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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Deadly Shooting in Detroit; Mayor`s Crazy Crack Confession; "Pandora`s Promise"; Website Could Prevent Animal Abuse

Aired November 06, 2013 - 19:00   ET

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

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: We start tonight with breaking news. Has it happened again, another mass shooting in a very public place. We are just getting word of a possible massacre in Detroit unfolding as we speak.

Our affiliate, WDIV, now reporting eight people have been shot outside a barbershop. We`re learning it`s called Al`s Barbershop on the east side of Detroit. This WDIV video we`re just getting in, aerials showing, well, certainly the first responders. You can see a slew of Detroit cop cars at the scene. We`re also told that EMT, ambulance, all of that converging right now on the scene.

This is happening now, and we were first alerted to this story from reports on Twitter, our affiliate, WDIV, now reporting that the shooter fired a few shots into a barbershop, waited for people to come out, and then opened fire.

Straight out Alisa Zee of 24/7 News, Detroit. Alisa, you`re in the city where this is going on right now. We`re hearing a barbershop is involved. What do you know?

ALISA ZEE, REPORTER (via phone): That`s right. Of course, this is unfolding as we speak, and because the road is blocked we can`t get too close to where this transpired.

As you said, we have eight people reportedly shot outside that barber shop. It`s on Seven Mile on the city`s east side. We have heard, however, that three of the victims have reportedly died. There`s no word yet on the condition of the other victims.

But as you said, EMS, police, they have swarmed the scene, and they are looking into finding that shooter. We don`t know if one of the victims was the shooter or not. But this will become a fluid situation as the evening progresses, of course.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Alisa, tell us about this area of east Detroit. Can you describe it to us? We talk about mass shootings, we`ve seen LAX, we`ve seen the New Jersey mall. What kind of area is this?

ZEE: Well, as we know, Jane, just about any area sadly is vulnerable now. We`re outside a barbershop. This is a place where people come and go all day and through the evening. It`s certainly not a place that we would expect to see something like this, but then I don`t know that any place anywhere is somewhere we expect or don`t expect this kind of scene anymore.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, how true is that? And what a sad commentary. And look at this. It is unfolding.

Jon Leiberman, HLN contributor, investigator, you`ve been digging with your sources. What have you learned?

JON LEIBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Jane. Let me tell you what my sources are saying.

No. 1, my sources are saying -- and I`m looking at my phone because I`m getting text messages -- that the suspect is still on the loose. And initially, they`re looking for a white Chevy Impala with multiple people inside. It`s unclear if there were multiple shooters, but what we do know is that they appear to be looking for this vehicle with at least two or three people inside. The other things I can tell you is that while eight people were shot, my police sources say at least three are dead, but you can expect that death toll to rise because these people were shot at very, very close range.

Additionally, there`s a gas station near this location where they`re looking for cameras, surveillance video and the like. And this area, I`ve actually been at this area when I worked in "America`s Most Wanted", there`s in candy coating it. This is a rough area. But the scary part is this a commercial strip that borders alongside a residential area as well.

And so -- it`s horrifying what`s unfolding there right now. And my source says it`s a chaotic scene. Obviously you can see some of that. The barbershop is wedged between a liquor store and a couple other stores on this commercial strip. But again, multiple people have been shot, at least three are dead and the rest, at least a couple of those have very serious injuries. They were rushed via ambulance to a nearby hospital.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What we were hearing from WDIV is that this individual or individuals waited outside the store for people to come out and then opened fire. Now what of course, kicks me in the stomach is the idea that when I think of a barbershop it could be kids, children can be in a barbershop. This is not necessarily just adults we`re talking about. We don`t know.

I want to bring in Brian Claypool. You have covered so many criminal cases. I find it sort of an odd fit, and we don`t know -- this is unfolding as we speak. But often, when we hear about these mass shooting it`s an individual operating alone, a troubled young man generally is the profile.

But this case we`re hearing from Jon Leiberman`s sources that a white Chevy Impala is being sought with multiple people inside, potentially, which leads me to believe either all of them might have been involved or that this individual may have carjacked a car with other people involved. I mean, the possibilities are numerous. We don`t want to speculate, but we do not know at this point.

BRIAN CLAYPOOL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Jane, we have to speculate at this point be because we have to start focusing on who we think might be the culprit and why did they do this.

The fact to me that there was no armed robbery here suggests that the assailant may have known somebody inside the barbershop. Out here in southern California, Jane, last year there was a mass shooting at a hair salon and in that case it was a disgruntled husband and his ex-wife actually worked in the salon. So it`s possible that the assailants might have known who was in there, had a relationship with somebody, and was simply retaliating because something was going wrong.

The thing that I think we have to look at here, too, is was there any indication that this was going to happen? Was there any kind of blogging, any kind of social media comments that were circulated that might have led somebody to possibly report this to possibly preempt the shooting occurring. That`s another element that I think law enforcement is going to have to examine.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We are just getting reports in from Detroit police. They say seven shots were fired, three are dead and four others are hospitalized, their conditions unknown.

Now I want to go back, if we can to Alisa Zee, 24/7 News. You are in Detroit. Jon Leiberman says he`s been to this area. It describes it as, make no mistake, it is a rough area but it borders a residential area. So if this individual, the shooter or shooters, is in this white Chevy Impala, which is the report he`s getting, what are the possibilities in terms of getting in a freeway, going into a residential area? What is this strip?

ZEE: Well, really all of the above are possible options. Of course, Jane, if he goes into the neighborhood it`s very dark right now, of course it gets dark at 5 p.m. in the evening. Most of the street lights in the city are out and it would be pretty easy to pull into a neighborhood -- this is also on Seven Mile not too terribly far from freeway access.

So I guess the hope is now that some of the surveillance videos that they`re reviewing from the gas station or any of the other stores might indicate a direction or give more of a positive identification on the vehicle, maybe a license plate or something.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, we all know that Detroit has been struggling recently and as this breaking news story of a mass shooting outside a barbershop in east Detroit unfolds -- and this is information we are just getting in. This story broke seconds before we went on the air tonight.

We do have to ask the question because Detroit`s financial problems have been so widely reported, could that impact the response? I mean, I see a lot of cop cars here. It doesn`t look like there`s any kind of reduction in response. And Jon Leiberman, I don`t know if you want to address that at all.

LEIBERMAN: Yes, well, one thing I do want to address is, frankly, in Detroit they have such good emergency hospitals, E.R. rooms at the hospitals, that their murder rate would actually be much higher, were it not for these amazing first responders that that have there. Now, while they have been hit by some budget cuts, you know, we always used to talk about the fact that they save a lot of lives at those hospitals there, just like in Baltimore Chop Trauma. And so that`s one thing we should point out.

The other thing that my source is saying is that this could have been a targeted hit because this was at the height of -- and I`m just heading some text messages. This was at the height of business at this particular salon or barbershop. This was after work hours.

And so I`m told it`s a pretty small salon or barbershop, whatever you want to call it, but that there were a lot of people in there because this was their busiest time of day, around 5, 5:30 when people are getting off of work.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. You know what? I think it`s time for us as a culture to stop and say -- my heart goes out to everybody hurt. And I pray that those who are hospitalized survive. But this is officially insanity in our culture.

Yesterday in the wake of the New Jersey mall shooting that happened two nights ago, in the wake of the LAX shooting that happened Friday. We are talking about this being the new normal. That`s the LAX terror. OK. We`re talking about essentially a shooting du jour. Last night on this show right at this time we were talking about that. Is this the new normal? And tragically we answered yes. I mean, this is so out of control.

And it`s not your imagination. These mass shootings are definitely happening more and more often. And now it`s starting to seem like every couple of days. And now within a week we`ve had a mass shooting at the West Coast, the LAX airport, on the East Coast, a gunman firing away at a New Jersey mall, and now the middle of the country, a mass shooting being reported right now in East Detroit, and they are hunting right now for individuals or an individual in a white Chevy Impala. They believe there`s multiple people inside.

We have no idea whether that`s a car that`s been commandeered by one very troubled individual with a weapon or whether there`s more people involved. We don`t know if this is one of these just troubled individuals acting out, shooting strangers or whether this was a targeted shooting. We really do not have the information right now. So we are going to stay on top of the story. More information comes in, we`ll update you throughout the hour. And we`re going to move on because we have told you everything we know at this moment in time.

Now stay right there. On the other side, we`re switching gears. We`re going to talk about a huge controversy involving a huge star and two of his ex-wives. They`re triangulated in a very, very bizarre situation. I think you know who I`m talking about. I`m talking about Charlie Sheen. OK. This is going to make his "Two and a Half Men" battle look like a tea party. Stay right there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: And then I can have a life like theirs? I`m going to pass.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really? Why.

SHEEN: Because I`m a winner. And their lives look like they`re, you know, ruled by losers. Just to put it in black and white terms. I don`t want their lives, and they don`t want mine. They want to criticize the hell out of it, you know?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER (voice-over): Sheen is in a war with his ex-wife over the care of their two young kids, Bob and Max. Going all Charlie Sheen in an interview with "TMZ Live."

SHEEN: It`s Jekyll and Hyde behavior that is a direct result from the visits at Brooke`s house

She`s one of the most incompetent losers I`ve ever encountered ever.

She doesn`t have words for...

BROOKE MUELLER, CHARLIE SHEEN`S EX-WIFE: I don`t. It`s too much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight a shocking -- I mean shocking -- new Charlie Sheen controversy as the war between him and his ex-wife, Brooke Mueller, who is the mother of his two young boys, heats up. As they say, complicated.

Charlie`s other ex-wife, actress Denise Richards, has had temporary custody of Charlie and Brooke`s twin boys for the past several months after Brooke was placed on a 5150, an involuntary hold, following an allegedly overdose.

Now, Brooke has had a long-running drug problem. Charlie agreed his other ex, Denise, who had three girls, would be a great mommy to watch the boys. But TMZ is reporting tonight that Denise is now saying these young boys, 4 years old, are extremely troubled and she fears for her three little girls and her dogs.

This as ex-wife Brooke is denied a restraining order from Charlie Sheen who claims she -- she claims he violated a gag order when he recently bashed her on TMZ.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEEN: It`s a horror show. It`s a horror show. It`s the kids being around drugs, being around paraphernalia, being around drug dealers. Very nefarious-type people that come and go. It`s a house filled with creeps and cretins that have no business being around children. Brooke included.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We have not confirmed any of this. Charlie is claiming -- we reached out to Charlie, Brooke and Denise, the whole triangle. Charlie`s rep had no comment and we haven`t heard back from the two ex-wives.

So I want to go to Anna David, CEO, ActivePartyChat.com. You`ve been very involved in the recovery movement. Precious little seen of it in this story. This is a tragedy for these kids. And, you know, the apple doesn`t fall far from the tree. It`s a cliche, but it is true, true, true.

ANNA DAVID, CEO, ACTIVEPARTYCHAT.COM: Yes. I mean that`s also what I was thinking. The letter that Denise Richards wrote about what is going on with these boys is heartbreaking. You literally tear up reading it.

And I`m sure it`s the environment that they`re in, but they also may have developmental disorders that they -- that are genetically inherited. It seems like something -- Charlie and Brooke seem to be putting their own personal sort of vendettas against each other above the needs of these children, and it is tragic to read what has happened. It`s really sad.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It certainly is; absolutely horrific. I mean, listen, if your mom is in and out of rehab over a dozen times -- I hear it could be much more than that -- dad, well we know Charlie, what do you expect?

Charlie told TMZ if the boys` behavior doesn`t improve, they`ve been told that they will actually have to leave their school and they will have to be homeschooled. That`s what I call a nightmare.

Here`s more of Charlie`s interview about the boys` alleged violent mood swings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEEN: When they leave for the visits with her, they`re fine, and when they come back they`re completely incorrigible. They`re completely -- they -- there`s no logic, no rationale. They throw stuff at the girls. They kick the dogs. They attack Denise. It`s Jekyll and Hyde behavior that is a direct result from the visits at Brooke`s house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Back out to the Lion`s Den. Eboni Steele, the idea that this man is accusing his 4-year-old twins of Jekyll and hide behavior and it sounds like he`s blaming the ex, when he -- I mean, can I say just one word that could sum it up? Warlock?

EBONI STEELE: Exactly. I think this is one of the things that -- it`s not the first time that we`ve seen this, nature versus nurture. And look how these kids are being nurtured. They`re being nurtured by a mother who could really care less, because she`s not even in her right state of mind, because she`s on drugs. And then the father is Charlie Sheen. So what do you expect? When you see this, when you look at it, the sad part is it seems kids that would have everything materialistically, have access to everything.

But we see the same thing with poor Katherine Jackson looking after Michael Jackson`s kids. When you don`t have the stability there, this is what happens, and it`s so unfortunate.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, here`s my rant. You bring me to it.

Some of you might have thought that Charlie Sheen got away with a whole lot. You know, he`s the star of his new hit show, "Anger Management," and still, he`s raking in the bucks, basically admitting to doing drugs -- at least in the past he admitted it -- and living with his goddesses, and despite going bonkers as the whole country watched, acting out during his battle with his previous boss on his previous show, "Two and a Half Men." I think we all remember this performance from Ustream.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEEN: Chuck E. Cheese. Keep that in mind, phones, built by trolls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like the way you go to Ustream and you see -- you go to Ustream.com. Have you had your breakfast yet, my friend?

SHEEN: No. I`m smoking a cigarette and drinking something I won`t reveal unless they pay me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So I have to ask: Did Harvey -- did Charlie really have the last laugh? No. I think life has a funny way of getting the last laugh, because it would seem the sins of the father are now being visited on the sons, with these reports that Charlie Sheen`s two 4-year-old boys are seriously troubled and acting out. Remind you of anyone?

I mean, come on. Does anybody connect the dots? Are these kids damaged because of the lifestyle of Charlie and his goddesses and his ex- wife, the mother of these kids, Brooke, who`s been in and out of rehab; in and out, in and out I don`t know how many times?

Help me out here. Eboni Steele, I mean, this is so obvious.

STEELE: Yes. I mean, when you`re talking about this right now, Jane, let`s even go beyond that. Let`s -- I forget the year exactly -- I don`t want to quote it wrong -- but let`s say when he accidentally shot Kelly Preston in 1990, and then there was another issue where he allegedly choked out a stripper or some woman of this sort. So this is a history; this is a pattern.

He`s saying, "I`m never going to leave you out there, girl. I`ve got your back on this."

What is sad about this, though, is the children. Like, what -- do they go to the state? Do they go -- and poor Denise Richards.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How about -- how about Martin Sheen, Charlie`s father? He seems, like, relatively well-balanced. Maybe not in the days of "Apocalypse Now" but today.

STEELE: Or maybe he should go to counseling.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s go out to the phone lines. Blair, Texas, what have you got to say about this? Blair, Texas.

CALLER: Hey, Jane, thank you for taking my call. Do they even know who has custody of these kids? Does Charlie or does Brooke have custody of the kids? I`m just really curious?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know what? On the other side of the break we`re going to get the expert on this, somebody from TMZ. They have been up to here on this story, and they`re going to answer all your questions. Stay right there, because they`ve broken a lot of this news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEEN: There`s more love, compassion, support, childcare and everything else you could possibly want for a child in this lovely home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUELLER (via phone): My husband had me with a knife, and I fear for my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via phone): Are you guys separated right now?

MUELLER: Yes, right now. We have people that are separating us but I have to file a report.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are there other people there? Does he still have the knife?

MUELLER: Yes, he still does.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s your name?

MUELLER: Brooke.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what`s your husband`s name?

MUELLER: It`s Charlie Sheen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. That`s the 911 call from four years ago, Charlie Sheen arrested on Christmas Day four years ago after his then-wife, Brooke, called 911, claiming that Charlie had pulled a knife on her. You just heard the 911 call. Charlie ended up pleading guilty to third-degree domestic violence. That was four years ago, and these twin boys are about 4 years old, and they are troubled and they are acting out, according to their dad.

The kids are not all right. And whose fault is it? You do the math.

Straight out to Sara, Utah, have you got to say? Sara. Sara.

All right. Anna David, let me ask you this. You`re in recovery, right?

DAVID: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. So is there any way -- I mean, the mom is a chronic slipper. OK. She`s been in and out of rehab, I`ve heard something like 19 times but don`t quote me on the exact number. A lot. That`s a chronic relapser. We all know Charlie Sheen`s record. OK. We don`t need to recap that. We just did. Do these kids have a shot in hell? What should -- what should happen here?

DAVID: First of all, by the way, I went to rehab with Brooke. My rehab, when I got sober 12 years ago, she was there; I knew her. And you know, she suffers from a disease that doesn`t mean I think anything she`s doing is OK. I think it`s tragic that these two people had kids.

And I think those children they have can be saved if they are put in a safe environment and given serious counseling. What Denise Richards` letter said was that Brooke wasn`t allowing the kids to go see psychologists and psychiatrists, which I think is terrible. But if there were grandparents that could intervene -- Martin Sheen, whoever else -- and could put those kids in a safe environment, I do think that they have a chance. I think they have a predilection for addiction and...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And when they grow up they`re going to have to go to adult children of alcoholics meetings. I`m a child -- I`m a recovering alcoholic and I`m also a child of an alcoholic, and I`ve gone to that and those are the adult meetings. I`m saying the children.

There are 12-step programs. I`m not trying to talk about anything that`s supposed to be anonymous, but we want to help people.

Mike Walters, TMZ. What do you know? You pretty much broke a lot of this story.

MIKE WALTERS, TMZ (via phone): Yes, Jane, I was just listening to your conversation, and I have to say, just to update everybody, just now they were both in court, Charlie and Brooke Mueller, face to face, and basically the judge said, "Charlie. shut up. If you talk any more to the media" -- which by the way, a lot of it was on "TMZ" -- "but if you talk any more to the media, I`m going to jail you. I`m going to throw you behind bars."

But he also said, "Charlie, stop contacting Brooke. You have to stay 200 yards away from her from now on."

But I think we should go back, just like you were saying, to the kids, I`ve covered this story for a long time. And right now the kids are in the guardianship of Denise Richards, the sober, sane person in this group of people, and also they live with their sisters. They have two sisters that Charlie and Denise had, I believe that are 7 and 8 years old, Sam and Lola. So the most comfortable, well-rounded place they could be is here, just like the person on the program said.

Brooke Mueller, according to all these documentations, all these documents, is blocking their psychological therapy. She thinks that there`s some other agenda and this is somebody that`s been on drugs on and off for a very long time. The paranoia has set in. She believes they`re trying to take her kids away for good and just kind of move them into Denise`s house. And the problem with that is she`s blocked their therapy.

I have an e-mail here, Jane, I`m looking at as I talk to you, from their pediatrician, saying get them therapy right now. And the problem is...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Can`t the court order that?

WALTERS: The judge can order it, but it`s to a doctor that they all agree on. And the pediatrician wants the specific people, doctors to work on them and work with them. Brooke won`t do it. Brooke wants her own doctor that she likes.

The problem with it, Jane, is when you start like this, nothing ever happens, and the kids just suffer.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, listen, this is a horrible triangulation. I think Denise is very healthy to say, "I`m not going to be codependent on the situation. I`ve got to protect my own kids and my family."

And I just pray for these two little boys. I hope they do get some therapy. I think they definitely can be redeemed and can turn out OK. But they need help. They need help right now.

And Brooke Mueller, if you`re watching, shame on you. It`s one thing to mess up your own life but don`t mess up your kids` lives. They need therapy, they need help now. Step off -- "b" word.

The mayor of one of the world`s largest cities said "Yes, I smoked crack but I`ll never do it again." Have we reached a new low in politics? I think so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ROBERT FORD, TORONTO, CANADA: I`m not going to sit here and say I`m never going to drink again. That`s not realistic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything in moderation, Rob.

FORD: Everything in moderation is fine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything in moderation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Toronto`s mayor admits, "I smoked crack cocaine", but he isn`t planning on quitting.

FORD: Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine.

JIMMY KIMMEL, TALK SHOW HOST: You understand his excuse for smoking crack is he was drunk. In Canada is that like a legitimate defense?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, brace yourself. Fasten your seat belts -- whatever -- however you`re every going to do it because politics has definitely reached a brand new low.

Ok. We`ve already seen the parade of cheating scandals, underwear Twitter pictures, toe tapping under the bathroom stall -- this one takes the cake. The mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford -- remember that name -- has finally come clean confessing he smoked crack cocaine while he was in a drunken stupor. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORD: Yes I have smoked crack cocaine but no -- do I? Am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably (inaudible) about a year ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We need to hear that one more time. Just to really absorb it. Roll it again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORD: Yes, I smoked crack cocaine. Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow, this of course happened while he`s still in office. Yes, he`s still the mayor. Ford initially denied the allegation he smoked a crack pipe claiming the news video was out to get him but cops claim to have video proving he smokes crack, said they would show it in court so the mayor finally confessed the truth although he seems to have very little shame about his behavior.

But even after confessing to an obvious drinking and serious drug problem, he refuses to resign. And now the crack head mayor is the butt of every late night comedian on the planet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: It`s Election Day in America. I believe that in Canada it`s resignation day in Toronto -- it could be resignation day.

Do you know about this? Toronto mayor, a guy named Rob Ford, has admitted yes he had smoked crack cocaine. He said yes, I smoked crack -- this is what he said -- but I was in a drunken stupor when I did it. So at least he had a good excuse. Yes.

JON STEWART, TALK SHOW HOST: Look, am I a crack user? I`m a social crack user. When I drink yes, I sometimes smoke a little crack. That`s how I am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh my gosh. Kevin Donovan, investigator editor, senior reporter "Toronto Daily Star", I understand that you have seen the video of him smoking crack. I am so interested to hear you describe it. Tell us.

KEVIN DONOVAN, "TORONTO DAILY STAR" (via telephone): You want to hear about the video?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

DONOVAN: Well, it`s a video that takes about 90 seconds to run. We saw it three times in the company of a drug dealer who apparently shot the video. It`s Mayor Ford in a room. He`s the only one on camera. He`s quite obviously impaired, lolling back in his seat and smoking a crack pipe.

And one of the things that I found most interesting was a person off camera who was goading him to make some comments -- racially charged homophobic sort of comments. That`s it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh my gosh, racially-charge homophobic comments.

You know, thank you, and please stand by.

Two more reasons why he shouldn`t be mayor. You know what I find fascinating? As a recovering alcoholic myself, a lot of people are shocked. Mayor Ford isn`t the type of person when we say crack head. People would normally think of somebody like, for example, David Chappelle`s Tyrone Biggums from his fantastic Comedy Central skit. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CHAPPELLE, COMEDIAN: You tell anybody, I`ll kill you. I`ll kill you.

Look out crack, here I come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Straight into the lion`s den. Ellis Henican, "Newsday" columnist, social commentator is Mayor Ford the real face of crack? Do we as a culture fall victim to stereotypes that often are prejudiced about what a crack cocaine user looks like? What his racial ethnic background might be? When the truth is drug addiction knows no boundaries of that sort whatsoever and there are plenty of people in suits with good jobs that use crack.

ELLIS HENICAN, "NEWSDAY" COLUMNIST: Jane, I can`t believe I`m using this but this mayor gives crack heads a bad name. He doesn`t look like any crack head I`ve ever seen. They`re mostly rail thin, the ones we have around here.

What it makes me wonder is what does it take to get impeached in Canada? I guess you have to shoot a moose or come out against hockey or something. I mean this guy has been a disaster from day one. It didn`t start with --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is really crazy.

HENICAN: I mean he has a history of boorish behavior, groping a female politician. You know He got fired as a high school coach because he got in some violent confrontation with one of the kids. I mean honestly, smoking crack may not be the worst thing he`s done, at least that is the belief.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok.

(CROSSTALK)

EBONY STEELE, CO-HOST, "THE RICKEY SMILEY MORNING SHOW: When you think about his history too and when you`re talking about him being impeached from office, from what I understand the way the government works there, it`s that the only way that that can happen is if he doesn`t resign himself is that he has to not show up for work for so many days. And that`s the only way that he can just be relieved from office.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, hold on a second. Kevin Donovan, you`re Canadian, crack is illegal in Canada, right? So if you`re caught on camera smoking crack why can`t you be arrested on that basis alone, mayor or not?

DONOVAN: The same as it would be in the United States, just seeing somebody appearing to smoke a narcotic on camera is not a crime.

STEELE: Exactly.

DONOVAN: That the crime is the actual possession or trafficking of it. And that`s what the police were investigating and are investigating.

(CROSSTALK)

HENICAN: Let me tell you, the cops in New York, the cops in New York and in most American cities, let me tell you, they would find something pretty quick to charge you with.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Yes.

STEELE: All of this has been silly from the beginning. When you think about a drunken stupor, who remembers a drunken stupor any way? Don`t you forget that?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The fact that he claims he doesn`t have a problem, let me tell you, if you`re that drunk you`ve got an alcohol problem.

STEELE: Exactly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Take it from me.

STEELE: We got you, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stay right there. We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s your Crazy Video of the Day. A man drowning, hidden between two rocks, he is stuck face down in the water -- people. But fellow extreme kayakers quickly come to their friends rescue using ropes to harness him so he can breathe again then pulling him to safety all caught on tape.

Incredible. Now those are real friends. .

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need a game changer to solve this problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I realize the shock of all shocks --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The majority is against nuclear power.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A stunning new controversy that seriously, no exaggeration, could determine the future of our planet. A controversial new film is making the case that environmentalists are hurting the environment by overstating the dangers of nuclear power plants while the traditional alternatives -- coal, oil, natural gas continue to devastate our environment. This at a time when the population is exploding creating an ever increasing demand for energy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The standards of green environmentalist narrative has been that we can all use less energy so we can be renewable, we can go for energy efficiency. The idea that humankind is simply wasting and using too much -- I have a lot of time for that argument but you can`t keep using less energy forever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most people kind of think that somehow we`re going to reducing our energy consumption. Actually we just find more and more uses for it. If you look at all of the energy that is used by an iPhone, not just to make it and to power it, but also to power all the servers -- all of this stuff that you don`t see that the iPhone is connected -- it uses as much energy as a refrigerator.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Watch this stunning new film and decide for yourself. "PANDORA`S PROMISE", it airs tomorrow night Thursday night on CNN, 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Now to challenge the film`s controversial premise we have with us Dale Bryk, you are the director of the natural resources defense council`s energy program. What do you think of this movie?

DALE BRYK, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Well, I think this movie sets up a false choice between nuclear and coal when we have superior alternatives to both of those polluting resources.

First of all energy efficiency and the film doesn`t interview a single person who has any expertise on energy efficiency when over the last 40 years in this country that actually has been our number one resource for meeting our energy needs. And that`s making every home, office building, factory, more efficient, better appliances and better equipment.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But you have to say in a population that`s expected to hit nine billion by 2050. We`ve got more and more people being born, they all want more and more energy adopting Western lifestyle around the world -- something has got to give.

BRYK: Right. Absolutely. And we want to get energy resource to developing countries in the cheapest, cleanest, fastest way that we can do that and that is renewable energy -- solar, power, wind. We can get those resources to the villages that currently don`t have energy services much more quickly and much more cheaply than building nuclear plants.

The film is so misleading because they look at things like the volume of waste. But of course it`s the radioactivity of the waste that`s a worry with nuclear. And they look at the devastation in Fukushima and Chernobyl and they say, you know, this mess is because of the tsunami. Well, of course you can`t see the radiation but the reason that nobody has moved back to town to rebuild is because the government informed by modern science is saying don`t come back here, it`s not safe.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Their point is that three million people die from coal, oil, natural gas and all sorts of other old traditional energy forms and that three million -- which is their figure, I don`t know -- three million is a lot bigger than tens of thousands.

BRYK: Right. Well the film is absolutely correct to highlight the urgency of global warming and the need to combat the climate crisis and replace coal and fossil fuels. But the way to do that is with renewable energy and energy efficiency which doesn`t kill anybody. There`s no cancer risk increase from improving the efficiency of our buildings and our vehicles and that`s where we need to start.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The bottom line that I got from the film as an environmentalist is that all of this is being discussed because developing countries, including the United States, have completely abrogated their responsibility. They have dropped the ball on things like the Kyoto protocol and other major environmental efforts that would restrain the climate change. Since the government has dropped the ball, we`ve got the talk about something because we cannot wait for Uncle Sam to do it.

BRYK: We think the best way to solve the global warming problem is to put a limit on pollution and then let all of the competing resources do exactly that. Compete on a level playing field and if you allow nuclear power to compete against wind, solar and energy efficiency, it will lose. It`s been losing for the last two decades and it`s going to continue to lose because those resources are cheaper, cleaner and you can deploy them much more quickly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to thank you for joining us today and being a good sport and debate this very -- the most important thing is that we`re talking about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey Foxy, tonight, a possible breakthrough for animal rights. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is planning on creating a database of convicted animal abusers. Right now anybody can walk into a shelter and adopt an animal, even somebody with a history of abuse. But this registry would prevent past abusers from getting new animals who could become their next victim. This database for example could help dogs like Puppy Doe who was found nearly beaten to death in a Massachusetts park.

Straight out to Chris Green from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Now the guy who allegedly did this was charged with a whole bunch of captive animal cruelty. How would your registry help that person from attacking another animal?

CHRIS GREEN, ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND: Well, once they are charged and convicted, they then would go on this data bass. And so if they ever try to go into a shelter or even a pet store and try to find another animal, or even to prevent this very situation if they were going on Craigslist, the person getting rid of the animal on Craigslist could type their name and just ask to see their drivers` license, type in their name and birth date and then it would pop up once that database is populated up, it would pop up whether or not they had been convicted of an animal abuse crime.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is an example of how people are taking these issues far more seriously. I mean this is a time of real change for the animal protection movement -- quickly.

GREEN: For sure, oh yes. And we see that, too. The way this matters to much of the public is that we have seen such a rapid development in adding penalty convictions for different animal abuse crimes. So I think back about 15 years ago, there were only seven states that treated animal abuse as a felony. Now, there`s only one state that doesn`t. It`s got 49 states so here you see in just a span of 20 years --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Chris, thank you so much. Got to go. Animal Legal Defense Fund -- great organization.

Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And now your Slice of Happiness. A North Carolina family lost their home and their two beloved dogs in a fire. Police officers stepped in. They found a dog who needed a home and they brought that dog to comfort this family and they were comforted. It is never too soon to save a life. And with that, I say good night.

Nancy is next.

END