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Darren Wilson Turned In Resignation Letter; Ohio State University Player Still Missing; Video Released Of 12-Year-Old Cleveland Boy Shot And Killed By Police ; Picture Of Police Officer And 12-Year-Old Boy With Tears Streaming Down Boy's Face Goes Viral On Facebook; California Drought Is One Of Most Severe In State's History

Aired November 30, 2014 - 15:00   ET

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

BRIAN STELTER, CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: This was something that she posted in relative of security. It was barely noticed until a reporter at the African-American news Web site "the Root" noticed it. That got it a lot of attention. That caused it to go viral. And now there's been calls for her to be fired, hashtag.

I'm not so sure that will actually happen. We haven't heard from the congressman about this over the weekend. They may be trying to wait and see if it blows over. But it really get to that point I was making about how the children of presidents have historically been off limits. That was true for George W. Bush. That was true for Bill Clinton, and all into the past as well.

It's one thing to criticize the president, to say, as she did that your mother and father don't respect their positions very much or the nation for that matter. But it's another thing to address them directly and say try showing a little class. That's what created so much outrage in this case. And that's why I think people are now waiting to see what the congressman is going to say.

Fred, back to you.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Darren Wilson, no longer a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Why his resignation is now sparking controversy.

And a mother reunited with her son after four years. Police say he was found behind a false wall in his father's home. Details on the charges that the boy's dad now faces.

Then it's the hug that has so many talking. We talked to the police officer at the center of that moving moment.

Hello again, everyone. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

These stories are topping our news this hour.

The mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, just announced the city has severed all ties with officer Darren Wilson effective immediately. That comes a day after Wilson resigned from the Ferguson police department. Wilson turned in his resignation letter yesterday saying quote "it is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal," end quote. This comes after a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson in the killing of teenager Michael Brown.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Ferguson today.

So Ed, the city's mayor, James Knowles, held a press conference earlier today. I know you are right near an outdoor church service because the church was burned during the unrest in Ferguson. But what, if anything, are people saying about the resignation and about the mayor's words?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the reaction of the resignation was that it took too long, especially for those that have been very critical of the police department and of Darren Wilson's actions back in August.

You know, it's interesting. The mayor did point out a couple of tidbits from the press conference that occurred just a little while ago. He said he didn't receive the resignation letter from Darren Wilson or his attorneys until several hours after it had been made public in news reports. Kind of expressing some frustration with the way that was handled. But the mayor made a point of making it clear that Darren Wilson would not be paid any kind of severance, and all the ties have been cut off immediately.

And one of the other things that was interesting as well is Darren Wilson's lawyer said last night that there had been threats made to the city of Ferguson police department that Darren Wilson need resign by last night, Saturday night. But the mayor says he isn't aware of anything like that. There have been ongoing threats throughout the course of the last three and a half months, but he didn't mention or know of anything specific to that Saturday night deadline.

The mayor really focused on moving forward, looking ahead, announcing various programs to recruit more African-American police officers to Ferguson as well as outreach programs between the police department and the African-American community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JAMES KNOWLES, FERGUSON, MISSOURI: I think its best that at this point we continue to move on as a community. Officer Wilson and his family have moved on, and at this point the city of Ferguson is looking to, you know, again, talk about how we can begin this community together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And Fredricka, just to kind of set the scene we are at. This is the back of Michael Brown Senior's church. It was according to officials here, set on fire last Monday night. But probably during the time of all of the unrest, the most violent time we saw here last week, that church cannot be used. ATF and FBI are investigating and so is an arson team. That church today with Michael Brown Sr. is holding its church services in the parking lot here this afternoon, enjoying those moments there under a canopy, and, you know, coming noticing a very makeshift fashion here -- Fredericka. WHITFIELD: And so, Ed, have you had a chance to talk with anybody

there, any of the members of the church, in terms of how they hope to build, how they hope to move forward after all that the city and the individuals there have gone through?

LAVANDERA: Well, that's really been the theme of the church service throughout the day. You know, making sure and inspiring people as the pastor was saying, to get involved, to do it peacefully, to get motivated, and that sort of thing. It's been, you know, striking those inspirational tones for the congregation here this afternoon.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much from Ferguson, Missouri.

All right, for almost everybody across the country, it is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Families across the country heading back home now after the thanksgiving holiday. Flight tracking web sites, Flight Aware, puts together this misery map, so to speak, showing the worst spots for delays and cancellations. And it doesn't look so good in the west, particularly in Denver. But the east coast looks pretty good so far.

Erin McPike is live for us at Reagan national airport just outside of Washington.

So Erin, just before the holidays, you gave us an idea of what it was like to travel in the madness, and you actually had a pretty good commute, but then how does it look for folks now heading home?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, this actually is the busiest travel day of the year. I spoke to a TSA spokesman who told me that it was also the busiest travel day of the year in 2013.

Wednesday, the Wednesday before thanksgiving never is. There are days in June, July, August, and May that usually beat that day because people tend to spread their travel out over Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, even Thursday morning of thanksgiving.

Today here in Reagan national airport, we're actually seeing flights come in or little earlier in most cases rather than seeing delays.

Now, about a half hour ago, we did see some long lines that were piling up of people trying to get into the terminal to take off. But that line is now gone because they've been moving people through so quickly. And I want you to listen to two people we talked with earlier about how well their experience has been going. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, it's been surprising that there haven't been as many people as we thought as made travel. And since when we got here, though, we had a bit of a problem. They told us to go to into one baggage claim and spent half an hour waiting, and it turns out our bags were at another baggage claim.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the weather this year, especially there was the snowstorm on Wednesday. So I think a lot of people maybe left earlier or drove to avoid it. But I do think people get more used to it. I think that the travel around TSA and people are getting more used to what to pack and how to pack and are a little quicker with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Now, the TSA spokesman I spoke with a little bit earlier said that today is their super bowl. But he also said that there are new systems in place and a lot of people are using that TSA pre-check to go through the quicker lines, so that's why they're having fewer problems.

But I would also point out, Fred, that the AAA said that 90 percent of travelers are traveling by road, driving over 500 miles round trip in most cases, but that's why the roads are a lot busier than airports and you will see bottlenecks into big cities, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right. And then gas is particularly low in a lot of places. So people have been taking advantage of that.

Erin McPike, thanks so much.

And it is day five now, and the search continues for an Ohio state senior. Football player Kosta Karageorge, the 22-year-old went missing early Wednesday after texting his mom about concussion issues, adding quote "I am sorry if I am an embarrassment," end quote.

Rosa Flores joining me now. Are there any leads, Rosa, about him and where he might be?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Fred, I talked to the police. They told me that they are chasing every single lead, and that this case is still a missing person case. But imagine the agony, the worry, the pain for this family and for that mother whose last communication with her son was a text message.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pumps. Now steps up and runs.

FLORES (voice-over): It's a move outside of Kosta Karageorge's playbook.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To drop off the radar is very unlike him.

FLORES: The Ohio State University football player and wrestler went missing last Wednesday morning. His mother telling police in a missing persons report that her son has suffered several concussions and confusion spells. His last text message at 1:30 a.m. saying, I am sorry if I'm an embarrassment, but these concussions have my head all expletive up.

In a statement, the team's physician wouldn't comment on player's medical care saying only, we are confident in our medical procedures and policies to return athletes to participation following injury or illness. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get his picture out there. Get awareness of the

situation.

FLORES: Dozens of searchers have hit the streets, posting flyers with his picture.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is missing.

FLORES: And talking to people about the 22-year-old senior. According to the missing persons report, his mother and police try to call his cell phone several times with no luck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very scared for him. I'm, you know, I'm worried. I'm trying to remain optimistic. But you know, we love him and we want him home. We miss him tremendously.

FLORES: Police joining the search on horseback and following leads. His family taking to twitter and from his account asking for prayers and information about his whereabouts. So far no sign yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Ohio's head coach Urban Meyer releasing a statement urging anyone with information to contact police. And also saying he is a very hard worker and a very important player for the team -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: My God. Fingers are crossed. I know a lot of prayers are being said for his location. Thanks so much, Rosa.

FLORES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right. And then, police called to a house in the case of a boy missing for four years make a stunning find. The 13-year-old was actually hidden behind a fake wall. The details right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A 13-year-old boy missing for four years was found hidden behind a fake wall at his father's house. A father and the boy's stepmother were denied bond in court this morning. They're facing charges of false imprisonment and child cruelty. Investigators went to their house near Atlanta on Friday night looking for the boy. They didn't find the child at first. But then officials say the boy called his mother and told her that he was behind a hidden wall. The boy and his mom were reunited yesterday morning.

Ryan Krueger with our affiliate WXIA spoke to neighbors of the boy's father and stepmother.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE PIZARRO, NEIGHBOR: I was kind of shocked. Because you think you know somebody.

RYAN KRUEGER, WXIA REPORTER (voice-over): Julie Pizarro had no idea the 13-year-old boy her son played with every day at this house was being held against his will.

PIZARRO: It was a shock to all of us, honestly. They were really nice people. They were open, you know, they would be like, hey, come over any time you want.

KRUEGER: According to Clayton County police, the 13-year-old was kept behind a fake wall inside this home on Duke Court in Jonesboro.

Neighbors tell me the family moved to this house about six months ago. They also say they saw the boy out here all of the time, out in the yard. But they had no idea he was being held captive.

PIZARRO: The mother told me he was homeschooled. I didn't question as far as why he was always home.

KRUEGER: (INAUDIBLE) lives across the street. He tells us he and his wife saw the boy nearly every day. But now he's left wondering if there were any warning signs that they missed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's right up in our nose and we could have done something if we would have known. But he was never under stress, it didn't seem like.

PIZARRO: The young man didn't seem like he was under any stress or anything. You just never know behind closed doors.

KRUEGER: In Jonesboro, Ryan Krueger, 11 Alive News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And a family was devastated when they lost their 21-year- old son and brother. But their loss was another family's gain. The emotional moment when they met and heard a very special heartbeat.

But first, a weekly look into the future. Today, we go to the bank. That is now in our hands. Here's Richard Quest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was a time when handling your money meant popping down to your local branch to do a bit of banking. Today, much of that bank fits into the palm of our hands.

The future of banking might take you to your local branches as traditional banks look for ways to make that physical space as enticing as the virtual one.

EVE CALLAHAN, ?SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS. UMPQUA BANK: The branch model is outdated, and not relevant any longer. We're looking to create a different kind of bank. One that offers all the products and services of a large bank, but delivers them with the real community engagement and the service of a great retailer or hospitality company.

QUEST: Oregon-based Umpqua Bank have adopted what they call the store concept for their 364 branches. It's modeled after retailers like the Gap and the Apple store. The goal is to attract customers with a more comfortable, a more welcoming experience.

VIRGINIA KELLY, UMPQUA BANK CUSTOMER: We still do our banking on- line, but we come here because of the community, because of meeting the people that we see when we come here.

QUEST: And that's the key. Bankers rely heavily on face-to-face relationships to offer financial products and services. So they're offering new enticements to lure internet mobile customers back into the branch. Banks like Barclay's, Chase, and Citibank have all created these new branches with that very thought in mind trying to capture the new banking consumer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Matt Heisler was just 21 when he died in a house fire at the University of North Dakota. He had signed up to be an organ donor when he was just a teen. So eight months after he passed away, his family got to hear his heart beat again.

Adrienne Broaddus from our affiliate KARE has this amazing and touching story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, KARE REPORTER (voice-over): Throughout life we all wait for someone or something --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes it's really quick. Sometimes it's not quite so thick.

BROADDUS: Tom Meeks is waiting on the condition of an update on his new heart.

CASEY HEISLER, HEART DONOR'S SISTER: I'm excited to feel it beat again.

BROADDUS: Casey Heisler waits to hear the rhythm of that heart again. It was a Sunday. The phone call came at 4:00 a.m.

HEISLER: Do you have the right guy? Like, are you sure it's Matt?

BROADDUS: Her brother, Matt, was a student at the University of North Dakota. In March a house fire ended his life. Matt was 21.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was very tender. From a little boy, he was always just -- he had a huge heart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to see you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you, doc.

BROADDUS: And, Tom, he now lives with that same heart. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You look awesome.

MEEKS: I'm telling you, I feel awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get your license. You check that box and you think it's just a small thing.

BROADDUS: At 16, Matt signed up to be an organ donor.

MEEKS: There was no alternative for me except a transplant.

BROADDUS: Because of Tom's age and other health concerns, five different hospitals refused to consider him for heart transplant. But the Mayo Clinic gave Tom a lifeline, putting him on a waiting list for a new heart.

MEEKS: I am doing as well as I am.

BROADDUS: That's Tom two days after he received that lifeline thanks to Matt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm really proud of Matt.

HEISLER: The heart that I grew up with and, like, felt in all of my hugs when I hugged him, that it's still out there somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The day is finally here. Long-awaited, by the way. Long-awaited. Pretty excited about this.

MEEKS: Obviously in my case they're always going to carry a very, very warm spot in my heart.

HEISLER: Eight months after matt died, Matthew's dad, Jared, his mom, Sheryl, and younger sister Casey embrace the heart they love.

MEEKS: You must be Casey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Sheryl.

BROADDUS: The waiting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice to meet you.

BROADDUS: Is finally over.

MEEKS: One more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man.

MEEKS: I woke up this morning and told --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So nice to meet you.

MEEKS: Matt that mom and dad is coming today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is his graduation picture. BROADDUS: Both families share memories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this you?

BROADDUS: And created new ones. Because of Matt --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a good picture.

BROADDUS: Tom gets more time with his wife Anne and their four grandchildren.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you like to listen to your brother's heart?

BROADDUS: And the Heislers get to hear from Matt again. A sister who only wanted to feel her brother's heart now gets to hear it.

HEISLER: We're all going to listen. Do I do it this way?

BROADDUS: Matt didn't just donate his heart. His generosity helped 60 people. A 46-year-old woman received one of Matt's kidneys. The other went to a 56-year-old woman. The life of a 61-year-old man was saved by Matt's gift of a liver.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Thank you.

MEEKS: Believe me, it's my pleasure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last one, Tom.

MEEKS: All right.

BROADDUS: Comfort found in a moment well worth the wait.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's awesome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Both families say they plan to stay in touch. And they'll meet again in March around the one-year anniversary of Matt's death.

And then anger and frustration over the grand jury decision in Ferguson erupted into violent protest around the country this week. But then there was this one image of tenderness and now it's gone viral. The police officer in this photo joining me live coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. Here are the top stories crossing the CNN news desk right now.

It is one of the busiest travel days of the year as people head home after thanksgiving. And it's not as snowy as it was on Wednesday in some parts with many people who started their trips. But bad weather on the west coast is causing delays especially in places like Denver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

And a 22-year-old woman shot in the head by her ex-boyfriend in a Chicago Nordstrom's store has died. The man open fired in the crowded store where Nadia Elzabin (ph) worked as a seasonal employee on black Friday and then turned the gun on himself. Her funeral is set for tomorrow.

And after looking at this video it is hard to believe the two men in this car are alive. They were involved in a fiery crash Friday night in the Los Angeles suburb area. Police say the speeding Ferrari veered off the road, slammed into two trees, and then burst into flames. It is unclear what caused the driver to lose control.

And the mayor of Ferguson, Missouri says the city had cut its ties with officer Darren Wilson. Wilson resigned from the Ferguson police department yesterday. This follows the grand jury decision not to indict Wilson in the killing of teenager Michael Brown. Wilson's lawyer tells CNN that Wilson also feared for the police department, which had been threatened with violence if he stayed. Earlier this afternoon the Ferguson mayor addressed those concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JAMES KNOWLES, FERGUSON, MISSOURI: I don't know. I don't know if anybody made a threat and gave him a deadline. We didn't make a threat and give him a deadline. So if someone else did, if there was some group that did, you know, I'm not aware of that intelligence, but that may be the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: As for Darren Wilson, his life has gone from protecting and serving to hiding and surviving. Living on the run and fearing for his own safety, he says.

Here now is CNN's Brian Todd.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, we're learning new details about Darren Wilson's efforts to protect himself. There have been death threats, bounties placed on his head. As a result, Wilson has been constantly on the move, in hiding always looking over his shoulder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Despite not being indicted by a grand jury or charged with a crime in the shooting of Michael Brown, Darren Wilson is still living a life in hiding. Something his lawyers say has now gone on for months.

CNN has learned it began just days after the shooting in August when officer Wilson was mowing his lawn. He got a call telling him his home address was circulating online. Within three hours, he was packed and gone.

NEIL BRUNTRAGER, DARREN WILSON'S ATTORNEY: He had to leave the grass lit we'll half mowed, and he had to go into hiding because there are death threats out against him. There are bounty that is have been placed upon his life.

TODD: Since that day in August, Wilson has moved from house to house, even staying for a short time with one of his lawyers. He says he has changed his appearance, growing a beard at one point. When he goes out, his lawyers say, he often goes to movies which offers time cloaked in darkness.

In an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Wilson talked about his precautions.

DARREN WILSON, FORMER OFFICE, FERGUSON POLICE: You know, from where you sit in a restaurant to, you know, where you drive. Everything. Everything has to run through your head as all the time you are watching making sure no one is following you. Everything. You know, you hear or see someone look at you and lean over and tell someone a secret, and the second person looks at you, and you think do they know who I am?

TODD: In recent days, the "New York Times" published Wilson's home address online, likely inadvertently, as part of his marriage license, though he is not believed to have lived at that home in months. His lawyer say immediately after the shooting, Wilson wanted to return to his job as a police officer. One of his own attorneys told him if he did he could be executed in a blind alley.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a great leap to think that if officer Wilson were to start patrolling the streets of Ferguson again that somebody sees what shift he is on, makes a call, and pulls him into a bad situation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: As for his future, expert Ron Hosco (ph) said Darren Wilson would be proven to change his name, keep changing his appearance, put his property in a trust so that it could be shielded from public view. And he says Wilson will always have to be sharpening his awareness, his alertness. He will be looking over his shoulder for quite a while -- Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much. Brian Todd.

And right now, the public viewing is underway for a 12-year-old Cleveland boy who was shot and killed by police. An officer thought Tamir Rice had been waving a real gun at people outside a park last Saturday but it turned out to be an air soft gun similar to a BB pellet gun. Surveillance video and 911 tapes now show us what police did not know before one of them opened fire on Rice.

Our George Howell has the video and details. But we must warn you this video capturing the moments the boy was shot is graphic and may not be appropriate for everyone to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This video was recorded on a security camera in a Cleveland park. And it shows Tamir Rice moving in and out of view. Keep in mind, these are the last few moments of this 12-year-old's life. The video his family wants you to see.

First, we see Rice pacing the sidewalk, brandishing what looks to be a weapon. At one point even taking a two-handed shooting stance. All the while police say he was being watched.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman sitting in the gazebo is the gentleman that called into our dispatch center.

HOWELL: Here's that initial call to 911.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sitting in the park at west boulevard by the west Boulevard Rapid Transit Station. And there's a guy with a pistol and it is probably a fake, but he is pointing it at everybody.

HOWELL: In fact, the caller points out twice the gun is probably fake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy keeps pulling it in and out of his pants. It's probably fake, but it's scaring the (bleep) out of us.

HOWELL: Here's the clip that shows why the man called 911. The object that looks like a handgun we now know is really a toy pellet gun and Rice seems to point it at this person whose identity is blurred. Police say he is also seen here reaching for his cell phone and then having a conversation. Minutes later rice moves to the gazebo where he is now alone. This is just minutes before police arrived and now, we know exactly what the dispatcher told the responding officers before they arrived.

Notice how she never relays the information that it may be a fake gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Everybody's tied up with priorities. There is a guy sitting on the swings pointing a gun at people.

HOWELL: A few seconds later she describes Rice, but, again, fails to pass along the words that 911 caller used about the gun probably being fake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: In the park by the youth center, there's a black male sitting on the swings. He is wearing a camouflage hat, a gray jacket, with black sleeves. Said he keeps pulling a gun out of his hands and point it at people."

HOWELL: What happens next happens very quickly. Officer Frank Garmack driving and officer Timothy Lowman in the passenger seat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The officers ordered him to show his hands and to drop the weapon, and the young man pulled the weapon out, and that's when the officer fired.

HOWELL: In the dispatcher's audio, you can hear the officer's grim call for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Radio. Shots fired. Male down. Black male. Maybe 20. Black revolver or black handgun. Send EMS this way.

HOWELL: Even as they call for help, the officers still not understanding that they had shot a 12-year-old boy carrying a toy gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not an effort to exonerate. It's not an effort to show the public that anybody did anything wrong. This is an obvious tragic event where a young member of our community lost their life. We've got two officers that were out there protecting the public that just had to, you know, do something that nobody wants to do.

HOWELL: George Howell, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And a moving moment caught at a Ferguson protest. And it's gone viral. A Portland, Oregon, police officer and a 12-year-old boy hugging. The officer joining me live right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Many of the protests about the shooting of Michael Brown look so familiar. Police versus protesters, riot gear on one side, anger and frustration on the other.

But one image that's going viral is very different. A police officer and a 12-year-old boy with tears streaming down the boy's face. Both of them hugging. This is from a protest in Portland, Oregon. The day after a grand jury decided not to indict officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri.

The boy Devonte Hart was holding up a sign during the demonstrations there that said "free hugs." And the officer, Sergeant Bret Barnum asked if he could have one.

I'm joined now by Sergeant Barnum.

Sergeant, good to see you. It's a photo that --

SGT. BRET BARNUM, PORTLAND, OREGON POLICE: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: It's a photo that's touching so many people. Are you surprised at the kind of reaction that that moment has received?

BARNUM: Yes. You know, I am. I am actually very surprised but very happy too in the sense that hopefully it can bring some peace and calm to what's going across our nation right now. Just filing fortunate that I was able to help Devonte with facing some of his fears individually. But the situation itself is something police officers do every day when we go out and we work the streets and we make these citizen contacts. And it just happened to be that this situation that day was highlighted through what I would have to say is a spectacular photograph and I was thoroughly impressed. WHITFIELD: And what was that contact all about? Describe that

moment, how it happened, what preceded it? How did you get to that moment and what happened immediately following?

BARNUM: Well, I had a colleague of mine and I that we were dispatched to that particular portion of the free speech event that was happening that day. And the free speech event was going very smoothly, and we wanted just to provide our community members, our citizens in Portland an avenue to congregate, to talk about the issues at hand, and to be able to vent their frustration.

And so, you know, showing a minimal police presence just to provide them that layer of protection from the motor vehicle in traffic was our primary responsibility. And as I sat there with a colleague of mine, we noticed Devonte, you know, 10 or 15 feet away from us, and he would turn periodically towards us and I noticed he was crying. And I look at my colleague at the time, Brian, and said is that kid crying? And we just kind of went from there, and I said I'm going to call him over and do what I do as not a police officer, but just a human being.

WHITFIELD: And what was his reaction, Devonte's reaction, when you called him over?

BARNUM: He was a little hesitant at first, but he mustered up the courage and energy to come over and talk with me, and at that point it kind of broke the ice a little bit.

WHITFIELD: And you just simply said, hey, I want a free hug since you are holding up a sign?

BARNUM: No. You know, I approached the situation just talking to him as a kid. I have two boys of my owned, let alone teenagers. I have been around kids, you know, my whole entire life, my adult life. And I've participated in numerous kids programs here in the Portland area. And so, having that experience and dealing with kids and sometimes at risk youth and just in general overall summer camps and so forth, you kind of get the flavor of what you need to talk about with a child. And so, we just talked about life, we talked about travel, we talked about summer vacations. We talked about he enjoys art. And we broke down those barriers and we talked about it just as person to a person.

And you know, as I became intently involved in listening to his stories, you know, I noticed his mom was snapping some photographs but that was about it. I had no idea there was anybody else really taking photos around us at the time.

WHITFIELD: And his mom did more than that, knowing that she, you know, when she was taking pictures, but she also posted something on her facebook page after this photo did go viral. I want to read a little bit of it, if you don't mind.

Saying this, it was one of the most emotionally charged experiences I have had as a mother. He trembled holding a free hug sign as he bravely stood alone in front of the police barricade. After a while one of the officers approached him and extended his hand. And then she goes on to write, he asked Devonte why he was crying. His response about his concerns regarding the level of police brutality towards young black kids was met with an unexpected and seemingly authentic, to Devonte, yes, sigh, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. The officer then asked if he could have one of his hugs.

So I don't know if you got the chance to see that facebook posting before now, but what are your thoughts about what his mom is saying?

BARNUM: You know, the day after the event happened, I was forwarded her facebook post. And I was able to read through it and it really touched me on the inside as a human. And I spent quite a bit of time re-reading it and re-reading it and shedding tears myself.

Because to know that without the intent, without the pre-knowledge of what Devonte was facing, but to now know the back story of it is really hits home, and it solidifies what most all of us do this work for, this job for. It's just to create goodwill and to help mankind, help our fellow citizens in a community, and that's what police work is all about, and to know that I was able to help Devonte face some extraordinary fears that he has as a young man, you know, it's really humbling to me as an individual, and it makes me feel good about the work I do.

WHITFIELD: And we've reached out to Devonte's parents to see what they've been feeling since the image went viral and even after the posting on facebook. We haven't had a chance to connect with them. But I wonder is it your hope that, you know, will you get a chance to have contact with Devonte and the family again, or do you plan to meet, or is that just a moment that both of you just kind of hold dear and it will have to be just that?

BARNUM: You know, in light of the circumstances and the photo and the attention and hopefully the calm to the nation, I hope to, but it's a matter of timing. And when the time is right, we'll meet again. But at this point in time, you know, it's important. This is a lot to process for a 12-year-old boy, what's going on. And so for me to have that expectation to meet up with him any time soon is probably a little irrational at this point. But in time, I hope I have that opportunity to meet up with Devonte's parents and Devonte and his fellow siblings.

WHITFIELD: And then I wonder, you know, Sergeant Barnum, what your hopes are as the nation tries to move forward to build better trust between various communities in the nation particularly black communities and police forces across the country. What are your hopes as a police officer?

BARNUM: Well, you know what, I just hope we can all just kind of relax and take a step back because, you know, it really, the situation in this photo, it's not about me, it is not about Devonte. There are thousands of kids in Devonte's situation. There are thousands of police officers that did what I did the other day.

And when the community starts recognizing that and embracing that, I would say that the silent majority of the community really does believe in the good work that the police officers do do. The one thing that's very frustrating and the one thing that I hope happens is I really hope that the communities that are upset about what's happened and I really don't know the particulars, and I'm not going to try and get into the particulars of what's happened to Michael Brown and his family and Darren Wilson and his family, but what I hope happens is that those folks who want to vent and those folks who want to have their free speech events, they can continue that. And they can continue it in a peaceful manner so that they can move about their streets and their communities and be vocal.

I just really hope that those folks who are doing -- that are creating the chaos and doing the damage to their communities realize that they're setting everything back all the hard work that police officers and community members trying to come together to form those bridges and build those relationships, it's this silent, smaller entity that is really detracting from the larger picture and the change that folks want, and that's what's frustrating as a police officer.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sergeant Bret Barnum. We'll leave it there. Thank you for your time. Appreciate it. And thank you for sharing your moment with 12-year-old Devonte.

And we'll be right back.

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WHITFIELD: All right. A new report has just been released on California's drought. And one of the most severe in the state's history. And despite above normal rainfall this month, the report says the situation will not be improving any time soon. Things are bad. Some people are in fact taking matters into their own hands.

Here is CNN's Sara Sidner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Desperation is growing in this California community. The drought is so bad, hundreds of people are now living without running water in their homes.

When you come home and --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honestly, this is what happens. Nothing.

SIDNER: Not even a drip?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not even a drip.

SIDNER: They never thought this could happen in America nor did any of the other residents affected. In this county alone, officials say hundreds of private wells no longer reach water to do the worst drought in California in a hundred years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) there was no water.

SIDNER: Angel Gayego (ph) has resorted to using baby wipes to help keep her cute girls clean. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With no water, I can't -- I can't survive and I

don't know what's going to happen.

SIDNER: Homeowners able to spend thousands to get deeper wells dug learned there is a backlog of up to two years.

The county emergency service have estimates there are about 30,000 of these privately dug well cross the county and one by one they are drying up. County emergency services estimates the actual number of dry wells could be in the thousands and there is no quick fix.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The issue is we expect it to get worse even if we get a substantial rainfall this winter.

SIDNER: The homes are not hooked up to government water lines which could take years to install. For things like washing and flushing toilets, the county has provided this huge water tank and government grants to pay for bottled water. Everything takes time and thirst won't wait. Which is what compelled this resident Donna Johnson to do something. She goes door to door delivering bottled water. Some she buys, some is donated. What she sees scares her.

DONNA JOHNSON, RESIDENT: It's almost like an illness. It just kind of spread and all of the sudden it's a catastrophe.

SIDNER: It was Johnson's firsthand account that alerted government officials to just how dire the problem has gotten.

JOHNSON: Without water you can't survive. You can't keep your home and you can't keep water in it and my heart goes out to everybody.

SIDNER: But she says nothing of herself. It turns out Johnson's well has gone dry, too.

Sara Sidner, CNN. California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead, a mother reunited with her son after four years. Police say he was found behind a false wall in his father's home. Details ahead on the charge that boy's dad now faces.

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