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Officer Darren Wilson Shot Michael Brown; New Details On Michael Brown Shooting

Aired August 15, 2014 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. Of course, we start this hour with that breaking news out of Ferguson, after nearly a week of pressure from political leaders and residents, the Ferguson police chief has named Darren Wilson as the officer who shot unarmed teenager, Michael Brown.

We know that Wilson is a six-year veteran of the police force, has no history of disciplinary action and is from the St. Louis area. There was another bomb shell in Chief Ferguson's announcement earlier this morning.

He also talked about a strong armed robbery. He also talked about intimated that Michael Brown could possibly have played a part in this robbery.

Ana Cabrera is now going through a pocket of information about the shooting. We'll get to her in just a minute, but first, let's head to CNN's Don Lemon. He is live outside of Ferguson's police station with more on this -- Don.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Carol, didn't really connect the dots, did he? And leaving a lot to the imagination and a lot for really assumption here. But here's what he said. I'll go through it. He walked up to the microphone, took his time with doing it, and then, you know, sort of tried to figure out where he was, lost his place a little bit.

And I think he was being very meticulous about what he said because he doesn't want anything to be misconstrued here. But he certainly left a lot of details to the imagination. So here's what he said. I'll go through it and we will get up what he said just moments here.

He said I have a lot of sunshine law requests for documents. He said some of it, I can talk about it, some I can't, some of it I can release, some of it I can't.

He said I also have information about on August 9th robbery that preceded the shooting death of Michael Brown and then he went on to follow up on that. Let's take a listen now to the Ferguson police chief, Tom Jackson. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM JACKSON, FERGUSON POLICE CHIEF: So I want to give you a little timeline of what happened on August 9th. From 11:48 to noon, the officer involved in the shooting was on a sick call on Glenn Ark. There was an ambulance present. At 11:51, there was a 911 call, from a convenience store nearby, not this one.

At 11:52, dispatch gave a description of a robbery suspect over the radio. A different officer arrived at the store where the strong arm robbery occurred. A further description, more detail was given over the radio and stated the officer was walking -- or the suspect was walking toward quick trip.

Our officer left the sick call. He encountered -- he encountered the -- I'm sorry -- at 12:01 p.m., our officer encountered Michael Brown on canfield drive. At 12:04, a second officer arrived on scene immediately following the shooting and at 12:05, a supervisor was dispatched to the scene and subsequent officers arrived.

There has been some questions about the calling of an ambulance. The ambulance that was at the sick case on Glenn Ark was coming by immediately following the shooting and they did respond to assess Michael Brown.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: OK. So then we know what -- as much as we can from eyewitnesses and from what police have said what occurred after that. What has been said that occurred after that, was that Michael Brown and his friend, Dorian, was walking in the middle of the street.

Confronted by the police officer who we know now his name is Darren Wilson, a six-year veteran of that police department. No disciplinary action who they say has been treated for injuries that occurred on that Saturday.

They get into a confrontation that ultimately ends in the death of Michael Brown. Here's the bomb shell in all of this. To many here in Ferguson and then the St. Louis area, we had heard about it, many people had heard about this, but we were not able to get confirmation on it.

That at that convenience store that he is talking about, not the QT that was burned down close to where Michael Brown lived, at another convenience store, there was a robbery that occurred and that was the description of the suspect that they were given over the radio by the dispatch.

In that sunshine packet that they gave to Ana Cabrera and other reporters who are on the scene going through it now, there is a videotape in that or some surveillance video from that convenience store that shows a strong arm robbery.

Someone where you can see clearly punching the face of the clerk, and then stealing cigars, and that's, again, I'm getting this information second hand. I have not seen it, but that's according to the reporters and producers who are on the scene over at the QT, the burnt-out QT.

That's on the videotape and we're going to get that up for you on CNN. The question remains though --

COSTELLO: Actually, Don --

LEMON: Go ahead, Carol.

COSTELLO: We have Ana Cabrera but she's been going through that packet. Dorian's last name is Jonathan. He was Michael Brown's friend. He didn't mention any strong arm robbery when he was giving his account of what happened last Saturday to Michael Brown. So Ana Cabrera, you've been combing through this packet, what have you found?

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are still going through it, Carol, so I don't want to jump the gun here so to speak, but I do want you to know I can provide a little bit more information about exactly what we received. So there isn't any confusion to our viewers here.

We got the dispatch logs that show the time of the events that commence with the initial 911 call that's related to that robbery as well as still photos of just certain frames of that surveillance video that show the crime that gave rise to that initial 911 call, again, that strong arm robbery. We don't have any more about the investigation in that case.

We will not receive the 911 recordings, you may have heard some dispatch radio recordings that's different than the 911 recordings. So again, that's what we have and what we don't have?

We have some pictures that I just got handed from the producer. You cannot make out the real -- they aren't great. You can't make out exactly whose face that is. You can see mostly the physique of that person from that strong arm robbery. That happened at a convenience store, not the Quick Trip that I'm at.

I know there's a little bit of glare. Let me try to get these in frame so all of you at home can see. You see a person here wearing a hat. There's a red hat. A person in a white t-shirt. We don't have any more details. There's another person in this shot as an individual is walking into that convenience store.

I don't know how conclusive these images really are about whether or not these are Michael Brown. I just don't know. So we're starting to get at least more details about the connection what happened with Michael Brown.

The first images of that robbery that prompted an initial 911 -- we're going to continue to go through the documents that we received and as well as a CD that we received with some of the pictures, if we can get a better clearer picture we can put up there, and if we can confirm the identity of this person, we will.

But at this time we cannot confirm the identity of the person in these images that were given to us from the surveillance video from the convenience store where there was a reported strong armed robbery, Carol. I also have somebody here with me --

COSTELLO: I want to say to our viewers, we have that picture on screen right now and before you go to the citizen you have that you are about to interview, I want to bring in Jean Casarez because she has some interesting insight on why the police chief didn't expressly tell the community who he thought this was in these surveillance tapes.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think it's pretty understandable because the prosecutor would say right now this is my job to tie up all the loose ends, to provide the analysis and what we believe the conclusions are here.

And furthermore, ultimately, it may be in the hands of a jury and the police really have to stay I think neutral and if you notice the words were very carefully chosen. They were all very factual, right, with not tying it together because they will be witnesses.

Police officers will take the stand so they have to maintain their credibility, but I think reading between the lines as you and Don Lemon were doing, I think you have it right because the officer involved got a call that there had been a strong arm robbery and he was headed toward the Quick Stop.

And that's exactly in the vicinity of the officer, so I think we're looking at mistaken identity possibility right there. I pulled the law on self-defense because that's what the officer's defense will be. We think he himself believes he's in imminent fear of death.

In Missouri, self-defense an emergency procedure, which would otherwise be a felony or murder is justified to avoid an imminent public or private injury. If that officer reasonably believed that this was the suspect, we don't know, the devil is going to be in the details here, then the defense would say he's justified.

COSTELLO: I guess, the problem I have -- the police are just allowing the media to determine who this person is in the surveillance tape, and I'm not sure that that's the right road. I mean, I hear what you are saying.

CASAREZ: Well, have they found this person in the surveillance tape?

COSTELLO: I don't know.

CASAREZ: I have no idea.

(CROSSTALK)

CASAREZ: Right now, they are in the midst, as we heard, last night we heard on don's show that they are about finished with their investigation of the interviewing witnesses. It will then go into the hands of prosecutors and then to grand jury.

COSTELLO: OK, Don Lemon, you have new information. Tell us.

LEMON: I want to say, Carol, that we're not exactly sure and Anna may be able to clear this up. He explicitly said that there was videotape. He said there's videotape of this, but so far all we have seen are pictures. Now, just, you know, for transparency, if you look at the video of Michael Brown laying on the ground, right, after his death, he's wearing a white t-shirt, khaki shorts. There is a red baseball cap that is clearly visible with a logo on it.

If you put the pictures back up, you will see in these pictures of the convenience store white shirt, khaki shorts, red cap. Now, I don't know if, again, we cannot be 100 percent sure that this is Michael Brown, but if you are looking for someone that matches the description, it does match the description.

What that has to do ultimately played out on the scene, I don't know. I'm not -- I wasn't there. I'm not a police officer or investigator. But again in full transparency if you look at the video that we do have of Michael Brown and the pictures laying on the ground, it's the same outfit.

Do we know if this is Michael Brown? We don't. And do we know if there's video? According to the police chief, he says there is video, but so far we've only seen these stills coming from the packet that he handed out at the press conference.

COSTELLO: It's interesting. I actually want to go to Ana Cabrera because I want to know how the community is reacting to this right now. Ana, tell us.

CABRERA: Carol, I do want to tell you in just a second, but I think I have some more information that is getting to the facts of what happened in that convenience store. I got to an important paragraph in the documents that we are combing through.

And I want to read you some of this because in the documents, it identifies brown as the person who was in that convenience store at the time those images were taken and let me read it to you. This is what it says happened.

He had just come out of the restroom, this is the clerk. There's some stuff that's redacted, so there are some pauses here, but blank had just come out of the restroom and returned to the counter, where she observed Brown tell this other person that he had wanted several boxes of cigars.

And as this person behind the counter was placing the boxes on the counter, it says Brown grabbed a box of Swisher sweet cigars, handed them to Johnson. We assume that's Dorian Johnson, who was standing behind Brown.

Somebody witness -- somebody else tell Brown that he had to pay for those cigars first. That is when Brown reached across the counter and grabbed numerous packs of Swisher sweets and turned to leave the store.

That's when someone called 911. It says meanwhile the other person was trying to lock the door until Brown return the merchandise to him. That's when Brown grabbed this person by the shirt and forcefully pushed him back into a display rack there. Another individual backed away and Brown and Johnson exited the store with the cigars. So that is the information we have about that strong armed robbery in which in the initial incident report from the Ferguson Police Department, it has the name Brown and Johnson in that report.

So that's what is connecting that armed or strong armed robbery to what happened afterwards. That's an interesting new information we just learned, Carol, and Sandy beside me is a resident in this area, who came out to listen to what the police chief had to say.

You said you had to be here. What is your reaction to the police's press conference that he held and the information and pictures that we have just shown the world.

number one, I'm floored that he lied. Yesterday, when the reporter asked was it Darren, was it Police Officer Darren, and he said no, and then today he comes out and says the exact same person. That's number one.

Number two, he said that it was a robbery, when we initially no one heard that it was a robbery at all, and, you know, the fact that there's a picture and all of these things, anyone could walk in the store and they could get surveillance and take a picture.

I don't see that he's robbing the store. I see a picture of a young man. I don't know who it is.

CABRERA: Those still images.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are still images. I don't know who -- I can't identify who this is and don't think --

CABRERA: They don't show the contact between him and another individual.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It doesn't appear to be a robbery. It appears that someone is walking in the store and standing there. So I think that they are trying to cover up for this police officer. I think that they are tarnishing this young man's name and --

CABRERA: How do you feel about what you think happened or how this at all unfolded?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Expected. I think why we came out like we did, why the people of Ferguson and other people from surrounding areas came out like we did is because we felt like there was going to be an injustice, and I think we knew and so it's one of those things that you knew that they were going to lie.

You felt they were going to lie about this, and I think they are covering up a lot of things. They are covering up this officer, and it's unfortunate.

CABRERA: Does what happened here with the announcement of the officer's name now, with the release of these documents, help or hurt the situation as it stands? I know the police chief this morning said they are trying to be transparent and this was a symbol of that, he felt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I feel -- it hurts it because initially why wasn't this -- why now? Why on Friday, almost a week later, we're hearing that supposedly there was a robbery and you have the 911 call and you have these pictures and things. Why now? Why wasn't it said in the beginning? If it was anyone else, we would know that day.

CABRERA: Do you feel like what happened last night with the calm being restored to this community is what happened today going to change that tone that was established last night?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope not. I think everyone will still be calm. I think the police and all the force with the snipers and the tear gas and all that stuff had people a little upset and frustrated and angry and things because they were coming at them. They weren't deescalating the situation at all.

I think I was out here last night. I was also in front of the Ferguson Police Station last night and I didn't see anything that was not calm. It seemed to be pretty peaceful and I think everyone will be the same way tonight. We want justice.

I think people will be upset, rightfully so. I'm upset. I think that as long as we don't have that threat of K-9 dogs and snipers and things facing us, I think people will be the same way they were last night.

CABRERA: And be peaceful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think people will be upset. I can't answer how some people will react, I think majority, a lot of people will be peaceful.

CABRERA: We really appreciate your time. I'm not using your name. I know you asked me not to, but thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, thank you.

CABRERA: Best of luck to you and to your community here. Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Ana Cabrera, great job. Thanks so much. I got to take a break. We'll be back with much more in the NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKSON: The officer that was involved in the shooting of Michael Brown was Darren Wilson. He's been a police officer for six years. He has had no disciplinary action taken against him. He was treated for injuries, which occurred on Saturday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right, just about 40 minutes ago, the police chief from Ferguson released the name of the officer involved in the killing of this 18-year-old teenager, Michael Brown. His name is Darren Wilson. He was a police officer for six years. No disciplinary action in his past.

But he was treated for injuries on that Saturday afternoon when this all went down. Apparently, it all started at 11:52 with a robbery, a strong arm robbery in a convenience store, and we have new stills taken from the police packet that Chief Jackson passed out to reporters in Ferguson.

And you can see a young man who appears to be Michael Brown, as Don Lemon pointed out, wearing the same outfit that Michael Brown was wearing on that Saturday, and it appears that there is some sort of scuffle taking place in this convenience store.

I want to bring in Jean Casarez right now. This was termed a strong arm robbery and allegedly Michael Brown was stealing cigars. So what do these pictures definitely tell you if anything.

CASAREZ: First of all, this is an excellent surveillance camera. This is a really strong photographic image of a strong arm robbery, because remember when you are looking at a deadly weapon, it can be your fist, it can be your hand.

What I find interesting as we had heard and the police chief said today that the officer was treated for injuries. What we had heard was that Michael Brown had pushed him in the face and one side of his face was swollen.

If you look at these pictures, the modus operandi is somewhat similar, right? You see the hand going to the side of the face who I believe is the store clerk in that. I think there are still some issues though because even if the law says that you are justified in killing someone.

Because of a public threat, an imminent public threat, he was unarmed, so I think there's still that issue that will continue on even if he is suspect of the robbery.

COSTELLO: And when the dispatch call came out, they termed it a strong armed robbery, which means that the robbery suspect was not armed with a weapon, so the officer would have known that.

CASAREZ: But it also shows that it's a violent struggle, and violence can produce death, so it's more than just a shoplifting scenario.

COSTELLO: Gotcha. I want to go to Tom Foreman now because he's been working on the timeline of what allegedly went down that Saturday afternoon. Tom, I want you to take us through this.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's good to step back at all of this and look at the geography. What we're talking about, St. Louis down here, Ferguson is up here. This is actually the street we're talking about where all this occurred.

If you looked it from a street view. This is what it looks like and the timeline of the actual events that led to Michael Brown's death, very, very short. Here is what agreed upon by everyone. These two young men were walking down the street and a police officer came along in his vehicle and told them to get off the street.

Everyone seems to agree on this general notion of what happened here, but then the stories diverge. The police version is that Brown confronted the officer in his car. As the officer attempted to try to get out of the car, he pushed the door back into the officer and then struck the officer at some point through the window, attacked him and tried to take the officer's gun.

This is the police version. Then as he began to run away, the officer pursued him and shot him about 35 feet away from the vehicle. That is the police version. Now, the version told by other witnesses on the street is very different.

What they say happened was that the officer basically turned his car around here and blocked both these young men and he opened his door into them, that he tried to push them back with the door as he emerge from the car.

Then when he couldn't do that, the witnesses say he reached out and grabbed Brown and tried to yank him in, choking him pulling him toward the car and said he was going to shoot him. The gun went off once. The police also agreed the gun went off once before the officer left the car, then the witnesses say brown ran away, 35 feet away.

The officer is still shooting at him and Brown turned around and raised his hands. That's when he was shot and killed. All of this, Carol, of course, has to be put in one bit of context I want to bring up, I think it does matter.

Think about this community and all the unrest that followed. Would all of this follow one event if there were not around it, maybe not? Here's what's around it. Look at this. Ferguson is a town that had a big demographic shift over a number of decades here.

The population is now 2/3 black and yet the majority of all officials in the area are white. They have been through the political system and campaigning to win most of the offices and be in charge of many things here and the police department overwhelmingly white, 53 officers. Only 3 of them black in a town with 2/3 African-American majority -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You are talking about that tension and I want to go back out to Ferguson and Ana Cabrera and protesters are starting to gather now. Tell us about it -- Ana.

CABRERA: Yes, it's an organized protest, already, Carol and they are chanting, what do you want? Justice and when do you want it? Now. You can see it. A large group walking with their hands up. A symbol we've seen as they reference what witnesses have said happened when Michael Brown was shot. That he had his hands up in a sign of surrendering when the police officer pulled the trigger. Forgive the many screens that are in front of our camera's view, there are understandably several media outlets here and they have screen. This is an organized protest that's happening already.

We are seeing this new information igniting more passion here in the community. So far, we're only seeing peaceful protests, but with a lot of emotion, Carol. I do want to bring in some new information.

As that's happening behind me, I can say definitely that the officer who was responding to the robbery incident and writing up this incident report that we just received, says in his incident report that that robbery was directly related to the shooting death of Michael Brown.

That those two incidents were connected in that it says Michael Brown was identified, by a separate officer, not the officer involved in the shooting, the separate officer who is writing this report.

He was identified by this officer as the same person that was in the convenience store and the same person who was shot and killed by another Ferguson police officer and it confirms that he was the main suspect in that strong armed robbery report -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understood. You continue to pore through that packet of information. We'll be right back in the NEWSROOM.

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