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New Shooting Witness Comes Forward; Rapper On Chaos In Ferguson; High Stakes For Emmy Nominees
Aired August 22, 2014 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Destroy, you know, his answer was, listen, they have been in that part of the world for ten years, it's going take a while to evict them. Josh Rogin, thank you so much.
JOSH ROGIN: And it also takes -- yes. You're welcome. It also takes a little while because we're late to the game and we allowed ISIS to metastasize in Iraq and Syria for so long. So now we're playing catch up.
BALDWIN: Bob Baer said it on this show minutes ago. Yes, someone dropped the ball, that is for sure. Thank you so much, Josh. Come back.
Next, we have heard dozens of different accounts of this final moments of Michael Brown's life in Ferguson, Missouri. But here you have this latest witness to come forward to us here at CNN, speaking to Chris Cuomo. We talk to Chris about what he saw and how that might change everything.
Plus, Michael Brown's cousin talks to CNN about the quote/unquote, "war" that he suggests police are waging on young black men.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: In the nearly two weeks since the shooting death of Michael Brown, at least three witnesses have come forward, described what they saw. All of them carry small but distinct differences.
For one, Michael Brown's friend, who was there, Dorian Johnson, he says after being chased, Brown turned around with his hands up to tell the officer he was unarmed.
There was another witness, Tiffany Mitchell, says officer Darren Wilson was shooting just as soon as he got out of the car while chasing Michael Brown.
Another woman who took video of the aftermath from her apartment balcony, Piaget Crenshaw. She says Michael Brown was running away while the officer continued firing at him.
And finally, let's be crystal-clear. This was not an eye-witness, but a source close to the investigation, corroborated this was accurate, this woman "Josie" called into a radio show, she said Brown shoved Officer Wilson back into the car, that Michael Brown went for the gun. She says the police officer was acting in self defense, as he shoved him away and shot at the unarmed teen. Now, add to that another witness, coming forward. He talked to CNN's Chris Cuomo -- Chris.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Brooke, there are so many questions surrounding the investigation and that's normal at this point. But we do know what the key moments are going to be in the analysis of the shooting.
What happened at the car, what happened in the moments of pursuit of Michael Brown Jr. and then ultimately, why did the officer decide to shoot Michael Brown Jr.? Those are the three main components.
Now there have been a lot of witnesses. The key will be Dorian Johnson who was there with Michael Brown Jr. Michael Brady has come forward as a very strong witness. He saw almost the entire incident.
Now, a lot of people have been talking about what he knows and does not know. Much of it has not come from him. We tested his story, step by step. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CUOMO: Mike Brown. He takes off running more in a straight direction.
MICHAEL BRADY, WITNESS TO MICHAEL BROWN SHOOTING: Yes, more in a straight direction and --
CUOMO: And what is the officer doing?
BRADY: The officer, he's out of his vehicle. He's most likely now past his own vehicle.
CUOMO: So he is also running.
BRADY: He's basically taking large steps, not running.
CUOMO: Is the weapon out?
BRADY: Yes, as the weapon is drawn out.
CUOMO: So he has his weapon out as Mike Brown is definitely running away.
BRADY: With his back turned, yes.
CUOMO: Is he talking? Is he yelling?
BRADY: That's what I don't remember. If he was yelling out, stop, or anything.
CUOMO: But you remember this, and Mike Brown is faced the other way and there's this.
BRADY: Yes. And he's like I said, 20 feet down already, you know. So a taser wouldn't have even touched him.
CUOMO: And then what happens?
BRADY: He's away from his own police cruiser and I noticed that he walked past the friend that ran --
CUOMO: Doesn't even look at him.
BRADY: Right. He doesn't even look at him. So when I get outside, Mike Brown, he definitely hit already because now he's facing the officer.
CUOMO: OK, so let's stop right there. You saw the officer taking large steps, you saw the officer with a weapon drawn. He did not fire.
BRADY: He fired.
CUOMO: OK. That's important.
BRADY: He definitely fired. He definitely fired.
CUOMO: So Mike Brown is running away.
BRADY: Yes.
CUOMO: The officer is out of the car.
BRADY: Yes.
CUOMO: The weapon is drawn, and you see and hear him fire at Mike Brown while he is running away.
BRADY: Yes.
CUOMO: Absolutely.
BRADY: Absolutely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CUOMO: The interesting thing is that while Michael Brady saw so much and can provide so much value, the one moment that he didn't see for himself will probably be the most critical one.
What made Michael Brown Jr. go from running away to turning and facing the officer? Was it a charge or was it a surrender with hands up? Their versions on both that will be the key moment, Brooke. Back to you.
BALDWIN: OK, Chris, thanks for sharing that latest perspective, as Mr. Brady has come forward and shared his version of events.
Coming up next, we'll hear from a perspective we really haven't heard much from since the shooting. An African-American police officer joins me live on what he makes of this case, and we'll let him to react. Guess who told me earlier this week his police officer dad did not want any of his kids following in his footsteps. Stay with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We will get you back to our special coverage of the shooting investigation in Ferguson. But first, amid the hustle and bustle of New York City is a surprising refuge of nature and serenity. This week's "CNN Hero" is using this refuge to expand the minds and opportunities of children from this community. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bronx River is really one of the most hidden gems of New York City. If you look in one direction, you'll see very industrial sites. If you look in another direction, you'll see tons of birds and fish and all kinds of native plant life.
I grew up in New York City, which is an island surrounded by water, but I wasn't a boater at all. I ended up volunteering at a high school in East Harlem. We built an eight-foot dingy.
I benefited just as much as any of the students did from the sense of, wow, I can put my energy into something and actually see the results. That experience inspired me to create this organization, "Rocking the Boat."
Just drop this on. Our kids come from the South Bronx. One of the poorest places in the country. Their block is all they have ever known. Kids learn how to build boats. They are sailing, rowing. They are restoring the river. There you go. We open kids up to new possibilities, really to become someone they would never be able to otherwise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The program has taught me I can take on any challenge and applied so many skills. I'm going to college. I probably wouldn't have got there if not for "Rocking the Boat."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you guys think of high tide?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They can really go anywhere and do anything. They have already got what it takes to just put it to work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: To protect and to serve, essentially is at the heart of what it means to be a police officer in America, and there are so many heroes out there. But in the wake of the killing of Michael Brown, a lot of people are questioning if police are really adhering to that duty.
Just the other day here with me at CNN, Atlanta-based rapper and activist, Killer Mike, gave me his take on that. He would know, his own father was a police officer. Mike told me in the wake of the shooting in Ferguson, he believes Americans need to be more vigilant about the people they pay protecting to serve them. Here he was.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL "KILLER MIKE" RENDER, RAPPER/ACTOR: I hold police in a high and honorable, you know --
BALDWIN: Position.
RENDER: Yes. It is because it's so difficult to be -- most policemen are working-class guys. Let's be honest. Most policemen come from the salt of the earth in America. Most of them are ex-soldiers or from the communities they police, ideally.
BALDWIN: So shouldn't they know the issues and know the people in their communities?
RENDER: They should and they used to.
BALDWIN: What changed?
RENDER: The culture of policing is changing. It's becoming more militarized. They are getting old military weapons. They're using kids fresh out of the military and using military tactics.
We have essentially gone from being communities that were policed by people from the communities to being communities that are missed by strangers, and that's no longer a community. It's a community under siege.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: So let me just bring Malik Aziz, from the national chair of the National Black Police Association. Mr. Aziz, welcome and thank you so much for coming on. You heard Mike talking about how his own dad didn't want his kids to be police officers.
MALIK AZIZ, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL BLACK POLICE ASSOCIATION: Yes. Thank you for having me. I heard that, and I caught most of his interview yesterday. And that's not uncommon that most wouldn't want their children going into law enforcement.
I think I think when they do make that decision though, police officer, parents they usually support their children going into the field. But that doesn't necessarily say they don't want them to be police officers at all.
BALDWIN: And we should point out, there are amazing, amazing, amazing police officers out there. I've had one in my family, but at the same time, you know, you talk to a number of black people as we have on the show and some folks don't necessarily trust police.
They think police are out to get them especially when we're watching what's been happening in Ferguson. This is something you're working on, Malik. How do you build or rebuild that trust that is so shattered between community and police?
AZIZ: Well, historically, police departments have been distrustful in the communities in which they've served. Historically speaking. The National Black Police Association, we serve to bridge that gap in between policing and the community.
We've always believe that police exist in order to serve the community. I heard the rapper say about police officers coming from the community, we believe that.
BALDWIN: Yes.
AZIZ: There is no such thing as a police officer who is not the fabric of the community. He needs a vested interest in the community in which he serves in the place that he wants to protect and the places that he lives and, would and he plays.
So I see the NBPA being very vital in that fight before 1972, but in 1972, we espoused ideas of police residency. We have always supported police officers living in the neighborhood. And it's not uncommon for people like me and people who I know to have grown up in the neighborhoods that they serve.
BALDWIN: Maybe that's what we need more. We need more of you. We need more of you out there. Then you have the criticism that not as many -- you're trying to become a police officer not as many people have to have any kind have college degree or even a fraction of that.
A lot of folks come from a military background, maybe mental issues. How do we hire good smart, intelligent, wanting to serve and protect men and women?
AZIZ: Well, first, you have to make the police officer profession really attractive to -- in order to gain a diverse following. Many departments they seem to rely on excuses and not going out into the plays that they need to be to recruit.
There are thousands of officers who look just like me who want -- thousands of people who look just like me who want to be officers in the places where they live or another city, which they would like to stay.
What happens, the challenges that they've given that have been presented in front of us many police departments have failed to rise to that challenge and meet the great obstacle.
What they need to do is to go out into places where we frequent and make the police profession attractive. They, a lot of times it's been less attractive when you see police brutality at that time or you see a lack of community policing.
When you see police officers who seemingly don't care about the neighborhoods in which they're in. The best departments have intertwined that community policing aspect and they have been able to gain trust inside the neighborhoods in which they serve and they've also built very useful youth programs too -- Brooke. BALDWIN: And that's also what so many people are saying about this. Captain Ron Johnson from the Ferguson area and out there helping protect the people he grew up with, Malik Aziz, thank you so much. Please come back. These conversations are so, so important. Please do me that favor and come back on the show. We'll have more from Ferguson after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We are just days away from the Emmys as your favorite TV show in the running? Here is Nischelle Turner with a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The primetime Emmy awards.
It may not be the "Game of Thrones," but the stakes are high for nominees hoping to turn an Emmy win into ratings gold.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Emmys have always been a big help to newcomers, but in terms of what they're worth to the industry now, it seems like they've become a much, much bigger deal.
TURNER: Ratings aren't a concern for HBO's show about death and dragons. It earned the most nominations of any show this year with 19, but it's facing tough competition in the best drama category. Many experts are saying "Breaking Bad's" final season makes it the favorite.
Leading man, Bryan Cranston, is nominated for best actor in a drama, but he could lose out to the man who just won a best actor Oscar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this is the year of Matthew McConaughey. It's natural if he has a big Emmy contender we'll say he'll probably win that too like he won the Oscar.
TURNER: As the star of HBO's "True Detective," McConaughey would have to beat out not just Cranston, but a star-studded list including his co-star Woody Harrelson and "Mad Men's" Jon Hamm, who has been nominated seven times and never won.
"Modern Family" goes into Emmy night on a four-year winning streak in the best comedy category. The biggest obstacle to a record breaking fifth, a newcomer on Netflix.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like "Orange is the New Black" maybe coming up for Netflix and could upset "Modern Family."
TURNER: If there was a theme this year, it might it be how the television academy has recognized so few shows from the networks that used to be in control.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember the good old days of CBS, ABC, NBC, even Fox? Where are they in these Emmys? Really they've been just overwhelmed. TURNER: Best chances for a network win in the drama and comedy categories might be in the lead actress in a drama category where the "Good Wives" Juliana Margolies is seen as a favorite.
And all of the drama and comedy will play out Monday on television's biggest night. Nischelle Turner, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: There you have it, the Emmys Monday night. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, but stay right here. My colleague, Jake Tapper is live once again from Ferguson, Missouri. "THE LEAD" starts right now.
