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University of Oklahoma Frat Shut Down; Wisconsin Police Shooting; North Carolina Amtrak Accident; Mohammed Emwazi Apologizes; Boko Haram Pledges Allegiance

Aired March 09, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello on this Monday. I'm Ana Cabrera, in for Brooke. Thanks for joining me.

And breaking now, there has been a train crash in North Carolina. This is in Halifax County. And we're getting these images just in. We're told this is an Amtrak Carolinian headed from Raleigh to Philadelphia. In the aerials you can see - show at least one derailed car in all of this. Local reports suggest the train collided with a truck. It looks like there's some kind of a tractor trailer on its side here. We'll be speaking live with the sheriff in just a few moments to try to get more information into exactly what happened and whether there are any injures involved. Again, we're working to gather more information.

Meantime, protests erupting today in two states. And at the center of each is race. In Oklahoma, a fraternity is shut down after a video surfaced showing a vile racist chant.

And in Wisconsin, a white police officer shooting and killing an unarmed biracial teenager and now students are walking out of class and joining in on a march to the state capitol demanding answers and justice. We'll take you there live.

But first, the University of Oklahoma campus is in an uproar over a video that shows members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the SAE fraternity, singing racist chants, and now the university president says that frat is done. It won't be coming back on his watch. In the video, you see party-bound fraternity members on a bus. They are clapping, they are pumping their fists as they boisterously sing a racial epithet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIDS: There will never be a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) at SAE. There will never be a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) at SAE. You can hang them from a tree, but they'll never sign with me. There will never be a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) at SAE.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Now, this video from Saturday found its way anonymously to the school newspaper, and a campus organization, both of which quickly publicized that clip, and by Sunday night the fallout was evident. The national SAE fraternity moved promptly to close this chapter saying in a statement, "we apologize for the unacceptable and racist behavior of the individuals in the video. And we are disgusted that any member would act in such a way."

Now, just a short time ago, the university president said the campus affiliation with this fraternity is over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID BOREN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA: As they pack their bags, I hope they think long and hard about what they've done. I hope they think long and hard about how words can injure and hurt other people. This is not our way. These are not our values. This is not who we are, and we won't tolerate it. Not for one minute from anybody.

So those students will be - will be out of that house by midnight tomorrow night. The house will be closed. And as far as I'm concerned, it won't be back. At least not while I'm president of the university. (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Now, outraged protesters were listening. They stood silent, yet their message was clear, not on our campus. CNN's Miguel Marquez is joining me now.

Miguel, do we know what kind of disciplinary action these frat members could face?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's where all of this goes now. The fraternity has said that they have yanked their charter. They've yanked it for four years now. They did leave open the possibility that it could come back at some point. The president of the university, David Boren, amazingly, interestingly, that a lot of that protest was overnight. A demonstration overnight at the University of Oklahoma. He joined the protesters before the sun came up this morning and marched with them and chatted with them over a bull horn. Almost extraordinary to see that sort of behavior and the realization on his part about how serious and obvious the, you know, the disgust of what happened is.

They are now looking to figure out who exactly was on that bus, what everyone's part is. He has called for an investigation. It is not clear how deep or broad that investigation would go. I know students that I've spoken to, African-American students, there are several prominent African-American fraternities there and there's a group called Unheard that is sort of shepherding and the focal point for all of their efforts. They want as deep and broad an investigation as possible because they say this is the tip of the iceberg, Ana.

CABRERA: People are calling for expulsion of these students.

MARQUEZ: They certainly want them expelled. And that's what the president's talking about, if they can figure out who's - who took what part in this and if it breaks code -- the code of conduct for the university, this could be expulsion. CABRERA: All right, thank you, Miguel.

Let me turn to Chelsea Davis, who's joining us on the phone from Norman, Oklahoma.

Chelsea, I know you are a student. You are a co-director of this group Unheard, this campus organization that was launched actually back in response to the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. But, obviously, there are some ties in terms of the racial conversation involving both incidents. You say this video didn't surprise you. Why?

CHELSEA DAVIS, CO-DIRECTOR, UNHEARD (via telephone): Just simply because this is the culture that we see not only at the campus of the University of Oklahoma but in America as a whole. This -- the video that I saw was not shocking. I was not shocked at all. Although I was disgusted and hurt by the fact that these are OU students and that these are the peers that I walk to class with every day and I see every day that they could say these hateful things, it definitely was disturbing. However, I was not shocked at all at what was being - what was being said on that bus.

CABRERA: Are there other examples that you can give us in terms of saying this is not a unique incident?

DAVIS: I know in previous years that black students, when they would attend certain parties on Greek row, they would be looked at different. They would be treated differently. Racial slurs would be thrown at them. So this is not a first-time experience. This has happened numerous times before. Unfortunately, this is just the first time that it was caught on camera.

CABRERA: How have people responded in the past, then? If there have been other incidents, have they been reported? Have other people talked about them?

DAVIS: Unfortunately, no. It's not an open dialogue. A lot of people don't like to talk about race. It's uncomfortable. People, they choose to shy away from it. So it has been brought up ever. But that's what OU Unheard is aiming to do is that -- open that dialogue up to create that conversation and to make our nation aware that these issues are not OK. That they are plaguing the black community and we need to do something about it.

CABRERA: How do you think the university is handling it?

DAVIS: I commend the university on the steps that it's taking so far. I would definitely commend President David Boren on being out there with us early this morning and saying the things that he said. I hope that the sanctions go above and beyond what has been said. I think that the students, and all parties involved, need to be expelled. It definitely breaks our student conduct. This is a hate speech. And these students should not be allowed to attend the University of Oklahoma.

CABRERA: All right, Chelsea Davis, thank you so much for joining us. Miguel Marquez, our thanks to you as well.

And tonight learn what really happened the night Malcolm X was assassinated 50 years ago. Of course this past weekend was the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. And CNN's taking a broader look at the issue. We get the story from people who there were, including Malcolm's X's own daughter. So don't miss "Witnessed" at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Now to a mother's plea. That is the mother of Tony Robinson we're talking about. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREA IRWIN, MOTHER OF POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM: And turns around and says that this is not OK and we're not going to take that? Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Her son was shot by a white police officer. He was unarmed. These are pictures of her son. Again, Tony Robinson, the victim here. Social media photos and videos show a community now responding to this fatal incident. Standing room only, in fact, inside Wisconsin's capitol building. Now students, many who walked out of class today, converged on Wisconsin's state capitol with other protesters. This is the third day of demonstrations against Robinson's killing, which happened inside his best friend's home. Madison Police Officer Matt Kenny was responding to this call that came into dispatch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DISPATCHER: Look for a male black, light skin, than jacket and jeans outside yelling (INAUDIBLE) cars. He's 19 years of age. His name is Tony Robinson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Police say that when Kenny got to the scene, he heard a commotion inside this apartment. He forced his way in. And at some point, investigators say, Robinson assaulted the officer, forcing him to shoot the 19-year-old.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREA IRWIN, MOTHER OF POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM: He loved his family. He loved his friends. He was never - never, never hurt a person. Never. My son was a very tall, big boy, 6'4", 220 pounds, but never, never fights. He wanted to be loved. He always just wanted people to like him and love him. And he was such a beautiful, beautiful soul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Wisconsin court documents show Tony Robinson does have a criminal history. He pleaded guilty three months ago to armed robbery.

Let's bring in CNN's Rosa Flores on the scene live in Madison, Wisconsin, where a memorial at Robinson's home continues to grow. Rosa.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Ana, that - that memorial continues to grow and also the support for the Robinson family. I talked to the mother. She's completely heart broken. Of course, still coming to terms with the fact that her son is not here. I want you to look over my shoulder, because you'll be able to see this growing memorial. A sign of the growing support for this family. Now, this is also a sign of the divide. The division between the community and police. I talked to the police chief about this, about how he plans to repair the relationship with this community and here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF MIKE KOVAL, MADISON, WISCONSIN POLICE: We need to start, as any healing or reconciliation would, with an "I'm sorry." And I've done that privately. I'm attempting to do it publicly. And that's the only way we can start to begin sort of the healing of the riff that may take years, if at all, to mend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, we also know that the police chief prayed with the grandmother. There was a demonstration here yesterday evening. He was present at that demonstration. So, Ana, he's been very public, trying to provide support. And then I asked him, you know, one of the obvious questions that this community is going to have is, did this police officer have other tools other than his gun? And he said, yes, in fact this police officer had a stun gun, Ana, but he said I can't comment about the use of deadly force because this investigation is in the hands of the state DOJ.

CABRERA: And just quickly, Rosa, you played that sound bite with the police chief apologizing. Is he apologizing for his officer's actions, essentially admitting his officers was at fault?

FLORES: Not admitting that the officer is at fault, but he made it very clear, he said, look, Rosa, in order for me to repair the relationship with this community, a few things have to happen. First of all, he said, we have to own up to what happened here. And he said indeed this is a case where an unarmed teenager was shot and killed by a police officer. He said we have to come forward and say that. And he said, you also have to say "sorry." You have to say "sorry" for the -- to the community because it's a tough time. They know that they're doing their job, but they also know that this is very emotional for the family, friends, and supporters.

CABRERA: All right, Rosa Flores reporting in Madison, Wisconsin, thank you.

Up next, we'll take you live to North Carolina where the Amtrak passenger train has crashed into a truck. These are more live pictures coming in. They are chilling. We'll speak live with the sheriff, next.

Also, if the threat from ISIS wasn't big enough, now another brutal terror group, Boko Haram, apparently has pledged its allegiance to ISIS. But will ISIS pledge back? Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: More on our breaking story now out of North Carolina. A train crash -- this is in Halifax County and we're told this is the Amtrak Carolinian train involved and we're showing you live pictures from the scene. You see passengers presumably walking alongside there. You see the train arm - the train crossing arm is there on the side and the train at a complete standstill. We understand this involves a truck that was hit by the train. This train heading from Raleigh to Philadelphia. The sheriff in this area, Wes Tripp, with the Halifax County Sheriff's Department is with me now joining us on the phone.

Sheriff Tripp, thanks so much for spending a moment with us. What happened?

SHERIFF WES TRIPP, HALIFAX COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: It appeared around 12:00 noon today, the driver of the tractor that was hauling heavy equipment, the tractor itself got stuck on the track. In his attempt to release that, the Amtrak came and collided with the trailer hauling that heavy equipment.

CABRERA: Do you know of any injuries?

TRIPP: We have 200 passengers, approximately, and a small portion of those passengers are reporting injures but, however, it's nothing life threatening. We have EMS on scene triaging the patients. We have assistance from our local school district here with activity buses, getting those patients transported to the hospital. And we have a staging area set up at our agricultural center for the Red Cross to give these passengers some refreshments and have a place for their family members to come and pick them up at.

CABRERA: You said that this truck, you believe, got stuck on the track. Was the crossing situation there working? Was the crossing arm down? Were there any other warning signs that a train was coming?

TRIPP: Well, it - the - it appears that the truck - the trailer itself got stuck before the crossing arms had engaged. And his -- once that happened, of course, he was trying to get his trailer unstuck and then the collision happened with the train.

CABRERA: Well, Sheriff Wes, we know you're still working to gather more information about what happened and what lead up to this incident. We do appreciate you joining us. Again, Sheriff Wes Tripp there in Halifax County, North Carolina.

Up next, did the ISIS terrorist known as Jihad John apologize? He had a message for his family. What he said, next.

Plus, the terror group Boko Haram apparently declaring its allegiance to ISIS. What happens if both groups merge?.

And ISIS destroying more artifacts centuries old. Hear what they're bulldozing now. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: I want to take you live right now to Madison, Wisconsin. These are live images over several protests that are going on near the state capitol and throughout that capital city in regard to the shooting death of a 19-year-old biracial man who was killed by a white police officer over the weekend. There's been a huge outcry from this community. Many who want to know whether that officer's actions were justified. Again, these are pictures from Madison, Wisconsin. We will be talking live to one of the organizers of these protests coming up at the top of the hour and we'll continue to monitor the situation there on the ground.

Now to another big story. He's an ISIS spokesman and the group's most infamous killer. Now the man nicknamed Jihadi John has reportedly issued an apology. But according to "The Sunday Times," Mohammed Emwazi is not apologizing for the on camera beheadings he allegedly carried out in the name of ISIS, instead he's apologizing to his own family for how his public identification has caused them so many problems. CNN's Atika Shubert is standing by for us in London.

Atika, I know you've gone to the neighborhood where Mohammed Emwazi grew up and he was educated there in London. What more do you know about the family he left behind?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he came from a working class family in west London. You know, went to a very diverse high school. And nothing really stood out to any of his teachers, for example, to say that he had any unusual behavior. He was a little shy, a little bit bullied, but he didn't really stand out in any way.

And so his family does live in London, but it does appear that his mother and father have actually been in Kuwait for some time now. so this apology, as it's reported from "The Sunday Times," may have been delivered to them in Kuwait.

Now, we have actually spoken to the family lawyer about this apology. He will not comment on it. and he says, in fact, there have been a number of false reports attributed to the family over the last few weeks. He says up until this point, the family have not received any confirmation from security services that Mohammed Emwazi is, in fact, the man we know as Jihadi John. And that is the only comment the family has put out so far, Ana.

CABRERA: So his family hasn't come out and condemned the allegedly actions or anything like that?

SHUBERT: No, they haven't. However, they have been in touch with Kuwaiti authorities. They're answering their questions and cooperating. But I think they still seem to be in a state of shock as to what's happened.

CABRERA: All right, Atika Shubert in London, thank you.

Nigerian terror group Boko Haram says it wants in with ISIS. CNN is still working to verify the reports that Boko Haram's leader pledged allegiance to ISIS in an audio message that was posted online. Now, if this turns out to be authentic, it could give ISIS an arc of allegiance that stretches all the way from the Middle East clear across Africa. CNN's senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is following the reports from Istanbul, Turkey.

Arwa, I know you just spent time covering Boko Haram. What more are you learning about this so-called allegiance?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, we recently just spent a fair amount of time in Chad and during that coverage we went with the Chadian military into Nigeria to one of the many frontlines that exist with Boko Haram. And at that stage we were also covering a training exercise carried out by U.S. and other special forces. And at that time, some U.S. special forces, commanders we were speaking to, were expressing their concern specifically about this potential alliance.

As for the timing of it, why would Boko Haram come out with this right now? Well, some people are speculating that it could be because they are, albeit slowly losing some territory that they used to control in (INAUDIBLE) because of this coalition of (INAUDIBLE) Chad basin nations. We have Niger and Chad over the weekend also launching a significant military operation into northeastern Nigeria. And Boko Haram, perhaps, feeling that it is critical for it at this juncture to bolster its credibility to try to gain more support from those who do subscribe to its radical form of Islamist ideology by aligning itself with ISIS.

ISIS does benefit from this as well, even though Boko Haram, again, may be losing a little bit of territory when it comes to territory that ISIS can directly affiliate itself with. This pledge of allegiance by Boko Haram means that ISIS' footprint stretches even further into the African continent, Ana.

CABRERA: All right, Arwa Damon reporting again in Istanbul, Turkey. Thank you.

Up next, gripping testimony in the Boston bombing trial with new stories of survival. One woman says she used her purse strap to fashion a tourniquet for her husband. That's next.

Plus, a car crashes into an icy river with an 18-month-old child inside. Rescuers manage to save that child 14 hours later. How did the toddler survive in the freezing temperatures? I'll talk with an officer who helped carry this young girl to safety. Stay with us.

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