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Don Lemon Tonight

Keeping the Peace in Ferguson; Inflammatory Rant by Police Officer; The Children of Ferguson; The Future for Ferguson

Aired August 22, 2014 - 23:00   ET

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


ROB MANFRED, MLB COMMISSIONER ELECT: We want all kinds of kids playing the game more, and that's the kind of approach that Commissioner Selig has actually already started us on and you'll see more of that.

PIERCE JONES, JACKIE ROBINSON WEST: We try to stay humble and we try to not let it get to our heads. It's been hard though. We've been getting stopped a lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've been asked for autographs, right?

JONES: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of odd, isn't it?

JONES: Well --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty cool though.

JONES: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It is 11 pm on the East Coast and 10 pm on the streets of Ferguson. I'm Don Lemon. Michael Brown's funeral is set for Monday.

But on this crucial weekend here, stunning news to report. Two police officers in the area have been suspended. One, an officer on Ferguson crowd patrol. I had a run-in with him earlier this week.

He's been relieved of duty after a video surfaced of him ranting against the president, the Supreme Court, women and gays, even victims of domestic violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN PAGE, RELIEVED OF DUTY: You don't like each other that much? Just kill each other and get it over with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A second officer was suspended over inappropriate posts on his personal Facebook page, like this one he allegedly wrote saying, quote, "These protesters should be put down like a rabid dog the first night."

We're going to get into all of that tonight. But we want to get to CNN's Stephanie Elam. She is out in the crowd and she has more for us.

Stephanie, what do you have?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, it's definitely another night of calm energy out here. You can see that the police are here, but they removed themselves further away from the actual street.

They're further up into the parking lot. So here but not that same presence, also, you see people stopping, maybe buying some barbeque and eating on the street. So they're not forcing people to keep it moving as much.

Some people out here are still out marching. But for the most part, it's calm and almost feels a little bit like a block party without the excitement. But just the people are out here meeting their neighbors. We've seen people who are here from all over the country.

We also just talked to one couple who is actually from the St. Louis area and just wanted to come out and show their support and keep the focus on how this is a part of history and, hopefully, we can learn from this and talk more about race more in this country, one thing that they say, is not happening.

If you look behind me, you can see you also still have the clergy out here also coming out and talking to people and trying to get people to stay galvanized but to keep the positive energy out here going. So another night that so far it looks like it's going to be a good one at this point, Don.

LEMON: Yes. We've seen the protesters and the marchers, but so far we've seen no incidents of violence. It's been peaceful, peace marchers, we should say. Stephanie Elam, thank you very much. We appreciate that.

The rant that got Officer Dan Page suspended is something you really have to hear to believe. Here's CNN's Nick Valencia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Front and center, a St. Louis County police officer on camera making controversial comments about women, gays and, among others, President Barack Obama.

PAGE: Now this here is Kenya. I had my own airplane. I had me a Lear jet. I said, I want to see where that illegal alien who claims to be our president, my undocumented president lives at. So I flew to Africa, and right there, and I went to our undocumented president's home. He was born in Kenya.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Seemingly nothing out of bounds for Officer Dan Page during a speech at an Oath Keepers meeting, believed to be recorded earlier this year. PAGE: Did anybody read the "USA Today," with this homosexual assault right here? That the incident where there are four sodomites on the Supreme Court? Has anybody read this?

Former Justice Stephens wants to change the Constitution, and he lists the six things in here that have to go.

Number one, the Second Amendment.

Why would he pick that one out?

Because he's an idiot.

In the military right now, you have open sodomy, people holding hands, swapping spit together, sick. It's pitiful. You got women trying to -- by the way, and I deeply resent this, we had our first female Green Beret. First they had to redo the qualifications.

We've had our first Marine infantry officer come out. First they had to redo the qualifications. What's wrong here?

We have our first female ranger. What happened here? Something is wrong.

But this here is the foundation for this. You can't separate them. I don't know what them black role perverts don't understand down there. But they need me to talk to them. I'll square them away for you. It'll take me but a minute.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Page, a 35-year veteran of the force has been put on administrative leave for his wide-ranging and inflammatory comments.

PAGE: Do you know how the Muslims take care of you? They cut your head off. Obama is allowing hundreds of thousands of them to come in every week.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Oath Keepers calls itself a non-partisan group of police, military and first responders. Founded by a Yale Law grad in 2009, they say they are defenders of the Constitution.

In a statement, the group said, "Dan Page is not a member of Oath Keepers of St. Louis/St. Charles. He was our guest speaker on one occasion."

PAGE: I personally believe in Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, but I'm also a killer. I've killed a lot. And if I need to, I'll kill a whole bunch more. If you don't want to get killed, don't show up in front of me. It's that simple.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Nick Valencia reporting there. Thank you, Nick.

Earlier, I got reaction to that from that from Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Chief John Belmar (ph) of the St. Louis County police. Listen to what the chief had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. RON JOHNSON, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: The bottom line on this is we expect our police officers to hold themselves to a higher standard. He didn't do that here. His topics were wide ranging, they were offensive, patently offensive to everybody. Frankly, they were bizarre.

And at the end of the day what disturbed me more than anything else was when he talked about the killing. That's out of bounds in my world. Easy way to say it is, we have to establish certain guidelines on how we do discipline. But had he been a probationary officer, I would have fired him five hours ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: This community is preparing for the funeral Monday of Michael Brown. And Reverend Charles Ewing is his uncle. He will deliver the eulogy. I spoke with him exclusively earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Pastor, you have to give the eulogy.

REV. CHARLES EWING, UNCLE OF MICHAEL BROWN: Yes, sir.

LEMON: I can't imagine.

EWING: It's not going to be easy, but I can do it. Yes, sir.

LEMON: Are you counseling the mom?

EWING: Yes, I am. I'm consistently counseling she and my sister. Michael Brown's grandmother is my sister. Yes, sir.

LEMON: What do you say? How do you -- what do you say to someone (INAUDIBLE)?

EWING: Well, basically during this time, all I can do is just embrace them and hold them and to comfort them and just pray that the Lord gives them inner strength, because it hasn't been easy.

LEMON: As we've been out here on the streets of Ferguson, you hear people honking. You still hear, as we do this interview, chanting.

EWING: Yes.

LEMON: How does -- is that -- what do you think about that?

EWING: I believe it's encouraging and that the people are aware of what has happened in this area, and some of them are showing their concern as far as this area.

We are people of peace. We're not violent or rowdy people. We're people for peace, and we encourage the protesters and the rioting, it's not necessary to carry out such drastic measures.

LEMON: His presence will be missed.

EWING: Oh, greatly. Greatly. My son and I was with Michael after he had graduated, went by the house. And he had graduated and so my son and I was trying to encourage him because he was so big.

We said, Michael, now that you're out of high school, go to a college to play football. And we said because you're young, they can condition you and train you. But he said, I can't play football. That's not me. I can't find myself hurting or hitting anyone.

LEMON: You describe him as a gentle giant, but then when you see -- people say it's a strong contradiction of what you see on the video store, at the convenience store, when you hear they're saying that he may have rushed the officer. It's a contradiction of being a gentle giant.

EWING: Yes. I mean, what they're saying, I'm shocked. I never heard of Michael being in any fights. I never seen him even being aggressive. We used to think of him as the Pillsbury doughboy when he was younger because he always was so chubby.

LEMON: And so the family now dealing with this, it's going to be a long road for you guys.

EWING: Yes, sir, absolutely.

LEMON: How will you get through it?

EWING: Oh, we'll make it through the long road. We're binding folks together as one family unit, strengthening each other and most of all with the help of God, He's bringing us through this whole situation.

LEMON: How are you preparing for this new ordeal?

EWING: I am relying upon God first of all. I've been into the word of God, and I do have a message for the whole world concerning this whole situation that hopefully will bring healing to everyone, all the listeners, throughout the nation and the world.

LEMON: Thank you.

EWING: You're very welcome.

LEMON: Bless you.

EWING: God bless you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Now, I want to bring in the man who is working to keep the peace here in the days leading up to Michael Brown's funeral, and that is Col. Richard Gray. He's the public safety director for the city of St. Louis. Thank you so much.

COL. RICHARD GRAY, PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR, CITY OF ST. LOUIS: Thanks for having me.

LEMON: You know, the funeral's going to be in St. Louis, which is your jurisdiction, happening on Monday.

Do you think there will be any issues with unrest and how are you preparing for that as well?

GRAY: With every activity we have in the City of St. Louis, we plan for everything. And so, no, I don't believe there's going to be unrest. I really believe that it's going to be peaceful, but we have put our plan in place. We've met with the family and we've met with the friendly temple, as well as their funeral place where we're going to be taking him to as well.

LEMON: What are you doing to make sure that the residents are safe?

GRAY: Well, again, we'll have our police department that will be there. They're going to make sure that they're protecting a route they're going to have from the funeral home to the gravesite, which will be at St. Paul in Normandy. Then we're making sure that route will be safe for them in that process.

LEMON: You've been a resident living here, and then also then officially the safety director. I would say this is unprecedented, in a sense, for what the area has had to deal with, especially in modern days.

GRAY: Well, in my lifetime.

LEMON: In your lifetime?

Why do you say that?

GRAY: Because this is not -- we've not had a situation that has occurred in Ferguson, and we're obviously growing through this, as well as the community is growing through it as well.

LEMON: Do you think the law enforcement agencies handle this appropriately?

Because we saw there was so much criticism about the police force that looked overmilitarized and that they may, in some way, have made people angrier by showing up as occupiers or looking as if they're occupiers.

GRAY: You're asking me to second guess how they handled it. What I can tell you is this: in the process, as they kept going on, they kept getting better and better in how they were handling the operation going forward.

So I think it was a learning experience, and I think there's a lot of people that got better at what they were doing. I believe that once they put the state in charge, we started seeing things get better as we moved forward with it.

LEMON: Thank you. Appreciate you joining us.

GRAY: You're more than welcome.

LEMON: Have a great weekend.

GRAY: You, too.

LEMON: On Monday we'll see you.

GRAY: OK.

LEMON: Thank you.

We have a lot more ahead here in Ferguson. More on that shocking rant that got a police officer suspended.

Also, questions about the Michael Brown case and the grand jury that's hearing evidence. Why only three of them are African American.

And the future for Ferguson's children, how they're coping with the crisis around them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back. We're live here in Ferguson. We're talking more about the disturbing rant of police Officer Dan Page. I want you to listen to what he had to say about domestic violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAGE: When the inner cities start to erupt, people are going to start killing people they don't like. And I'm going to warn the ladies on something, and this always gets me in trouble, but I have to tell you, the domestic violence stuff, every time a man turns around and gets jammed up by his wife on this, you are heading for trouble, ladies.

A man can be arrested now for domestic property damage, domestic peace disturbance, domestic destruction of property and so forth.

How can you do that in your own house? You can be arrested for domestic trespassing. I've seen people with lines down the middle of the house -- stupid. If you don't like each other that much, just kill each other and get it over with. Problem solved. Get it done. Don't be wasting cops' time. Just shoot each other and get it over with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That wasn't harsh.

I'm joined now by Page Pate, criminal defense attorney and constitutional attorney. Also Mel Robbins, CNN commentator and legal analyst. Also here Chris Chestnut, an attorney who represented the family of

Jonathan Ferrell, the unarmed former college football player, who was shot dead by police last year. And Danny Cevallos, the CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney.

So you guys know about my first interaction with this officer. That was on Monday when we were in a place where they told us the media should be. They gave us -- and then he came through the crowd and started pushing the crowd and then pushing me as well.

But as you see, he had his hand around me so I couldn't even move away from him as he's pushing. And I'm showing this because this is how you get the best view of him, to see that it's the same guy in the video that you see in front of the podium.

So I want to play another -- that was a clip of him.

So what do you guys make of it? Who here thinks that he -- many law enforcement officers in this area are scrubbing their social media sites right now. Mel, you think?

MEL ROBBINS, CNN COMMENTATOR AND LEGAL ANALYST: I think all of them are. You know what I find unbelievable, Don, is how was he on the force for 34 years and had this point of view? Because if he's speaking out in a public forum, he's clearly said this kind of stuff, I would imagine, to his colleagues, Don.

LEMON: Yes. It's hard to believe that -- go ahead. Go ahead.

CHRIS CHESTNUT, ATTORNEY: I was just going to say, this underscores the culture of law enforcement in that community. You wonder why the community is in outrage and why there is marching? It's because this is the norm. These are the officers that are policing communities that don't even believe in the law.

So you have a law enforcement officer who not only doesn't like the law, clearly doesn't like people. He doesn't like women, he doesn't like black people, he doesn't like brown people.

(CROSSTALK)

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Don, I think we should wait a minute before we say this is the norm. I haven't seen a lot of other videos like this. After all, if we did, we wouldn't be focusing on this one.

Look, here's the deal, police officers, yes, they do have a constitutional right to free speech. They just don't have that right to free speech and the right to keep their job.

This is a Supreme Court case. Page can help me out on this one. I'm like con law. But the rule is pretty clear. Police officers can speak to a matter of public concern. But if they also create disharmony within their community, within the job, then the government can regulate the speech of its employees, even if that speech that they couldn't regulate in a private citizen. CHESTNUT: So then what is our defense for the people who are marching here the last two weeks who have had bullets fired at them, who have had the National Guard called in on them? Who've been subject to military paramilitary policing? It's a First Amendment right.

CEVALLOS: OK, so you asked the question. Yes, I'll answer that question for you. So your initial statement was that this is going on all through the police department. I think that's quite a leap.

CHESTNUT: They shot an unarmed man.

CEVALLOS: You think there are that many YouTube videos out there of someone with a rant like this?

CHESTNUT: No. I don't think they're that careless.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Chris --

In all fairness, Chris, I think most people will realize this, most members of law enforcement are good, effective law enforcement agents, whether it be male or female. They're good people. There are a few that --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: -- that make them all look bad.

Page --

CHESTNUT: I agree in general.

LEMON: OK, Page, (INAUDIBLE). There is the First Amendment, and I addressed that with the chief. He said, yes, he has a First Amendment right. But it's concerning as a member of law enforcement that he's out there appearing to be glorifying killing people.

PAGE PATE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE, CONSTITUTIONAL ATTORNEY: Right. There are two issues here. One, yes. The officer clearly has a First Amendment right. He can believe whatever he wants to believe. He can go to groups like this and he can make statements about what he believes.

However, he works for a police department. He has sworn to a particular code of conduct that he must follow. It's not just his belief but it's his behavior. When you hear comments like that about domestic violence by an officer who is being sent to residences to take care of domestic violence, that's a problem for the department. That's a problem for the city. And it's a problem they need to take care of.

LEMON: So, listen, I have -- OK. Chris, hang on.

There are people who are defending him, I'm reading on social media. I've been reading articles since this happened. You guys can give me a show of hands.

Is there anyone on the panel who defends what this officer is saying and thinks he has the right to say it?

Anybody?

No one?

OK.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: It was pointed out to me, certainly not the people behind me. I want to play another clip of Officer Dan Page speaking at the Oath Keepers meeting back in April. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAGE: I personally believe in Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, but I'm also a killer. I've killed a lot. And if I need to, I'll kill a whole bunch more. If you don't want to get killed, don't show up in front of me. It's that simple. I have no qualms with it. God did not raise me to be a coward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Mel, it's shocking because he's a veteran police officer. He's speaking publicly about this group. He's not trying to hide it. He's on a microphone doing it in front of a camera, yet the rest of the police department is saying they didn't know anything about it.

ROBBINS: I find that hard to believe, quite honestly. They might not have known about this speech, Don, but this is what I was getting at earlier. When somebody has beliefs that they're this proud of, this guy is not only just kind of saying what he believes, he's preaching to these people.

You can guarantee if he's been in the force for 34 years, he's been around cadets. I'm sure he has said similar things in passing to other people on the force. What I find to be so alarming is the fact that -- look, there's no evidence of this.

I'm just telling you from my gut. If there is a guy that believes this strongly in this kind of awful, derogatory, horrific kind of stuff that he's talking about, you stand in front of me, I'll shoot you. If you're in a domestic violence relationship, kill each other so I don't have to deal with you as a police officer, you know he has said this stuff to people in the past.

(CROSSTALK)

CHESTNUT: Moreover, he's admitted to killing people. That's what's most concerning. He admitted to killing people.

Don, you're lucky to be alive. He said he'd do it again.

LEMON: This next one is for you. I do have people worried about my safety here.

I want to play this. This is what he said about President Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAGE: I said I want to go find where that illegal alien, who claims to be our president, my undocumented president lives at. So I flew to Africa, and right there, and I went to our undocumented president's home. He was born in Kenya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Our undocumented president's home in Kenya.

Do you think his political opinions that have any bearing on what kind of a police officer he would be?

How many times, Chris, does this have to be knocked down, the president is a resident of the United States, was born in the United States, was not born in Kenya.

And for this guy to be promulgating that as a police officer, I mean, what gives here, Chris?

CHESTNUT: You know, his political views are of no consequence to me. But I'll tell you what is startling and what is concerning is that this officer doesn't believe, not only does he not believe in the law, he doesn't believe in documentation. So this is an officer who would effectuate a stop, absent probably cause, probably not identify the driver.

And if the driver were to assert his rights, he'd either arrest him or as he's admitted earlier, kill him. So this is not the type of person who should have a gun or a badge, nor is it the type of law enforcement agency and they need to overhaul it. I'm not surprised at all that we're having this issue in Ferguson now because of the culture in this law enforcement agency.

CEVALLOS: Chris, I have to ask you, I just want to make sure I understand your logic.

You're saying that because he believes what everyone knows to be a ridiculous view about where President Obama was born, that makes him likely on a routine car stop to shoot and kill the person he stopped? I want to be clear.

(CROSSTALK)

CHESTNUT: He ignored the evidence. He ignores the facts. Clearly, the president has documentation. It's not political.

(CROSSTALK)

CEVALLOS: Let's stick with the facts. And the facts are, under the Constitution, again, he probably has the right to say those things, but he is probably not fit constitutionally to hold the office of police officer.

CHESTNUT: Then we agree.

LEMON: Danny, Danny, hang on. Hang on, hold on, hold on.

Danny, if you have someone who believes something that clearly is not true or logical, I think Chris makes a very good point here.

What is it that would make him believe something that anybody would say, if someone disagrees with him and he believes in his head that it's absolutely true when there is all evidence out there showing that it's not true, I think Chris makes a very good point here.

CEVALLOS: Don, you know, we agree on most of what we're saying. What he says probably renders him constitutionally unfit to serve as a police officer because, using the standard --

CHESTNUT: What about common harmony?

CEVALLOS: -- well, we don't get to just apply our own personal common sense. We have to apply the law. It's all we have, Chris.

And if he creates the disharmony, Don, we agree, he is not fit to hold the office. But we can't extrapolate just because he has some odd views which are now proven to be admittedly --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Here's the truth and the reality of this moment right now. I've got to get to break. I'll continue this conversation on the other side. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: My panel is back with me, Page Pate, Mel Robbins, Chris Chestnut and Danny Cevallos.

OK, guys, let's hear what he says about police officers, because what was most concerning to the chief, obviously, the bigoted remarks, that was concerning. But what he says about killing people. And he is a man with a badge and a gun. Obviously that is very concerning to the chief. Let's listen to what he said about police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAGE: Policeman are very cynical. I know I am. I don't trust nobody and I hate everybody. I hate y'all, too. I hate everybody. I'm into diversity. I kill everybody. I don't care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Page Pate, you were trying to make a point before we went to break. He believes in diversity. He'll kill anybody.

PATE: Right. Don, I have a much bigger problem with the comments this officer makes about what a police officer may be encountering, the fact that he's willing to kill people, his positions on domestic violence, things that affect his job.

However, I have no problem defending his right to say whatever he wants to say about the president, as misguided as it may be, because that doesn't directly affect the department. So he has a right to do that. But when he's talking about his job, possessing a firearm, using a firearm, then it's problematic and he doesn't belong on the force.

CHESTNUT: Don, I think it's shocking. The irony is shocking that we're defending the First Amendment rights of this officer.

What about the First Amendment rights of the protesters who have been shot with rubber bullets, who had assault rifles pointed at them with these paramilitary policing?

The only thing that was missing in Ferguson was drones.

So can we defend the rights of the people?

LEMON: Yes. That's a very good question.

Can we move on now? Did everyone get this out of their system? I think everyone is in agreement that what this officer said was horrific, especially the part about killing and where he appears to be glorifying killing. Let's move on now.

Let's talk about the racial breakdown of the grand jury that will weigh the evidence against Officer Wilson, Darren Wilson. It was released today and is comprised (sic) of three African Americans and nine whites.

Thoughts?

Mel?

ROBBINS: Well, you know, I was talking about this with somebody earlier today, and I'm not surprised that we know the breakout because all it takes is a reporter to camp outside and watch people going in. But I still hold out hope. I'm not as cynical as some of the folks that are on the panel tonight.

But I still hold out hope that the fact that there are three African Americans and seven white folks on this jury -- or this grand jury -- that they can actually look at the evidence that's presented and make the call based on the facts and the evidence and the law and not have this divide along race lines, like everybody wants to predict that it is going to.

LEMON: Danny, how much does this really matter on a -- on a -- hang on, Chris.

Danny, how much does race matter on a jury? More or less than people think maybe? CEVALLOS: Well, it's the grand jury process that, I think, is concerning. See, the problem that everyone has been complaining about, they've been complaining about transparency and how the investigation has been opaque. Now, they're submitting this case to a grand jury. Wait until people find out how secret grand juries are.

The other thing grand juries are criticized for is that there is a punting by the prosecution. If there is not an indictment, if there's no true bill, the prosecutor could theoretically argue, well, that's the grand jury's fault.

So I was a little concerned today when they actually released the makeup of the grand jurors, when the grand jury secrecy is something that is usually very well preserved and you're trying not to reveal information about the identities of the grand jurors.

Overall, those people that were satisfied when they learned that a grand jury would convene maybe they won't be so satisfied when they find out just how secret grand juries are. We will hear virtually nothing about what goes on. And releasing the information about race goes towards releasing the identity of the grand jurors. And I think that is moving on a slippery slope.

We must protect and preserve the identity of grand jurors if we want to maintain the independence of the grand jury system, which is already very much criticized and understandably so because it's so secret.

LEMON: Yes.

OK, Chris, go ahead.

CHESTNUT: Clearly, the grand jury is not reflective of the community. But more concerning for me is who is presenting the evidence to the grand jury. Here we have a state attorney who is obviously biased. He's got problems with nepotism in his office. The investigation is probably --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Can I talk to you about that? Can I talk to you about that, Chris? I spoke to the governor. Every single day, just before I came on to do this show, and I was doing live shots earlier for Anderson and for Erin, people were coming up to me saying, you got to get the videotape of the prosecutor McCullough, Bob McCullough doing this. You should know about this.

Every day someone says, Bob McCullough cannot be objective. He should be removed. The governor said yesterday it is not going to happen.

So what happens at the end of this? Bob McCullough is in place and people don't get the outcome that they think they're going to get. Then what?

CHESTNUT: Thank God for Eric Holder. That's where we're going to get justice because this isn't -- you know, we have problems in Charlotte in the Ferrell case getting an indictment initially. It is -- we cannot expect a fair, just presentation of evidence on their own.

The homicide detectives were officers with the shooting officer. And then we have a state attorney who has already articulated bias, that he's supporting the officer, that he doesn't believe in the victim.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBBINS: But, Chris, this is the grand jury process, Chris. This isn't a trial.

CHESTNUT: I'm not knocking it (ph). I'm just saying --

ROBBINS: It's how the system works.

CHESTNUT: I'm just saying we demand --

ROBBINS: Yes, you are knocking it.

(CROSSTALK)

CHESTNUT: He's already said we're not going to get an indictment.

ROBBINS: You are knocking this at --

LEMON: One at a time.

ROBBINS: -- totally different than a jury trial.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBBINS: -- totally different than a jury trial. This is how it works. The prosecutors put on their case; the defendant has the opportunity to testify. The defense attorneys aren't there and they decide whether or not there is probable cause to move forward.

And by the way --

CHESTNUT: But it could be an attorney general.

ROBBINS: -- the prosecutor has already shown his hand because he could have simply just -- he could have bypassed the grand jury altogether. Danny was already alluding to this. And the fact he's going with a grand jury, in my mind --

(CROSSTALK)

CHESTNUT: In Charlotte, they immediately arrested the shooting officer. Here, there's been no arrest --

LEMON: OK.

CHESTNUT: -- weeks later.

PATE: The district attorney in this case is doing something that rarely happens. He is presenting the defense case. He is allowing this officer to testify. He's already told us he's going to let the grand jury hear all of the evidence. That does not usually happen in a grand jury setting.

It's usually the prosecutor's show. They're going to put on their best evidence; they're going to try to drive a conviction and that is not what's happening here.

Now, Don, back to your original question. I think race matters. I think it matters a lot.

What's different from a grand jury and a trial jury is you have no right to an unbiased grand jury. These people could have walked in there already with preconceived notions about what happened in this case and they'll sit on that grand jury. You can't excuse them. So I think it makes a big difference who is on there.

CHESTNUT: Nor can we ignore the release of the video. I mean, they're tainting the jury.

LEMON: We have got to move on. Thank you, Chris.

Thank you, Page.

Thank you, Mel.

Thank you, Danny.

Happy Friday. Have a great weekend.

Up next, how the children of Ferguson have been affected by the tension and violence that's shaken their community.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back. We're live in Ferguson.

It has been nearly two weeks since Michael Brown was killed. You've heard plenty about the protests, the violence and the investigation. But you haven't heard as much about the people who will be most affected by what's happening here, and that is Ferguson's young people.

What are they seeing and how are they coping with this tragedy? Our Poppy Harlow has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LA'REVIOUS WOODS (PH), 8-YEAR OLD: Hi. My name is La'Revious Woods (ph) and I'm 8 years old.

IRENE KIDD (PH), 9-YEAR OLD: My name is Irene Kidd (ph) and I'm 9 years old.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are Ferguson's children.

KIDD (PH): When it first started, I did hear a couple of gunshots and a lot of helicopters. WOODS (PH): I just can't deal with it. They need to stop doing it.

KIDD: I'm just mostly mad about all of this. It's just plain wrong to let this happen.

HARLOW (voice-over): Children caught in chaos. Eight-year old La'Revious Woods (ph) just wants to go back to school. What's happening in Ferguson scares him, especially at night.

WOODS (PH): I'm scared they're going to come into our house and try to get us. The looters and all them people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try to grab somebody really, though.

SHARITA STEWARD, WOODS' MOTHER: At night, I try to just comfort him and not let him watch the news because that's when he seems to be more afraid.

HARLOW (voice-over): Their mothers have been protesting. La'Revious and Irene join them during the day.

KIDD (PH): I'm standing up for what I think is right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've tried to explain to Irene that cops are people, too. There are good people and there are bad people.

STEWARD: He wants to know why we can't go back to school and why everybody is breaking into the stores and why is the street always blocked off at nighttime.

HARLOW (voice-over): But they don't have all the answers.

STEWARD: He already knows that a cop shot a kid, but he wants to know why. And I can't really explain to him why because I don't know why either.

KIDD: I just don't understand why police officers feel like they have to use their guns. They have Tasers. They have batons. They even have MACE.

HARLOW (voice-over): You can keep your children away from the violence and the riots but images like this are hard to protect them from come daylight.

AISHA SULTAN, "ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH": My 9-year-old son was watching the news with me one night, and we saw the tear gas and we saw the police officers. And he said to me, I bet that the kids in Ferguson never want to go outside anymore.

HARLOW (voice-over): "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" columnist Aisha Sultan has been focusing on the children of Ferguson throughout her coverage. Some 4,700 are 14 or younger.

SULTAN: The individuals who are really the most powerless and voiceless are the children there. I think the adults have an even greater responsibility to hear what the kids in this community are saying and what they're feeling.

HARLOW (voice-over): Child psychiatrist Dehra Glueck says listening to children means everything.

DR. DEHRA GLUECK, CHILD PSYCHIATRIST: We always say, how do we talk to children about what's happened? The actual task is to listen to children. You can't make the blanket statements of "everyone is safe." That isn't their reality. There are people that they are worried about that they saw as maybe invincible before and now they're not sure.

HARLOW (voice-over): David Leonard knows what it's like to live through riots as a child.

DAVID LEONARD, CHILD DURING L.A. RIOTS: My name is David Leonard, and I was 14 years old during the L.A. riots.

HARLOW (voice-over): He documented them in this film.

LEONARD: So when my dad heard the verdict and he decided to pick me up from school, he knew that he was taking me to be a part of history.

HARLOW (voice-over): He's a journalist now, he says, because of what he saw.

LEONARD: It wasn't just living through the riots. It was living through seeing Rodney King beaten by the LAPD over and over. I felt like there was an injustice. I also felt like it was wrong to burn and loot places. I also felt like the system had failed. It really affected me in the notion that the world can erupt in any -- at any point.

HARLOW (voice-over): As Leonard and the world watch Ferguson, the children here are just beginning to sort through what this all means to them.

WOODS: Well, I've learned a lesson that I shouldn't come outside where he got shot at. I'm not walking down the street in case it's where the polices are.

KIDD: I've learned that violence should definitely always be the last resort.

I want the world to know that Ferguson actually isn't a bad place. Ferguson is a really nice place.

HARLOW (voice-over): There's no doubt, though, these children have been left a little less innocent -- Poppy Harlow, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Thank you very much for that, Poppy.

Schools here are expected to reopen on Monday. Teachers are getting crisis management training to help children cope. When we come right back, a man who knows all too well the challenges students and teachers face here, the first African-American superintendent of the Ferguson Florissant School District will join us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back. We're live on the streets of Ferguson almost two weeks after the shooting death of Michael Brown. This community is trying to put itself back together now. Here with me is Art McCoy became the first African American superintendent in the Ferguson Florissant School District.

And Dr. McCoy, you were the first black superintendent of the school -- Ferguson Florissant School District here. You left amid some controversy, I understand.

But I'm curious though, how should teachers address what happened here to their students? They're going to be going back to classes on Monday.

DR. ART MCCOY, FORMER SUPERINTENDENT, FERGUSON FLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT: Teachers should address students with their heart first. And that means that to have some empathy, to understand, to be sensitive, to seek first to understand and listen, but also to consult, and then extend a hand to the community, obviously needs to voice themselves and to say where they come from and what they've been doing and what they need to be successful.

LEMON: I met with some kids today at the library. It was peaceful that was set up, just sort of propped up, the accidental school, as they like to call it. (INAUDIBLE) 200. They don't really understand the nuance of this. All the kids say is, you know, no one should kill him because he needs to go home to his mom and dad. And that's a very truthful statement.

MCCOY: It is. It is. I'm reminded in the scripture of the Bible, suffer the little children to come unto me. You must be like a child to enter the kingdom. They have a precious heart and their heart is innocent, and they understand that life is precious and all life should be respected.

LEMON: Do you think that because of this, do you worry that kids here will have less trust, say even less respect maybe for law enforcement?

MCCOY: I think that it's always an effort to have individuals have trust with law enforcement if law enforcement is not present in a positive serving manner. It's all about relationship. So relationship is key. Children need to see and have great relationships with cops.

LEMON: We talked a lot about the police force here being a predominantly white police force in Ferguson compared, which is largely African American.

What is the situation in the school system?

MCCOY: Right now, students are varying in needs, and there's a greater amount of students who have additional learning needs. And there are needs for resources, for job training programs, internships as well as extra academic programs and intramurals. So there is a need to lend out a hand and extra resources to give more, according to their needs.

LEMON: It's going to be interesting, the first day of school. It was supposed to be a week ago, right?

MCCOY: A week ago.

LEMON: The first day of school will be on the same day that Michael Brown's funeral is happening.

What do you think that -- it's already been pushed back. But how do you think that is going to happen in school?

MCCOY: Well, definitely needs to be a day that remembers the life and honors all life and is respectful of life and the loss of one's life, especially to those who were here and who witnessed the loss of a life. Those that witnessed and saw things that are tragic needs, therapists and counselors on standby and everybody needs a chance to voice their opinion and also be consulted and received in a warm way.

LEMON: Do you know, many kids rely on schools to have discipline, to have a schedule and they also eat there, they get meals there.

MCCOY: Right.

LEMON: Who is feeding the kids now? I know that the volunteers, many people are bringing food to this peaceful, but who is looking out for the kids in that (INAUDIBLE)?

MCCOY: Well, right now the community is all wrapping their arms around feeding and giving love to the students and adults. I brought food yesterday, along with the Urban League and many others who have come out.

The school is also providing food at the library in Ferguson. And so there is an effort to have some helping hands and some hearts that are reaching out. But it's not enough because that's just reaching a small amount.

So we are going door to door in some instances to say how can we help you, how can we serve you? What can you tell us that can be of benefit for moving forward in a positive way?

LEMON: The kids, I mean, you would think if you're watching from home, the kids would be -- all of them would be dragged into this, and they are in a way. They know what's going on. But they were just there and they wanted to be kids. And I was Mr. Don, human uncle machine, and they were jumping all over me. And I'm tossing them around. It was good to see that they are just being kids.

MCCOY: Yes.

LEMON: And that people are taking care of them. Some of them said, I want to go home with you. That would be great, but probably after about three or four hours, I would want to send them back to their parents. But it's good to see that they're just being kids here.

MCCOY: That's exactly right. A sense of normalcy is what's needed. But also a critical, courageous conversation when the topic comes up. So we need to understand that children are citizens today and we have to empower their voice. We have to keep them engaged and productive in this and we have to enlighten them about where we are in society and where we need to go. Because they are a part of the solution.

LEMON: Mr. McCoy, thank you.

MCCOY: Thank you, sir. It's a pleasure.

LEMON: We'll be watching on Monday and seeing --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Thank you.

MCCOY: Glad to be here.

LEMON: Appreciate it.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back to our live coverage here in Ferguson, Missouri.

It has been one hell of a week here in Ferguson, getting jostled by police, getting teargassed, seeing protesters be arrested.

It has been unbelievable to watch, but the highlight of my week has clearly been with those children at the peace school today. It was nice to see them just being kids and that there is hope here in this community. All they wanted to do was play and color in their coloring books and ask me hard math questions that I couldn't even answer.

So it was amazing to see that there is something positive going on here in the community.

That's it for me. Thank you for watching. I'll see you back here on Monday night. Make sure you stay with our coverage now.