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Jane Velez-Mitchell
Teen Athlete`s Death Accident or Murder?; Dangerous New Drug Turns People into Scaly `Monsters`
Aired October 11, 2013 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RYAN SMITH, HLN ANCHOR: They`re a little surprised. Lynn, you got big plans for them?
LYNN BERRY, HLN ANCHOR: Of course we do. A whole weekend planned, right guys? Say hi.
SMITH: Have fun. Make some memories this weekend. Have a good one.
Jane starts right now.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Tonight people are saying, "Hey, it just doesn`t make sense the way you say he died." The evidence just doesn`t add up, and this is a gut-wrenching mystery. It`s something out of a horror movie. I`m serious.
A popular star athlete found dead, rolled up inside a mat in his high- school gym, and now cops insist, "Oh, nothing to see here. This was all a freak accident." Look at the mat.
The boy`s family says, are you kidding me? They demand a second autopsy. Guess what? That reveals that his internal organs, including his brain, had vanished. They had been replaced with crumpled old newspapers. What on earth? I personally find it hard to believe this was an accident, as the cops say.
Good evening. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell. Thank you for joining me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a feeling that we wish no other parents here have to go through.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New evidence suggesting the circumstances surrounding his death do not add up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come to Lowndes High School now. There`s a dead body out here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Where at, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lowndes High School, in the old gym.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kendrick was found upside-down in a rolled cheerleading map.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to paramedics, it was a crime scene. And they noted bruising on Kendrick`s right side jaw.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know our son was murdered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators say Kendrick`s death was a tragic accident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He loved to smile and laugh and have fun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This young man, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found head first inside a gym mat. Now cops insist she climbed in to reach for his lost shoe, squeezed his 19-inch shoulders inside the 14-inch center of the mat, and then got stuck upside-down and died. Do you buy it? Really?
This is a star athlete who played multiple sports. He gets trapped inside a gym mat at the school gym trying to reach for his shoe, and nobody hears him screaming?
Even more disturbing: after Kendrick`s body was exhumed for a second autopsy, guess what happened? A private pathologist discovers organs all the way from his brain down to his pelvis missing, vanished, nowhere to be found. And instead, his body is stuffed with old newspapers. Is this a bizarre coincidence or is there something sinister going on here? I`m just asking the question.
Investigators closed the case. Freak accident. That`s what they say. But Kendrick`s devastated parents demand that it be reopened. They say this is murder. They want to know who did it.
The evidence just doesn`t pass the smell test for a whole lot of people, frankly, including myself. It seems like an unlikely scenario. So CNN`s Victor Blackwell started investigating, and he ran into a wall with the Georgia law enforcement. Watch what happened for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`ve got some questions about the Kendrick Johnson case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not discussing that.
BLACKWELL: Why not, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because our case is closed.
BLACKWELL: The family has some concerns about why some things were not taken into evidence. There was blood on the wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not going to discuss the case with you.
BLACKWELL: And why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I don`t want to.
BLACKWELL (voice-over): Then, less than a minute after he`d invited us in...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you not understand about what I said? I`m through talking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Straight out to Victor Blackwell, the journalist who`s been all over this story.
Victor, your tenacious reporting is what brought this bizarre case to the surface, and now it`s getting national attention. The young man`s family believed it was not a freak accident. They think something was wrong all along. You went looking for answers. Give us a sense of where did that take you.
BLACKWELL: Well, Jane, I was surprised by that response I got from the sheriff. It took me a while to be able to get to him, to get in a room with him.
But his explanation that he did not want to speak with me because the case was closed, typically when officers, investigators don`t want to speak, it`s because the case is open, and they could say something that could compromise the case.
But when we went to the sheriff`s office, they said that all the forensic evidence and everything they had pointed to an accident. The family just says it does not make sense. A 6-foot-tall mat, and their son was 5`10." If he`s reaching for his shoe, his arm is extended. That adds at least another 10 inches to maybe 16 inches. How is it possible that a kid reaching who`s 5`10" in a 6-foot mat, his legs aren`t sticking up? They just say he was stuffed in there or he was rolled and stuffed into the corner.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And there`s so much here. I mean, we`ve got this mystery blood nearby. And it`s also been a battle of the autopsy reports.
Now cops came out to the scene after they got a very frantic 911 call. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come to Lowndes High School now. There`s a dead body out here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Where at, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lowndes High School, in the old gym.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Cops originally said the young man`s death was an accident, that he died from positional asphyxia when he got stuck inside the gym mat trying to retrieve a shoe.
But Kendrick`s parents didn`t buy it. Again, they ordered a second autopsy on their own dime. That independent autopsy told an entirely different story. It said Kendrick`s death was, quote, "apparently non- accidental," end quote, and that he died from blunt force trauma, saying the fatal blow happened near his carotid artery.
Straight out to the Lion`s Den. And we`re very delighted to have Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky, a famed forensic scientist, joining us tonight.
You have the battles of the autopsy reports. But how is it possible that one says accidental and then another one says blunt force trauma to his head and neck?
DR. LAWRENCE KOBILINSKY, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: Well, Jane, first of all, the case needs to be reopened. There`s no doubt about that.
The argument of positional asphyxia as the cause of death is really an argument based on not having any other physical evidence of trauma to the body.
Clearly, the first autopsy didn`t really see anything significant in the way of other kinds of trauma. The second autopsy, on the other hand, revealed a severe trauma to the right side of the neck, the carotid artery, just where it bifurcates from a common artery into two. That`s where this is hemorrhage, which tells me that bleeding was pre-mortem, before death. He took a severe blow and probably was dumped into that mat head first.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, let me ask you a question. Does it pass the smell test? I mean just on the surface. Let`s just do a round robin here, starting with Mike Brooks, HLN law enforcement analyst. It seems unlikely. It seems like wait a second. Who sticks themselves in a mat reaching for a shoe? Don`t you just jiggle the mat until the shoe comes out? None of it makes sense to me.
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: No. He would have knocked the mat over, because the shoe would been down on the floor. So why go in the top and all the way down? The whole scenario just doesn`t make sense.
And plus the fact that it seems like the crime scene was botched. There was evidence that wasn`t collected. There was evidence that was just discarded and the first responders of the emergency medical service who got there, they noticed some possible trauma on the right side of his jaw. And just what Dr. K. was talking about, you know, the first autopsy, they didn`t even open up the neck to see if there was any damage to the vessels, any deep contusion. But the second autopsy did, and that`s why that doctor determined that there was blunt-force trauma.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now Kendrick`s parents say there`s no way this was a freak accident, and they say, you know, Kendrick always wore his fingernails long. But when cops found his body, head first inside this gym mat, his fingernails were cut very short. They were almost purple. Listen to this. Because look at this. This is unbelievable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we seen his fingernails that day, we know somebody had cut his nails down to the cuticles.
BLACKWELL: And they were like yours. Your nails are long.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Can we see them? So your nails are much longer than they were in those pictures.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-huh.
BLACKWELL: Why would someone do that? It seems like a minor thing, but why would someone do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They know Kendrick probably had DNA up under Kendrick`s nails.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Kelly Saindon, former prosecutor, to that point, wow. These with exclusive photos and you see blood there, as well, what looks like blood or something going wrong, very wrong.
I mean, obviously when somebody is fighting back they can scratch. And we all know from watching "CSI" and covering real cases that the assailant`s DNA, skin gets underneath the fingernails. Now suddenly his fingernails are cut very short. What do you make of it?
KELLY SAINDON, FORMER PROSECUTOR: You know, I make of it that this was a murder, that someone tried to destroy evidence, that they did a reasonably good job. And the prosecution has a very tough, uphill battle in this case.
Because now, with nobody talking, with the evidence that`s been destroyed, Mike has pointed it out: the crime scene was tampered with. Dr. Kobi has pointed out that the autopsy was done improperly. So all of those things, coupled with a real uphill battle for this family, because it definitely smells funny. I agree with you: it doesn`t pass the smell test.
But it appears that somebody did try to dispose of this body, and they didn`t do a great job, because there`s telltale signs. Let`s cross our fingers that this reopening will point to the killer.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Meanwhile, and here`s my rant. Put it out on the table. There`s apparently videotape, and there is one shot you see. There`s videotape of the gymnasium where you see somebody moving through it. It looks like it could be the young man who died.
But apparently, there`s a whole bunch more videotape. And the attorney for the family says there it is. Take a look at that videotape. If they have that videotape they have other videotape. So they have not released, according to the family, all the videotape. The family wants to see the videotape. The father is saying, "Give me the tape."
And I`ve got to go back to Victor Blackwell. You`ve been doing some incredible journalism on this. Why on earth not? I mean, if this was an accident, if there`s nobody else looking around, do you have any indication that maybe this kid had enemies, that there`s somebody in the school that somebody is trying to protect?
BLACKWELL: Well, listen, there are a lot of theories in this small town about that, especially a town this small when something this big happens there. And a lot of people are offering what they think happened.
But I want to talk more about this video inside the gym. Actually it`s a surveillance camera that takes stills. They gave us seven pictures. And I asked, "OK, so where are the pictures taken before this? Where are the pictures taken after?"
And the explanation we got from the school`s attorney is that educational records of students are protected, and they do not have to release them. Of course, we`ve been given a clearance by the parents to give us pictures of Kendrick. If you can`t give us the other pictures, does that mean that there are other students in the pictures taken after this? That was my question. They just repeated that educational records of students are protected.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And we`ve got other things to tell you about like the blood on the wall. Stay right there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was last seen at third block going to fourth block. He was seen no more. And then again, I want to express how did my son go missing during school hours in broad daylight? We know our son was murdered while he was at Lowndes High School. We do know that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL (voice-over): In January, Kendrick was found dead in the center of a rolled gym mat at Lowndes High School. According to paramedics, it was a crime scene, and they noted bruising on Kendrick`s right side jaw.
Lowndes County Lieutenant Stride (ph) Jones was on the scene that day.
LT. STRIDE (PH) JONES, LOWNDES COUNTY: We examined all the alternatives that were presented to us, and the only one that fit the physical evidence and the forensic evidence and the testimonial evidence we received was this was an accident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But other people say that doesn`t pass the smell test. Look at this photo of the deceased young man there inside the mat. And people are saying really? You think he snuck in there to get a shoe, and he got wedged in and he suffocated? It doesn`t make sense. People aren`t buying it. A lot of people aren`t.
Let`s go to the phone lines. Terri, Canada. What do you have to say, Terri, Canada?
CALLER: Hi, Jane. I am a huge fan.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.
CALLER: I watch your show every day. I have a couple of questions. With the video, could the victim have been meeting somebody? And also, I totally feel really, really bad for this family.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Terri, let me stop there. Let me start there. And I`m sorry to interrupt you, but I want to get to Victor Blackwell.
Is there any information, did he have any enemies at school? Was he in any kind of a confrontation? Was he meeting someone? Did he -- was there a fight over a girlfriend? Anything like that?
BLACKWELL: Well, there are things that are mentioned in the crime reports from the case file from the Lowndes County Sheriff`s Office. But we are going in several different directions to find that out.
I mean, at this point, I think we`ve established that many people don`t believe the story, that this was an accident. And the question is who would have wanted to kill him or to hurt him so badly that he then died?
Now, one thing I noticed in the stills of the surveillance camera is that in the end he picks up speed. If he`s running to meet someone, or running to pick something up, why is he picking up speed at the end? Again, we`d like to see the stills after that moment.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Kendrick`s body was found, as we`ve been mentioning, head first in a gym mat with his shoes shoved in after his body. That doesn`t make a lot of sense either. There was blood beneath the mat. There was blood dripping down a wall inside the gym.
Cops are saying, move along, nothing to see here. There`s the blood right there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: We found an area on a wall that appeared to be blood. And we tested it. It was blood. And we did DNA testing, and it was not the blood of Kendrick Johnson.
BLACKWELL: Did you ever find out who it was or any involved...?
JONES: No, as of now we haven`t, no, but it doesn`t appear to be related to our crime in any way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Mike Brooks, if it`s not his blood, then whose blood is it? Why won`t they say?
BROOKS: That`s a great question. And why, if this blood maybe -- it`s almost like somebody spat on the wall or maybe some blood in their mouth. That`s what it looks like to me, Jane.
But why would that not have been cleaned up already and not just left there? Because it`s a biohazard on the wall and kids are in that gym ever single day. So custodians, guess what? They would have already cleaned it up.
But still, if it`s not his blood, who is it? How did it get there? Did it contain anything else? That`s what I want to know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I want to go to Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky. This idea that the internal organs were missing and had been replaced with rolled up newspaper. What -- if there was a sinister plot, what would the internal organs reveal that somebody might want to not reveal?
KOBILINSKY: Jane, it`s really problematic. First of all, when you do an autopsy, you do take samples from all of these organs for toxicology studies and to determine if there`s any pathology. So those tests were done. The samples were taken. Normally, the organs are returned in a bag, a plastic bag, put back into the body, and the body is closed, sent off to the funeral parlor. So whatever happened happened in the funeral parlor. The organs were taken out...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: No, they`re saying -- They`re claiming they`re not responsible. The funeral parlor is very, very insistent upon that, this was the way they got the body. So...
KOBILINSKY: I understand that. But then who -- GBI apparently did that -- he did the autopsy and tests -- I mean, they put everything back inside. So where did these organs go? I can`t believe the funeral parlor would have taken a body, seen no organs inside, and not said something. Something is wrong.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The whole thing -- Something`s wrong here. That`s all I know. I don`t know what`s wrong, but I know something is wrong. And I know that Victor Blackwell, our fantastic reporter, is going to get to the bottom of it. Stay with us. We`re going to come back to that story over the next coming days and solve that mystery.
A deadly drug starting to popping up all over the country, all the way from Russia, and it`s unbelievable. It`s absolutely defying your own eyes to see what it`s doing to people, Americans, turning them into the skin of crocodiles. That`s why it`s called Krokodil. You`ve got to see this on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A new and deadly street drug...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is so new that even the doctors don`t know. Poison control centers, they haven`t even had time to collaborate information.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve had two cases this past week that have occurred in Arizona, and as far as I know, those are the first cases in the United States that are reported. We`re extremely frightened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A total of five this year, 2013, none last year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of its effect on the skin, it`s called Krokodil.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Green, scaly skin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Essentially homemade heroine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Average life span from time of use is two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable. Some Americans point the finger at Mexico: "You`re the drug capital." Well, guess what? America, we are the No. 1 drug consumer, No. 1 consumer of illegal drugs. There wouldn`t be drug cartels if we Americans weren`t buying what they were selling.
And now, just when we thought it couldn`t get any worse, a deadly drug, a gross drug has come down the pipe. These are very disturbing images from YouTube that show the effects of this drug that hit the United States from Russia this time.
And I got to warn you it`s graphic, but you`ve got to check it out. It`s called Krokodil, K-R-O-K-O-D-I-L, because it makes your skin green and scaly and literally eats your flesh. Doctors warn if you want to kill yourself, this will do the trick. And it only takes about two painful years for you to really just go from totally healthy to a dead Krokodil with a "K."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very frightening. Almost immediately goes in and starts to destroy bloods cells and blood vessels. So it literally causes gangrene from the inside of the body out.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, and it`s a heroine knockoff, but it`s more potent than heroin and cheaper. Because it`s made out of these toxic ingredients: gasoline, lighter fluid, and industrial cleaners.
Now, cases have been popping up in Arizona, Utah, Illinois. HLN law enforcement analysis Mike Brooks, given that the substances are legal, like lighter fluid and gasoline, how are we going to wage war on this?
BROOKS: Yes, hydrochloric acid, red phosphorous. That`s why it eats you from the inside out.
But if they`re starting to see this coming from other countries, the DEA needs to make it a priority on if it is coming from other countries. And if they have intel about where it`s coming from, trying to stop it and head it off before it comes into the United States.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And you know often the people who are cooking this stuff up they`re not taking it, because first of all, they`d be dead and they could see the effects. Oh, no. Let`s give it to Americans.
And we`ve got to learn to say no. You keep it.
BROOKS: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This week it`s Krokodil. A couple of weeks ago it was Molly. The pure powder form of MDMA, the main chemical of Ecstasy, Molly, has been linked to four deaths this summer alone. I think they canceled a concert because people were O.D.`ing.
I`ve got to rant about this because this cause is very important to me as a recovering alcoholic with 18 years of sobriety. We`re an addict nation. I wrote a book by that title, "Addict Nation." We need to look at why we`re so obsessed with escaping and using and stuffing our feelings. There`s got to be something seriously wrong here.
Former prosecutor Kelly Saindon, so much of our -- we talk about government spending, government crisis. Drugs is a big part of that. It`s part of the prison system; it`s part of the judicial system. And at the root, it`s just people who are doing anything, even risking turning into a scaly monster, in order to escape.
SAINDON: You`re right. I mean, it`s a very scary trend. The problem is -- and the laws are now cracking down more on drugs. I mean, now the mandatory mineral -- minimum, excuse me, federal sentencing guidelines for people caught with drugs with the intent to distribute is more than, like, rape, manslaughter and even mandatory time.
The problem is that it is pervasive. It`s everywhere, and it is regular ingredients that people can get. If you recall, years ago now they took cold medications, and you have to give an I.D. to try to stop people from buying over-the-counter and manufacturing this.
And so I`m wondering if the question that you posed to Mike is one of the answers is, unfortunately, to now make people log who`s buying this stuff.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I absolutely agree, because I don`t think we can lock up everybody who`s selling drugs. And we`ve got more people in prison than any other country in the world right now and a lot of it is because of the drug laws.
And, you know, a lot of people -- it`s really about supply and demand. I mean, it`s really about the root of why there are so many addicts in this country. And that`s why I wrote the book "Addict Nation." If you are struggling with an addiction of any kind -- I`m talking alcohol, drugs, food, OK -- you don`t need to spend a dime to get help. There are 12-step programs, and I`m going to give you links. Go to my web page. Go to my Jane Velez-Mitchell Facebook page. Check it out. Literally with the click of a mouse, you can get help for any addiction problem you have.
But the point is we could lock up the entire country. This problem, I think, goes deeper than that. And remember, more people are O.D.`ing from legal prescription drugs than they are from illegal drugs now. Legal drugs, overdoses from legal drugs are now the leading cause of death in some states. And so it`s overtaking car accidents in some states. So there`s plenty of people who aren`t going to jail or prison because think they`re middle-class professionals who are using pills to get high.
We`ve got to do something about this, and I think we`ve got to look at why are we trying to escape so much? What is wrong with our culture that we`ve become an addict nation?
On the other side, cops haul in a woman on suspicion of drunk driving, but then what happens next will make your jaw drop. This is a shocker.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look. There you go. Look straight ahead. Straight ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the camera. There you go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok. Right here at the camera.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Straight ahead. Look at the camera. Look at the camera, ok. You`re done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: A woman arrested for DUI and taken to jail ends up with her face completely shattered and swollen. Why? I really don`t know. I wish we could ask the officer who hurled her face first into a cement bench. The one thing I do know the cop is still on the job collecting a paycheck while this woman needed reconstructive surgery to put her face together.
When 47-year-old Cassandra Feuerstein hit the bench inside the holding cell her face was literally split open. There was blood pouring out. She needed reconstructive surgery. She needed a metal plate -- a metal plate to replace all the bones in her face that had been shattered. She says all her teeth on the right side of her mouth are loose.
This happened last March outside Chicago. The woman is suing the police department. Now, police told us they`d put the officer who -- boom right, that. The officer who did that on station duty with no contact with the public while they investigate what happened. Is that enough? This guy is still going to work.
Straight out to the "Lion`s Den", I want to start with Simone Bienne, relationship expert, behavior expert. What do you think of what happened and the response of the law enforcement?
SIMONE BIENNE, BEHAVIOR EXPORT: It actually makes my stomach tight, Jane. I can`t actually watch it any more. It is so atrocious.
What happened here is clearly obviously he was abusing power. What`s interesting is the response, as you say by the police station, because why are they protecting him. What we do know is that Chicago police supposedly have very bad rates of police brutality.
If this is kind of accepted from superiors, then no wonder this happens. But this guy should be no way near wearing a badge which is badge of honor for many great policemen. He needs treatment.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: First of all, this is the village of Skokie. This is the village of Skokie so, yes, it`s outside Chicago.
Listen, this woman did plead guilty to DUI. Police say they found her slumped over a car in the middle of an intersection, ok. So that`s potentially a deadly situation there.
But let`s listen again. You can hear the officer getting frustrated with this woman as they tried to snap her mug shot and then we`ll debate it on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lift up your head. There you go. Look straight ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the camera. There you go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok. Right here at the camera.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Straight ahead. Look at the camera. Look at the camera. Ok, you`re done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. You can see he kind of grabs her there. He`s frustrated. He says you`re done. Grabs her by the arm and then takes her to the cell and ultimately she is hurled through this door into the bench. Now, this woman is about 110 pounds.
I got to go to C.W. Jensen. You`re a retired police captain and you`re coming to us from Arizona. But really what did the officer do wrong? Is there any way to justify this behavior?
C.W. JENSEN, RETIRED POLICE CAPTAIN: I`ll tell you what I think he did wrong. He was obviously irritated with her. And I watched this over and over again and I agree with the other guests. I mean you see this and go, "holy smokes".
And what happens is she kind of does an arm bar as he`s trying to push her into the holding cell and so he gives her a shove that`s way too much and unfortunately she`s drunk. If he did it to me I`d fall over and put my arm against the wall. She`s drunk. Her arms were back because she was holding herself back and she goes face first into this thing. I mean it`s brutal to watch.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is. To your point the authorities originally said -- because she was originally charged with resisting a police officer and that was later dropped but the document filed by police said that this woman, quote, knowingly resisted in that she pulled away from the officer and placed both her hands on the side of the cell door in an attempt to not be placed into the holding cell.
Now, Kelly Saindon, former prosecutor, she`s drunk, ok; so drunk people do irrational things. Sure, she should have followed the direction of the officer but we all know dealing with drunk people that they don`t. And now she has to do reconstructive surgery on her face.
Was there an alternative to -- let`s see. Ok. There she is. I don`t know. I don`t even see -- do you --
KELLY SAINDON, FORMER PROSECUTOR: I don`t know either.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t see her going like this and -- no. We got to watch it one more time because look -- let`s watch very closely. There it is. I think her hands looked like they`re behind her at that moment -- Kelly.
SAINDON: You know, I agree with you. This to me seems like somebody that`s drunk and this is an officer who`s been trained to deal with these situations. This is another case where his emotions got the best of him, he didn`t follow his training and he was striking back because he was unhappy. So he pushed her too hard.
He could have restrained her in another manner. He could have brought in someone else. He could have physically just put her arms by her side and walked her in. He`s a lot bigger than her.
The reality of the situation is, this a cop who lost control based on emotion. It was excessive. And it is disturbing that he`s sitting behind a desk collecting a paycheck. And now she already admitted that she broke the law. She`s serving the penalty for the DUI and now she`s going to have a destroyed face for the rest of her life based on his bad conduct.
I see a lawsuit coming.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well no, she`s already filed. That ship has sailed. My understanding is she`s already filed a lawsuit.
This case has got similarities to another DUI. We covered it recently. It was a Florida case. A woman pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. She had kids in her car. And in a split -- just a second or two the arrest goes from like routine to relatively violent. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The car with one seat ok. Oh my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now she was also badly injured. That`s what happened to her face. Tallahassee police acknowledged that the video is disturbing and they`re also doing an investigation.
And Simone Bienne, you`re the relationship expert. This keeps happening over and over and over again.
BIENNE: This clearly happened within a police station. So he didn`t use reasonable force. And studies of police brutality, the figures and statistics are going up and up, Jane. We have to weed it out because as you say, police do such a great job and this ruins it for everyone else. And to attack women -- vulnerable people? No.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I got to tell you on the other side of the break we`ve got a crazy video. It`s really wild. It`s a carjacking and you will not believe the video. Everything is being caught on tape these days, isn`t it? You`re just going to have to wait and see it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here is your "Crazy Video of the Day". An Atlanta man carjacked right outside of his own home -- he is forced to go into his house and get the keys to his Mercedes. Thankfully nobody was hurt.
But this is good quality imagery. We`ve got a good shot of the suspect`s face. He got away but, you know what, he`s going to be caught. And this is a message to criminals. You know, with this high-tech surveillance video becoming more and more ubiquitous, really give it up because you`re not going to get away. All right. You`re going to be caught. And you`re going to regret for the rest of your life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Kardashians know it. They`re just playing the game.
KRIS JENNER, TV PERSONALITY: I think that`s what makes it exciting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Behind closed doors everything is great. It`s not always what they say it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last I checked in America, 50 percent of all marriages around there end up in divorce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s a riddle for you. What do Angelina Jolie, Ashton Kutcher, Kim Kardashhian, Ryan Reynolds and Britney Spears have all have in common? Want to guess. Well, they`ve all been divorced. That`s right. Angelina Jolie divorced Billy Bob Thornton. Kim Kardashian divorced Kris Humphries, who could forget that. Ryan Reynolds divorced Scarlett Johansson -- he may be regretting that one. She`s the sexiest woman alive they say. Pop star Britney Spears divorced Kevin Federline and Ashton Kutcher divorced Demi Moore.
Another thing they all have in common, they all went to the same lawyer -- one of the most powerful divorce attorneys in all of America and certainly Hollywood. And guess what -- we are so honored to have her join us right now.
Laura Wasser -- you have just written this fascinating book called "It Doesn`t Have to Be That Way: How to divorce without destroying your family or bankrupting yourself". So you outline the best way to handle divorce based on your considerable experience representing the biggest names in Hollywood. I got to ask you, what is the biggest mistake most people make when they decide to get divorced?
LAURA WASSER, DIVORCE LAWYER: Jane, I think the biggest mistake that people make when they`re getting divorced, and this goes for celebrities or normal people, is that they mix emotion with what is basically a business or legal transaction. And if you can take the emotion out of it -- and I know it`s difficult because you`re going through what is ostensibly one of the most difficult times of your life.
If you can take the emotion out of it then you can handle it in a way that will get you through it. Absolutely you should have a support group, absolutely you should be expressing your feelings but not as part of the divorce litigation or negotiation. That is a mistake and if you can avoid it you can get on a better path to getting to the next phase of your life.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Treat it like a business because it is about dollars and cents. We think of nasty divorces, a lot of us remember that movie -- I loved it -- "War of the Roses" where a seemingly perfect 18-year marriage suddenly turns into a very, very, very, very bitter divorce. Check out this clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s no winning. It`s only degrees of losing.
KATHLEEN TURNER, ACTRESS: I am the one who found this house. I bought everything in it.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS, ACTOR: With my money. It`s a lot easier to spend than it is make it, honeybun.
TURNER: You might not have made it if not for me, sweetcakes.
DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: Never underestimate a recent adversary. Don`t even talk to her.
DOUGLAS: Excuse me.
TURNER: Scum.
DOUGLAS: Filth.
The yellow areas are mine, the red areas are hers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, Laura, it doesn`t have to be that ugly. I actually got divorced many years ago. My then husband and I went to a peaceful mediator, it was cheap. And then we went downstairs to the Ivy Restaurant in Santa Monica toasted to our new status. It was over fast. But of course, we were friendly. We had no kids. We didn`t fight over money or property.
Why does it get so ugly so fast for so many people?
WASSER: I think it is because people are thinking with their emotions. Even when we`re talking about children which is certainly very emotional and does not have to do with dollars and cents we need to think about putting them first and not making it about us or what feels comfortable or uncomfortable or scary for us. Think about your children. If they really are to be put first in this situation then you need to really consider the fact that in most scenarios it is best for children to have time with each of their parents.
I mean obviously if there`s sexual issues or drug or alcohol abuse, any kind of abuse, violence, that`s a different story. But for the most part, although someone may not be a great spouse, they can still be a great parent. Do your kids a favor and keep that in mind when you`re working out custody schedules.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I love the book. "It Doesn`t Have to Be That Way: how to divorce without destroying your family or bankrupting yourself". And it`s such a thrill to talk to you because you are very famous in Hollywood. And I hope everybody reads your book and you come back soon. Thank you Laura Wasser.
WASSER: Thank you very much.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Time for Pet of the Day. Send your pet pics to hlntv.com/jane.
Fancy Face -- you`re full of grace. Chelsea -- are you begging for food again or are you just going on a picnic? And Chanel or Chanel as I should say -- you are like perfume to me. You are beautiful. And Laila Ali, Laila Ali, Lally -- you`re gorgeous too. I love you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Rico, the horrifying slaughter of millions of animals is something we`re uncovering tonight. Little Rico there are animals just like you being slaughtered every day, and guess what? We taxpayers are paying for it.
Yes, the U.S. government is doing it. The USDA`s Wildlife Services Division has been waging a very long battle on wildlife to quote -- this is their excuse -- resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to co-exist," end quote. Well, critics say that millions of animals including coyotes, mountain lions, cougars, black bears, beavers and even birds have been killed since the year 2000.
But why? Well, critics say it`s to protect valuable livestock and to make sure that the prey is eliminated so that there are plenty of deer left for hunters to gun down for sport.
Now in an editorial in the "New York Times" it says, quote, "The techniques are old-fashioned. Steel traps, cyanide cartridges. And the result is a program that`s wasteful, destructive, to the balance of the ecosystems and ultimately ineffective." Not to mention, horribly cruel. I`m throwing that in.
Unbelievable. See all these traps that they`ve set all over the country often without warning. Many pets -- critics say many pets have been caught in traps. And there`s one of, lost a leg, intended for predators -- resulting in loss of limbs and even death our pets.
So why is our U.S. government using our tax dollars to wage war on some of the country`s most beautiful wild animals? We tried to reach the USDA for comment. Here`s the message we got.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m not in the office at this time. I`m on furlough due to lack in federal government funding. Please leave a message and I look forward to returning your call once the funding has been restored and I return to work. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the tone, please record your message.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you know, the fact that the department is currently shut down is, in my opinion, the best result of the U.S. government shutdown. Some of these beautiful wild animals` lives might be saved. Until they get back in business, this program should be shut down for good. Millions of tax dollars spent for this ridiculous, cruel, vicious program, frankly. I would say it`s evil.
Straight out to my special guest, Brooks Fahy, the executive director of Predator Defense -- that`s Predator.Defense.org. It`s a wonderful group that has been waging war on this program for years. First of all, why does the U.S. government do this in your opinion?
BROOKS FAHY, EXEC. DIR., PREDATORDEFENSE.ORG: Hi, Jane. First, one correction. They`re not shut down. Their secretarial staff might be shut down but USDA Wildlife Services staffers are in the field right now killing all sorts of animals including millions of birds. And each year they kill over 100,000 predators including cougars, bears, coyotes, wolves.
So at this very moment that we`re talking we actually have animals that are languishing in traps; that have been in traps for hours, days, weeks. So that`s one correction.
The philosophy about their predator control program is that if they kill these animals there`ll be less predation in livestock. And when scientific research is showing us actually that`s just the opposite especially with coyotes. When you kill coyotes indiscriminately you tend to basically create a situation where they breed more, they have larger litters.
USDA`s own research has demonstrated this yet they choose to ignore it. This is really one of those agencies that hasn`t changed basically at all since its inception in 1931 through the Animal Damage Control Act of 1931 and they`ve been basically very, very hard to make accountable by (inaudible)
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. That`s the government for you. Trying to -- we`re a news organization. We`ve tried. We`ve done the story before, and we try to get in touch. You know, you can`t really talk to a person or get somebody to come on and debate it, and you`re invited. USDA, you want to come and debate it, you`re invited on this program.
Go to predatordefense.org if you want to get involved. These animals can`t speak for themselves.
On the other side how pets like little Rico here are being threatened by this U.S. government program.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Predatordefense.org, that`s the place to get involved. And they say this beautiful husky named Bella had to chew off her own leg. She lost one of her back legs in a trap that Wildlife Services, that`s part of the USDA, set for wolves in the Boise National Forest. There was no sign, no warning that there were traps in the area. She survived but she lost a leg.
Other pets like Rico here are at risk and then wolves, which are cousins of dogs, are at risk. Do something. Get involved, Predator.org. Stop this government.
END
