Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Autopsy Results Infuriate Ferguson Residents; Perfect Tribute to Canadian Soldier Nathan Cirillo is a Cartoon; Recall for Vehicles with Defective Air Bags that Could Explode; Is Mexican Ex-Mayor Linked to Missing College Students?

Aired October 23, 2014 - 14:30   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Then there was the information from yesterday's paper in "The St. Louis Post Dispatch."

Doctor, this is for you. Let's get into specifics of the autopsy report. It details -- are you OK? I hope so. It details -- you OK? I hope so.

(CROSSTALK)

DR. VINCENT DIMAIO, FORMER CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, SAN ANTONIO AREA: Yes.

BALDWIN: OK. OK. It details, quote, "A wound to the inside of his right hand and near his thumb and palm," end quote. An expert told the paper that indicates Michael Brown was going after the officer's weapon.

You have read this autopsy report. What do you make of that? Do you agree?

DIMAIO: Yes. It's consistent with him reaching and trying to grasp onto the weapon with, the gun discharging in contact with the skin and the bullet tearing open his palm.

But when you look at the autopsy as a whole, there is no injury inconsistent with the police officer's account of what happened. There's no inconsistencies. There's no evidence he was holding up his hands.

BALDWIN: That's right. To that point, the "Hands up, Don't shoot" has become a mantra for these protesters because of what, to Sunny's point, about eyewitnesses who were forthright and came forward early on.

Let me point this out. The autopsy describes a gunshot wound from the back of the arm to the inner arm that indicates his hands could not have been up in the air when he was shot and killed. That is the science, correct, Doctor?

(CROSSTALK)

DIMAIO: Yes.

BALDWIN: Go ahead, Doctor. Respond to that.

DIMAIO: What I was saying is the bullet came in here and then came out here. So it's not consistent with holding the hands up like some of the witnesses said he was doing. The bullet entered the back and then came out the front.

BALDWIN: So, Sunny, you know this.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: You have the forensics and then you have the eyewitness accounts.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Listen, the bottom line is -- I prosecuted enough cases to know that when an expert says it's consistent with one scenario, that expert will often admit that it's also consistent with another scenario. A shot to the back of the arm is also consistent with someone fleeing, with someone running and being shot from behind. And the one expert admitted on MSNBC that her scenario -- that this scenario was consistent with other scenarios as well and that her comments had been misconstrued.

The bottom line is I don't agree that forensics cast doubt that Michael Brown had his hands up. And we now know that there are so many witnesses including the two construction workers who on videotape are explaining right after the shooting that Michael Brown had his hands up. And so, again, these leaks are certainly favorable to Officer Wilson.

I think we have to really look at those leaks because they are all so favorable to Officer Wilson and, bottom line is, we need to determine why these leaks are occurring. It's wholly inappropriate and unlike anything I have seen in my entire career.

BALDWIN: Sunny Hostin and Dr. DiMaio --

(CROSSTALK)

DIMAIO: You guys have aggressive news people that are very good.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: I'm sorry, sir? What do you mean by that?

DIMAIO: I said you have good news people, who are very aggressive and trying to get the evidence.

BALDWIN: They are.

Dr. DiMaio and Sunny --

DIMAIO: That's a compliment.

BALDWIN: I got you loud and clear.

Thank you so much. I appreciate it. (LAUGHTER)

Just ahead, millions of cars being recalled for air bags that cannot only explode but cause stab-like wounds. You'll see that video and what you need to know if you're driving one of these cars.

And in the Ottawa shootings, I'll speak with a man that drew this cartoon. This elicited an emotional response from lots of people today. And what was the meaning behind this drawing, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In the hours after his killing, images have been all over the internet showing the Canadian soldier shot and killed Wednesday, Nathan Cirillo. This is one from twitter believed to be the last image of the Army reservist. Other photos show Cirillo not only fulfilling his duty but revealing the man he was, a dog lover, a patriot, a dad. One picture has touched the nation like no other and it doesn't show Nathan Cirillo's face at all. It's a cartoon from "Halifax Chronicle Herald." One columnist calls it, quote, "The perfect tribute to the soldier."

Joining me now, Bruce MacKinnon, the creator from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Bruce, welcome.

And explain to me what we're seeing in the cartoon.

BRUCE MACKINNON, EDITORIAL CARTOONIST, HALIFAX CHRONICLE HERALD: The national war monument at which the incident took place or all started yesterday is a short distance from our parliament buildings on parliament hill and when the incident happened and it was ongoing. It went into parliament and the shooting happened there, but the initial incident, obviously, Nathan Cirillo was killed at that monument while standing guard. So that monument in any case, any war monument, is a very, very powerful symbol. And to have one of the guards shot at the monument, the imagery there is going to be very extreme and very potent, and so that was the first idea of the day. I had to change gears halfway through the day because I was working on different news stories and then this broke. I came up with a few ideas and went back to this first one and that's how it happened.

BALDWIN: This has created a lot of tears and weeping not just among Canadians. What's your response to that?

MACKINNON: That's not normally what I'm going for. I'm trying to make people laugh, obviously. In any case, yes. It did elicit an emotional response. I attribute most of that to the emotion behind the actual story. It's an incredible story. Very sad story. And so not so much about the cartoon, I think more about what happened yesterday.

BALDWIN: You're a Canadian, and just for an American audience, can you explain for me the significance of the war memorial and shooting that happened there and just looking ahead. MACKINNON: It puts a fine point on the current issue in front of us

with ISIS and what we're facing. I don't think Canada, by nature, we are equal. We're not. If something symbolic had to happen to convince us that this kind of thing can't continue, I guess that would be it. Like I say, it was a very emotional day yesterday. You know, today, I'm working on a cartoon that is not a call to arms. I don't believe in overreacting. I have to be careful in a situation like that. This is a symbolic loss. It happened in such a way, I don't think it couldn't have had more impact.

BALDWIN: Bruce MacKinnon, thank you for taking the time with me. I really, really appreciate it. From the "Halifax Chronicle Herald." Thank you.

Just ahead here, millions of vehicles under this recall for defective air bags that could explode, shooting sharp metal shrapnel into your face and body. We'll show you what happens and what you need to know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Car makers are stepping up efforts to replace air bags that can explode and shoot metal into drivers and passengers. Federal regulators are pushing car owners to come in and exchange air bags as soon as possible. It involves multiple automakers and nearly eight million cars. But the problem here is getting the word out.

Joining me now, "The Car Coach," automotive industry analyst, Lauren.

Lauren, let's just begin with what's happening is frightening and numbers and how many people this affects is huge. You say laws are being broken. How so?

LAUREN FIX, THE CAR COACH & AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY ANALYST: First off, when you take your car to the dealer, who is just taking direction from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they say if you don't have that air bag in stock -- and these cars as old as 2000. And a Pontiac dealer if you are in Montana where they don't make that car anymore, these cars are specific to each brand, they may not have it in stock. They are asking dealers to remove the air bag and put a sticker on the dash that says no one should ride here. The fact is removing an air bag is against federal law. The federal laws in the past have been very strict. If you were an auto modifier, putting in TV screens and stereo systems and you removed an air bag, it's a federal offense. They are asking dealers, as a federal offense, to remove an air bag and put nothing there.

Safety, which is passive safety on these cars, is a seat belt, which we all should be wearing. The windshield is part two of the system, and three is the air bag. All three work as a team. When one part of that team isn't even there, and god forbid there's an accident, you're asking for some serious problems.

BALDWIN: My next question if we are talking about eight million cars, how are these car companies even prepared to handle this influx of people needing replacements? FIX: They're not. That's the problem. This all came up -- we've

known about the air bag problem for a while. And companies like Subaru and Chrysler have been pro-active, letting consumers know what's going on and trying recall all along, as well as other manufacturers. When they come in at once and it's this huge groundswell of 7.8 million cars and globally 12 million, you're talking about a lot of people going to dealerships. Keep in mind that on average, only 70 percent of people actually get their vehicles repaired due to a recall, and it's even less dramatically in percentages when you talk about older cars because they're either destroyed, maybe they're on used car lots. When they get to higher mileage, they may not necessarily hear about this information. This is why it's important to tell people.

I saw a car on the list that added new vehicles to the list. I told two people today, "You may want to call the dealer." But the dealers are not providing loaner cars and this is very concerning. That's why Senators are now getting involved, saying you can't just take people's cars away, nor can you just take their air bags without giving them a loaner car. That's the only true solution.

BALDWIN: I know it's an inconvenience especially when you have multiple cars but when you talk about air bags and shooting shrapnel, this is not something to mess with.

Go, go, go. We have all of the cars for you. Go to CNN.com, to see if your car is included in this.

Lauren Fix, thank you for your time today. Appreciate it. So important to get that out to people watching.

Coming up next, 43 students, 43 kidnapped in Mexico. They've been missing since September. And the case just got even more bizarre. The town's former mayor and his wife are allegedly involved. Arrest warrants have been issued for both of them. Did they mastermind this whole thing? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: 43 college students disappeared as they were preparing to protest the corrupt government in a small Mexican town and police say it's the town's former mayor who may have been the mastermind in this whole massive kidnapping. This ex-mayor, his wife and the police chief are wanted in connection with this case. No one has seen or heard from the students in almost a month. 43 of them, according to Mexican attorney general, the local police snatched the students, turned them over to ruthless gang members. The students disappeared and a gang has power there. And the case has triggering massive protests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let me bring in our senior Latin-American affairs editor, Rafael Romo.

The question, if, in fact, the allegations are true that this was all this ex-mayor and then the wife, why would they want to target these students?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN-AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: According to the Mexican attorney general's office, the students were on their way to stage a protest. That protest was going to disrupt an event led by the first lady on September 26th. They ordered their chief of police to send officers to block the entrance to the city, and that's exactly what they did. They blocked the buses and they started firing at the students. They killed one, originally. When they tried to flee, that's when they captured them and eventually turned them over to a criminal gang in the area.

BALDWIN: As they are trying to find these 43 students, Mexican officials found nine mass graves. Are they connected?

ROMO: Mexican authorities have found mass graves containing dozens of bodies. DNA tests have been performed. None of those bodies match the DNA of the students. It will be a month on the 26th. The question is, where are these 43 students? It's impossible and incredible that, this day and age, 43 college students can disappear. And nobody can give anybody any answers as to where they could be.

BALDWIN: How do you lose 43 students? Where would they go, to your point?

We'll stay on it with you, Rafael Romo. Keep us posted, please, sir.

Moments from now, police in Canada holding a news conference on what more they know about the shooter and what would spur him to shoot and kill a soldier at the war monument there near Parliament Hill.

Plus, brand new video just into us at CNN showing what appears to be the shooter moments after the attack. We'll analyze this coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Hour two. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being with me.

Just into us here at CNN, new dash cam video. Watch the spotlight with me. Appearing to show this Ottawa gunman getting in the car -- This is not far from that war memorial -- after shooting and ultimately killing that soldier. When you look at this, it looks like he's carrying something, but we can't tell what it is, in his right hand. Look closely. There's something. We don't know what it is.

Also, we're getting new details about whether he had ties to other radicalized jihadist.

But first, just to yesterday's chaos in the halls of parliament gave way to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) (APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)