's a little scared. And I think that's pretty normal. If you come to this crazy world that he's just entered and see this doctor who he's not sure about, he's -- it's going to take some time for him to build up a bond with me. But it will happen.
PHILLIPS: Well, let me ask you about that for a minute. I mean we're in the middle of a war in Iraq. You're treating a little Iraqi boy that has just been devastated by horrible people, the people that are killing U.S. soldiers, innocent civilians.
Does this in any way wake you up to the reality of this war in ways that maybe you just weren't aware?
GROSSMAN: Well, you know, I -- you tend to be -- think that you're prepared for the shock of evil that comes across people in life. But I will tell you that it's just so painful to think that that type of behavior exists.
But what I have learned, even with the tragic situation that's going on in Iraq and this horrible, horrible act of mankind, what I see is a wonderful act of humanity in the people who are trying to help this child. And they so far outweigh those evil people and horrible injustices in this world. There are a lot of good people out there. And our hope is that this will just be one sign, one beacon out there to show that there are a lot of people who care and want to see the good in the world and not just the bad.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, doctors say that Youssif could be in the U.S. undergoing treatments for up to a year.
Now more information on how you can help Youssif and others in need. Just go to CNN.com/impact.
LEMON: A massive search in suburban Miami for a man who shot four police officers. This afternoon, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez announced that one of the officers died. There's at least one suspect and authorities have his name and also a photograph of him.
With the very latest now from Miami, CNN's John Zarrella -- John, what's new on this?
ZARRELLA: Well, Don, just a little while ago, police put out a new picture of the man that they are looking for. And it's 30-year-old Kevin Wehner.
Initially, back a couple of hours ago, in all the chaos that was developing, at a news briefing the police put out one photograph of a man, but that was not the correct photograph.
This is the man they're looking for. And, of course, they want this picture out there because they want our viewers and everybody else's viewers who see this, if you've seen this man, obviously, to go ahead and to report it immediately. Let them know if you know his whereabouts or if you know anything about this man. Again, this is 30- year-old Kevin Wehner. And as you mentioned, he is now responsible for the death of one Miami-Dade County police officer involved in that shootout about 11:00 this morning Eastern time. What happened at the time, police involved in a burglary/surveillance at an apartment complex saw a vehicle. It was moving erratically. They decided to stop it. And at that point that they stopped is when the suspect, the man that they are looking for, they say, began firing at them, killing the one police officer and wounding three others. We know that at least one of the other three police officers is believed to be in good condition and, in fact, may be released from Baptist Hospital later this afternoon. We do not at this point know the conditions of the other two.
But, again, the picture that they want everyone to focus on now is this clean shaven photograph of 30-year-old Kevin Wehner, who they want and they want very badly for questioning as to the shootings of these four police officers -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's John Zarrella. Thank you for that update, sir.
The NEWSROOM continues right after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Since 9/11, the complicated issue of alienated Muslim youth has become a hot topic. And one man in Britain is working hard to give young Muslims what many of them so desperately need -- understanding.
Mohammed Mamdani is today's CNN Hero.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOHAMMED MAMDANI, CNN HERO: Many young Muslims feel they are leading double lives because they have to behave in a particular way within the Muslim community. And there is a conflict between trying to be all British as well as being all Muslim at the same time.
At the age of 17, I became more aware of the fact that so many of my Muslim peers were experiencing issues related to drugs, relationship problems with their families, mental health issues. These are common social problems, yet for the Muslim community they are very much no-go areas.
I felt I had to take responsibility for the situation. And there began the story of Muslim Youth Help Line.
My father installed a telephone line in my bedroom and it would ring at all times of the day, sometimes in the middle of the night.
Muslim Youth Help Line obviously became my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Muslim (INAUDIBLE) Help Line.
MAMDANI: Six years on, we take thousands of calls related to depression, self-harm, suicidal feelings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are. We're completely confidential. We're sensitive to their faith and their culture. At the same time, we are non-judgmental. (INAUDIBLE). So it helps just having a Muslim on the other end of the phone that can understand and relate to these issues.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday, the people of London suffered a terrible heartbreak together.
MAMDANI: After the London bombings, I decided to set up a new project which aimed to deal with young people face to face.
Come on, do that flip again. Come on. Let's see that flip.
Ansar Youth Project is like a youth organization. It's a very friendly environment. It's a very brotherly environment. It teaches them the skills to reconnect with their Muslim identity, whilst also learning to integrate better into British society.
I wouldn't say the work that I do is necessarily heroic. It's just something that's needed in society.
My aim is to help young Muslims just be themselves.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, you can go to CNN.com/heroes to check out more about Muhammad Mamdani's work and to nominate a hero of your own. You've only got until September 30th to get your nominations in, though. Selected winners will be honored during a live global broadcast on December 6th hosted our Anderson Cooper.
LEMON: Honey, we're going to need a bigger stroller. A set of twins weighs in at more than 17 pounds total. In panda terms, that's more than 68 sticks of butter, whatever that means. Other amazing facts when the NEWSROOM continues. They're cute, whatever it is.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: New information now on that Miami police shooting. Police in Miami, a press conference happening now, saying we were misled.
John Zarrella, bring us up to date on that.
ZARRELLA: That's right, Don.
Well, apparently the new photograph that we are seeing of the suspect, the man that they are looking for, is correct. But the name that they had been using, the police had released, of Kevin Wehner, was not the name. The man that they are looking for, whose name goes with this picture, is Shawn Sherwin Labeet.
And just a few minutes -- he's 25 years old. And just a few minutes ago, police issued that correction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY WSVN, CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The photo that we gave you all, the second photo, is Shawn Sherwin Labeet. It is not Kevin Wehner. Kevin Wehner is not involved in this case. Kevin Wehner is in Jacksonville. He has contacted the police up there. He is not involved in this case. It appears to us right now that Labeet may have obtained identification, maybe a driver's license, some identification in Wehner's name. We're trying to clarify that now. We do know that Kevin Wehner, which is the first picture we gave you, is not involved in this case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: So now, of course, the clarification. The picture that we have been showing you now is the man they're looking for. Again, his name is 25 -- he is 25-year-old Shawn Sherwin Labeet. And we are hearing from a couple of sources that police have two different areas in the South Florida area surrounded or at least under surveillance. And we do have some pictures, I believe, from one of our affiliates here that shows one of those neighborhoods in the Margate area -- that's in Broward County -- which is now under heavy surveillance. And it is possible that police have some leads, that perhaps the suspect is in one of these areas.
So, again, now, police searching two other areas for possible leads in this case -- Don.
LEMON: All right, John Zarrella. Thank you for that update.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, giving birth to one baby is tough enough. Imagine giving birth to twins. And get this -- each weighing more than eight pounds. Whoo! An Alabama mother did just that on Tuesday -- without the help of a C-section, by the way. The babies had a combined birth weight of more than 17 pounds. The girls were born just five days shy of full-term, which is a rarity for twins.
LEMON: Did it say epidural in there?
PHILLIPS: There wasn't no epidural either.
Can you imagine?
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: No!
LEMON: Well, Kyra, I can't imagine having a baby anyway.
PHILLIPS: Wait. (INAUDIBLE) has, too. Never mind.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: (INAUDIBLE) that one.
PHILLIPS: I shouldn't -- I shouldn't be asking you.
Susan Lisovicz, can you just imagine?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nope. (LAUGHTER)
LISOVICZ: Can't imagine.
LEMON: (INAUDIBLE) to try, right?
LISOVICZ: No. No.
(LAUGHTER)
LISOVICZ: I -- you know, give the mom a lot of credit and...
LEMON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: And good luck to her.
PHILLIPS: As those kids grow up, she can say if you only knew what I went through to bring you into this world, you'd better behave.
LEMON: That's right.
LISOVICZ: She's got proof, that's for sure.
PHILLIPS: There you go.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
LEMON: All right, let's turn it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer -- hi, Wolf.
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