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S.C. Trooper Fired After Shooting Unarmed Man; Syrian Groups Sign Off on Agreement to Fight ISIS, Assad; Woman Films Life Under ISIS in Raqqa, Syria; Stock Drop on Wall Street; Iraq P.M. Say Terrorist Plot to Attack Subways in U.S., Paris.
Aired September 25, 2014 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: A short drive to a gas station led to an encounter that left a man wounded and it cost this man, a one-time South Carolina State Trooper of the Year his job and landed him in court facing serious charges that could put him in prison. The whole thing was captured on the trooper's dash cam that started with a simple traffic stop. Trooper Sean Groubert pulled up to a man identified as Levar Edward Jones who was driving without his seat belt.
Before we show the video, some viewers may be disturbed by the images of Mr. Jones being shot. Mr. Jones is OK. He was treated at a released. Here's the video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN GROUBERT, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE TROOPER: Can I have your license, please?
Get out of the car. Get out of the car.
(GUNSHOTS)
GROUBERT: Get on the ground. Get on the ground.
LEVAR EDWARD JONES, SHOT BY OFFICER: I just got my license. You said get my license. I got my license right there.
GROUBERT: Put your hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back.
(CROSSTALK)
GROUBERT: Put your hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back.
JONES: What did I do?
GROUBERT: Put your hands behind your back.
JONES: What did I do, sir?
GROUBERT: Are you hit?
JONES: I think so. I can't feel my leg. I don't know what happened. I just grabbed my license.
GROUBERT: (INAUDIBLE)
JONES: Why did you shoot me?
GROUBERT: Well, you dove head-first back into your car.
JONES: I'm sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: South Carolina's Department of Public Safety fired the trooper on no uncertain terms. Here's part of the statement from DPS, Roy Smith (ph). He said, "While Mr. Groubert was within the law to stop Mr. Jones for a safety belt violation, the force used in this case was unwarranted, inconsistent with how our troopers are trained, and clearly in violation of department policies."
CNN legal analysts, Sunny Hostin and Mark Geragos, are here.
Sunny, what do you make of the video?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It's great there was a dash cam. There's been a movement across the country, and D.C. is the latest place to implement dash cams on all police cars, so we do need that. I think it also shows the quick decisions that police officers have to make.
COOPER: It all happened so fast.
HOSTIN: It all happened so very quickly. I'll tell you when you look at the stats, traffic stops are the most dangerous part of a police officer's job.
Now to be clear, this officer made the wrong call. He did the wrong thing. He told this man, go get your license, and in trying to be compliant, this man went into his car and then got shot for it. I think it just goes to show you that these officers are under tremendous pressure to make these decisions very, very quickly. Sometimes we get it wrong.
COOPER: If we can, before we go to Mark, can we show this video again?
It just happened so quickly. I think it would be worthwhile to see exactly what occurred.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN GROUBERT, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE TROOPER: Get out of the car. Get out of the car.
(GUNSHOTS) GROUBERT: Get on the ground. Get on the ground.
LEVAR EDWARD JONES, SHOT BY OFFICER: I just got my license. You said get my license.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Mark Geragos, what do you make of this? The trooper is charged with a felony, aggravated assault and battery. If convicted, he could get up to 20 years in prison.
MARK GERAGOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Look, you can't look at this and not think for a second the officer totally overreact and committed a criminal act.
That having been said, it's enormously difficult for a prosecutor to get a conviction of an officer in this kind of a situation, because the officer is going to say I thought he was getting a gun or he made a movement and that's why I fired. They'll put up a police practices expert who is going to opine that in these split-second decisions you can't second-guess somebody. And most jurors tend to want to believe the cop over somebody else. So given all of that, a conviction is by no means a sure thing.
But it's completely disturbing because we have this, and with dash cams as Sunny says, but also in this age of having the videos on your camera, we just had a case here in California settled for $1.5 million yesterday for a CHP officer beating a woman on the freeway. I have a case in Utah where the cop shot the young lady dead. So this happens with great frequency. But convictions are very, very difficult because jurors want to believe the cops and don't want to convict cops.
COOPER: What should you do? What should this driver --
HOSTIN: Yeah.
COOPER: -- did the driver do anything wrong besides not having a seat belt? Should he have said -- I suppose he should have said to the officer, I'm going to reach for my I.D. now.
HOSTIN: Again, I think we need to be clear that the officer overreacted. There was a procedure threat that just wasn't there. But the bottom line is -- I used to teach a street law class, Anderson. I always say you have to allow the officer sort of insight into your actions. And so if an officer says to you, I want to see your license and registration, even if you're seated in the car, show the officer both of your hands and say, my license is in my glove compartment, may I reach into that compartment? That way the officer doesn't have this perceived threat. The officer is aware of what your movements mean and what your intentions are. And that really is what Mr. Jones did incorrectly. Although he was trying to be compliant, he didn't let the officer know what his movements were going to be. But this could have been deadly.
(CROSSTALK) HOSTIN: I think we're remiss -- Mark, just a second -- to not discuss sort of the Michael Brown case because I think that's one of the things that may have happened there as well. The overreaction by a police officer and Michael Brown is dead. And Mr. Jones could have died.
COOPER: Also, Mark -- Mark, I'm stunned by how polite Mr. Jones is after being shot. He's still calling the officer "sir" --
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: -- and saying --
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: -- what did me do wrong, why did you shoot me, sir? He apologized.
(CROSSTALK)
HOSTIN: He's doing everything that we tell our children and our husbands and brothers to do.
GERAGOS: Yeah, that's why Sunny's correct that you do have to do that stuff but there's no way that you can second-guess what this guy did who got shot. He was about as compliant, he was as polite. I will guarantee you, Anderson, that if someone shot me, I'm not going to be saying what did I do wrong, sir? I'm going to be screaming expletives at them. There's no second-guessing of what this guy did who got shot. He can't read this officer's mind. And I hate to say it, but there may be something else going on here, and that's for another discussion.
HOSTIN: Well, in terms of the perceived threat because, I mean, as an African-American male, he did everything that I would tell someone to do. Be compliant. Listen to the officer. But what I think he failed to do was tell the officer what his movements were going to be and, unfortunately, in this day and age, that can be the difference between life and death.
COOPER: Thankfully he's doing OK, from everything we know. We'll continue to follow this case.
Mark Geragos, thanks.
Sunny Hostin, as well.
Just ahead, we're getting a rare look at life in an ISIS-controlled city. This is fascinating. A Syrian woman from Raqqa captured scenes of every day life using an undercover camera. This is incredibly dangerous. Had she been caught, she could have easily been killed by ISIS. We'll show you what life is like and what she herself witnessed.
Plus, one of the Arab states taking part in air strikes against ISIS deploying a female fighter pilot. Her story ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Welcome back. We learned a dozen Syrian rebel commanders, including members of Christian opposition groups, signed off on what they call an historic agreement to unite the fight against ISIS and President Bashar al Assad's forces.
Joining me on the phone in Turkey along with border with Syria is investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin.
What do we know about this deal, Drew?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What they're saying is this is a unique deal because it brings in Christian opposition groups along with the Muslim groups, the moderate Muslim groups receiving aid from international sources to join this kind of coalition to fight ISIS and Bashar al Assad's regime. They believe this will signal to the rest of the world, and specifically the international community that's trying to support them, that they are looking for a future Syria that's inclusive of all ethnic groups, including the minority groups. And so they believe that this will not only help in the fight but will help in the future of Syria once they can destroy or get rid of the Assad regime.
COOPER: There are a lot of different groups fighting in Syria. Do we know how many forces these groups that have signed this deal actually represent?
GRIFFIN: I can tell you there were 20 or so commanders of various factions in the room. Most of them under what we call the Free Syrian Army or the Syrian Military Council. There were also members of the Syria Military Coalition which are the Christians. And there were Turk groups there. What you did not see were some of the mainstream Muslim groups fighting, the Islamic Front, the al Nusra Front, both of whom are fighting ISIS and Assad but are not necessarily friends of the U.S. Those major fighting groups were not involved in any of this. Somewhat dampens the agreement that was reached. But nevertheless, this group, this alliance, has been formed in what they hope will be a much better friendlier, freer and inclusive Syria. But, Anderson, it's only going to be if, and only if, they can defeat both ISIS and Bashar al Assad.
COOPER: A tall order. We'll see if this amounts to much.
Drew Griffin, appreciate it.
Behind the black flags of ISIS, now a video offering a look at civilian life in Syria under ISIS control. Risking her own life, a woman secretly filmed this footage while roaming the streets of Raqqa more than six months ago. The city which is now a main target of U.S. and coalition strikes. She risked her life on this. She is confronted by man telling her to cover herself with a full face veil, reportedly mandated for women by ISIS. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: CNN's Jim Clancy has been following this video report.
What do we know about this woman? It seems like she took tremendous risks to do this.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: She did take tremendous risks. This is a woman who grew up in Iraq and knows the city well. She left -- it was under the control of the Free Syrian Army and left the country to continue studies abroad. She returned specifically last March in order to give us an unvarnished look at what life under ISIS was really like. She managed to do that showing us a side of it that we didn't otherwise get to see without perspective. In other words, without trying to influence it. We know her name. She's in her mid 20s. Obviously, we won't use that. It does give us that unvarnished look -- Anderson?
COOPER: And later the video shows -- you see heavily armed men and women. You see civilian life and no entertainment at all. She captured a conversation between a woman who chooses to stay there.
What did you hear?
CLANCY: She takes us inside that Internet calling center and is able there to eavesdrop on other women who are speaking fluent French and they are talking presumably to loved ones back in France. They have come over into Syria specifically to be with their husbands, to get married to an ISIS fighter. And listen to the way they describe their presence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I don't want to come back because I feel good here. It's not a question of coming back or not. If I want, I can come back. I just don't want to come back because I feel good here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Clearly, the relatives do not feel good about this at all, Anderson. We can't hear their side of the conversation but it's pretty clear from this response. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (through translation): Stop it. It doesn't help me if you're scared or if you cry. Do you hear me? I'm telling you. There's not a point to you crying or being scared. What you see on TV is wrong. Do you understand? They exaggerate everything on TV. They amplify everything. Everything. Everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Her point of view there, she wants to be alongside these ISIS fighters. She wants to be a part of this Islamic State. We understand from sources that have been there in Iraq in recent days. Remember this was recorded back in March but in recent days the women and children have left the city so too have some of the leadership because they want to avoid the intensified U.S. air strikes -- Anderson?
COOPER: It's fascinating to see life under ISIS.
Jim, appreciate it.
Jim Clancy.
Iraq's prime minister is talking about a terror threat aimed at U.S. and European subway systems. The U.S. is scrambling for any intelligence on this and casting doubt on what this guy is saying. There are new developments.
Also moments from now, we expect a news conference in the case of missing University of Virginia student. Just saw her picture. Today, the suspect in her disappearance appeared in court. Things got pretty strange. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Welcome back. Stocks are dropping right now on Wall Street.
Want to get an update from Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
What's going on?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, we've been watching this sell-off all day, especially with the NASDAQ, where we see the biggest percentage loss. We see shares of Apple dragging down the tech-heavy index. Shares of Apple are down after they pulled the update to the latest iPhone and iPad because of a software glitch.
More broadly in the market, we see a lot of movement because of little bits of information coming in and then you sort of take those headlines straightly and separately and they don't have huge impact. But you roll it together and it's a reminder of the slow growth in the global economy, especially concern about other biggest economies in the world slowing down, like Europe, Japan, and China. As we see the Dow down 226 points, you have to remember, one day does not make a trend.
To put it into perspective, I want to show you the S&P 500. That's the broadest index going up into today. It's still up, more than 6 percent. That's something that people with 401K or any investments should really be watching because they really often follow that S&P 500 index and that's up 6 percent for the year -- Anderson? COOPER: All right. Good news there.
Alison, thanks.
In this week's "Human Factor," we meet a woman who has been severely obese her adult life and living with diabetes for a decade. And after losing 100 pounds on her own, she signed up for CNN's Fit Nation challenge and lost another 100 pounds.
Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, shows how she has transformed herself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At over 400 pounds, Sia Fiegel was revered in her Samoan culture.
SIA FIEGEL, CNN FIT NATION TRIATHLETE: I was seen as a woman of strength. There's no strength in pain, in hurt, in living with uncontrolled diabetes.
GUPTA: Complications from her diabetes even forced her to have all of her teeth removed.
FIEGEL: It was on that same day that I decided to be an activist against obesity and diabetes.
GUPTA: Already an acclaimed author, she used her platform to become a crusader speaking to schoolchildren and parents about the dangers of obesity. To jump-start her own weight loss, she joined the 2014 CNN Fit Nation team and began training for the Malibu Triathlon. She lost weight by swimming, biking and running and gained confidence. On September 14th, she became a triathlete.
FIEGEL: I feel like I'm a new person. I feel like I've been baptized.
GUPTA: Not even a nasty bike crash could keep her from reaching the finish line.
FIEGEL: They wanted to take me in the emergency vehicle. I said I can't do that. My family is out there. My team is out there. I cannot ride in a car. I came to do a race.
GUPTA: She finished the race with her team by her side.
FIEGEL: My team was there. They brought me in.
GUPTA: More than 100 pounds lighter now, she's not ready to stop.
FIEGEL: I'll do it again.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Malibu.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Welcome to top of the hour. I'm Anderson Cooper. This is CNN's special live coverage on the threat of ISIS militants here in the U.S. and overseas.
We have word that the FBI believes they have identified the masked man with the British accent speaking in the gruesome beheading videos used as ISIS propaganda. More on that in a moment.
A bombshell dropped by Iraq's brand new prime minister. He says a terror plot to attack subway systems in the United States and Paris. Comments made by him came in a casual meeting with journalists gathering outside of the U.N. The announcement seemed to catch U.S. officials off guard who were quick to send out news releases saying they can't confirm the legitimacy of the plots.
Pamela Brown, our justice correspondent, joins us live.
What do we know about this? How real is this?
Pamela?
PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Anderson --
COOPER: Go ahead, Pamela.
BROWN: We have learned -- we were here at FBI headquarters and we met with the director of the FBI, James Comey, and he spoke on various different issues, Anderson. One of the issues that he touched on was the masked man in the ISIS hostage beheading videos, the atrocious beheadings that we saw. And James Comey did say the U.S. has identified the man in those videos. They do believe that it is the same person. He would not identify the person they think it is. And we may not know who it is until that person is brought to justice. He made it clear that's a priority to bring this person to justice. He didn't say how that's going to happen. Of course, it could happen probably one of two ways. Either he would be brought to justice on the battlefield or in the legal system. But we did previously report a couple of weeks ago that official were confident that they knew who this man is. And now we hear today from the FBI Director James Comey that they do believe they know who this person is.
COOPER: All right, Pamela, thank you very much.
We were having some problems with Pamela's IVP.
