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New Video Shows Final Moments Before Police Shooting; Pope Francis to Proclaim Holy Year; Giant Snakes Threatening the Everglades; All Eyes on Tiger Woods Today. 10:30-11a ET

Aired April 10, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I want to talk about that with former NYPD detective Harry Houck. Welcome.

HARRY HOUCK, FORMER NYPD DETECTIVE: How are you, Carol?

COSTELLO: First of all, how do you feel about Chief Flynn's comments?

HOUCK: I think they're fantastic. I mean this is something that the police department and other officers have to come out and say. That this officer's -- the shooting was completely unwarranted, it was definitely a murder in my eyes and just about every other police officer that I've seen there.

[10:30:00] And it depresses you, you know. I mean we've had enough bad publicity when I believe police officers have been right in some instances in the past.

Here the police officer's directly, completely wrong here. He's been charged with murder. I hope he goes to jail for the rest of his life. All right.

It does depress the police department because it puts out a flashing light out there to people that police officers are killers, you know and that they're murderers. And they're not. Not to put anything less on this incident that happened but I'm saying this is very rare when something like this occurs.

COSTELLO: Well, you know a lot of people don't believe it's so rare especially people who live in minority communities.

HOUCK: Well I know. Right, I know that a lot of people don't. But you know -- but I haven't seen any cases where anybody has been shot in the back like that. I can't even remember one.

COSTELLO: Well, this is on tape.

HOUCK: Of course. I know. But you know, we don't know -- you know, there's a lot of talk out there about the investigation that if there wasn't a tape, then this cop would walk. Nobody can really say that. You know, there's an investigation going on. It was in the early stages of the investigation. So people are complaining that, you know, there's no information in the first two days.

These investigations take a long time. All right. So you know, I would like to say that probably South Carolina could have been trusted in this if there was not a video. But I'm glad we have the video because every officer in every investigation I did if I had video I was doing a happy dance.

COSTELLO: Ok. I want to read you some more of the op-ed by Chief Flynn. I thought it was really good. He said "We cannot be believed if we don't take decisive actions when our officers are clearly wrong. Bad police performance that's not motivated by malice needs to be dealt with very sternly, including termination." And in this case in North Charleston that officer was immediately fired. Although I will say that he was not fired until after that videotape became public. That cell phone video.

HOUCK: Yes but that really doesn't mean much.

COSTELLO: Sure it does.

HOUCK: Not really. I mean he would probably have been fired in a couple days anyway. They probably did it really fast because of the video and said, ok, look the video is out now. Let's fire him now. I think this officer would have been fired in a couple of days or whatever.

COSTELLO: Ok. The other thing I was struck by, by what Chief Flynn wrote. Quote, "Bad doctors are bad doctors even though they went to good medical schools. And sometimes bad cops are bad cops even if they have gone through training and passed the test. So how do you weed out the bad cops?

HOUCK: It's hard. You know, it's a hard thing to do just like how do you weed out anybody from any other profession? Cops are scrutinized in a way -- like I did background investigations for new recruits coming on NYPD. The investigation that we conduct on these people is unbelievable. They have to fill out a booklet about this thick and we have to track everything, you know. If nobody has been arrested before, if nobody is going to tell me something bad about that person when I go interview neighbors and friends, how do you know somebody is a sociopath? You don't. I mean you have to wait until that behavior is somehow uncovered. Apparently in this incident, nobody probably ever saw this coming with this guy. I have no idea. We'll have to wait and see.

COSTELLO: Thanks so much for being with me. I appreciate it as always.

HOUCK: Thanks for having me, Carol.

COSTELLO: I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:36:34] COSTELLO: I want to bring you back to Fort Hood, Texas -- a touching ceremony going on right now. This is the Secretary of the Army and others handing out Medals of Honor including Purple Hearts to 13 people -- soldiers and civilians who died at Fort Hood. Also receiving medals today -- the 30 people who were injured. And you might remember a few years back those people killed and injured by Nidal Hasan when he opened fire at Fort Hood indiscriminately. Hasan is now awaiting death on death row.

But we wanted to bring you to Fort Hood because it's such a touching ceremony and, of course, those medals so well deserved.

All right. In other news this morning, tomorrow Pope Francis will formally declare an extraordinary holy year -- something that has not happened since 1983. The holy year starting in December is called the Jubilee of Mercy. Seven holy doors located in seven different cathedrals around the world will be opened to pilgrims of all faiths.

The holy door at Notre Dame Basilica in Quebec City is one of those doors. The archbishop there, Gerald LaCroix was one of the first cardinals appointed by Pope Francis.

I sat down with him for a wide ranging interview. It was fascinating.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: People of all faiths are welcome to come through this door?

CARDINAL GERALD LACROIX, QUEBEC: Absolutely. You don't need a passport. We've received people who are not even Christians.

COSTELLO: You know, in the past the Catholic Church has not been so welcoming of people of other faiths. What changed?

LACROIX: You're right. We have not always been as welcoming. We need to recognize that very humbly. Does that mean we can't change? That we can't do better? We need to be more faithful to the gospel. That's our constant call. And I think we're doing some steps that are in the right direction.

COSTELLO: When the Pope says things like who am I to judge gays? Conservatives go well, you're the pope. You have to judge.

LACROIX: Oh, yes? Jesus didn't judge. When you judge what's dangerous about judging, first of all, you put yourself a step above everyone else. And you're saying this is your condemnation. What Pope Francis is saying sure we recognize that there is sin. We recognize some people have fallen away from the path that is the gospel and the teaching of the church.

But how are we going to bring them back by condemning them? By judging them? No. Of course you know that the Catholic Church will never promote same-sex marriage. But do we respect homosexual persons and do we welcome them? Do we accompany them? Of course. There are some in our communities that part of our family. It's not because we do not bless homosexual marriages, same-sex marriages that these people, like other people who have other ways of life.

The door is open for everyone. It's not for us to judge that.

COSTELLO: I have to tell you that the excitement is building in the United States to see Pope Francis because they think he's a breath of fresh air for the church.

LACROIX: I'm amazed to see how many people that come up to me and say, you know, Cardinal, this Pope is going to convert me. If this keeps up, I'm coming back to church.

COSTELLO: So what is it about him?

[10:40:01] LACROIX: Every person is a mystery, you know. You can never really say you can size up somebody. But what's evident, this man is living with such freedom, man of freedom. Those close to him say he's up close to 4:00 in the morning to prepare his daily mass. No wonder during the day after having been in communication and relationship with the lord, he can be like him and be someone so loving, so open, so joyful.

COSTELLO: There are some conservative Catholics who aren't so much into Pope Francis. They think he's radical and dangerous. What would you say to them?

LACROIX: You know, I hear that sometimes, too. Some people will say, you know, I'm very conservative. I think Pope Francis is conservative in the right way. You have to be conservative enough to come back to what is the foundation and that's the gospel. You cannot reproach Pope Francis of not living the gospel or not preaching the truth of the gospel.

COSTELLO: Pope Francis sometimes say things that surprise people like when he was leaving the Philippines and he said, you know, women shouldn't procreate like rabbits. That took a lot of people aback. When he says things like that, do you say, Pope Francis, what were you thinking?

LACROIX: I always try to go back and listen to what he said or read what he said in the context. He has some answers and some sayings that are very -- that open your eyes. It wakes us up. It keeps us on our toes. And I think people appreciate his way of speaking, which is not dogmatic and cold and all calculated. He has free speech.

COSTELLO: Isn't part of your mission though? Isn't that why the Pope made you cardinal to try to change the church? Isn't that part of your mission?

LACROIX: No, he didn't make me a cardinal to change the church. Thank God. No. You are created a cardinal to participate in a conclave if we need to elect a pope and secondly to assist the holy father in his work. Right now part of his work and part of his mission and his ministry is this renewal of the church. Of course I will participate. I'm not the one who's going to change the church. But I'll participate with him, of course.

We have nothing to impose. We have someone to propose -- the Lord Jesus and his gospel. You know, it's a conversion process. That's where we are today. It's going to take time.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: It's going to take time. I want to bring in John Allen. He is CNN senior Vatican analyst and author of "The Francis Miracle". Good morning.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Hey, Carol -- how are you doing?

COSTELLO: I'm great. I was watching your face watching my interview with the cardinal. You were laughing at times and shaking your head. So what stood out to you?

ALLEN: Well, fundamentally, Carol, the thing I would draw your attention to is how excited the Cardinal Lacroix seems about what Pope Francis is doing. I mean look, let's not be coy about this. Cardinal Lacroix -- his profile in the Catholic Church would be he's a fairly conservative guy both in terms of politics and theology.

And at the level of detail -- you know, when you asked him when the Pope says things about breeding like rabbits or who am I to judge, does it kind of raise his blood pressure? The honest truth is, of course, it does. And yet despite all of that my experience is even senior members of the hierarchy who might quibble with this Pope on certain points of detail fundamentally are thrilled about what's going on because of precisely what Cardinal Lacroix says which is it has changed the quality of their lives.

When they get into cabs these days, when they walk into airports, when they go to parishes, when they go on TV with you, they are no longer finding outrage and skepticism. They are finding, you know, deep enchantment with the new boss, which basically makes their lives remarkably easier, Carol.

COSTELLO: I must say --

ALLEN: I think that's -- I think that's the take away here that at the level of detail is there some blowback to Francis at the top -- sure. Do these guys want to roll the clock back to two years ago before Francis was elected? Absolutely not because working for a wildly popular pope is a good time.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. All right. John Allen -- thank you so much for being with me this morning. I so appreciate it.

ALLEN: You bet.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Florida swamped with snakes. The threat they're posing to one of America's most majestic wetlands next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:46:53] COSTELLO: Back-to-back adventures in Sunday's season finale of "THE WONDER LIST". One of the trips taking place right now here in America -- the Florida Everglades as Bill Weir discovers a nonnative species is now threatening the wetlands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BILL WEIR, CNN HOST: Lack of clean water is just one threat to the glades though. Like most wild places in the age of man, another big struggle involves protecting native species like the snail kite or the wood stork from destructive exotic species like the Burmese python.

Where did they come from do they think?

BILL BOOTH, PART-TIME PYTHON HUNTER: A lot of them were imported in.

WIER: Bill Booth is a fireman, outdoorsman and part-time python hunter.

BOOTH: People want them as an exotic pet. They've got to have a python. And they either get tired of them or they get too big and they'll come out to the everglades and just dump them.

WEIR: Since they lay around a hundred eggs at a time, some guess there are over 100,000 of them out there. Others argue much less. But there's no debate that they are carnivorous with a capital C. This viral video shows a six-foot gator being swallowed whole by a python that later burst. And when the rabbits and raccoons and small deer began to disappear, Florida held an open python hunt.

BOOTH: You had 1,600 people that thought they wanted to come in and hunt pythons. They get out here and they have AR-15 in full fatigues and they had no idea what they were doing or where they were going.

WEIR: How do you hunt a python?

BOOTH: You just grab them. You just grab them.

WEIR: Yes. Just grab them. Like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: What if they eat you?

WEIR: They can unhinge their jaws and swallow a small deer.

COSTELLO: I know.

WEIR: It's incredible. But you're faster than a small deer, Carol, so you're safe I think.

COSTELLO: Ok. Number one, I cannot believe people would want a python as a pet. That strikes me as strange.

WEIR: But number two is just amazing how a few pet owners one they unleash these, decide they don't want them, what that means for this fragile ecosystem. They took off and sort of an aged man, that's a huge threat is the stuff we bring with us and how it upsets the balance of a place like that.

COSTELLO: So how many of these snakes have been caught and killed?

WEIR: At the great python hunt, there were 78 because they are so hard to find in all that sawgrass. We went hunting for a couple hours, you know, and didn't come close.

COSTELLO: I was hoping you were able to grab one.

WEIR: We didn't grab one. We didn't see one. It's so hard to find but their impact is amazing. We went down to Florida not just to look at snakes but to study the biggest wildlife reclamation in history. The swam that we drained and dug and dammed and ditched in the 50s to create all these beautiful resorts and hotels and strip malls. Half of the everglades is now dead and other half is on life support and people now realizing what that means to fresh water for people, to the fish down in Florida Bay and this whole web of life we're a part of really depends on places that have snakes and mosquitoes and gators.

[10:49:59] COSTELLO: Well, you know what's really sad to me? We never appreciate nature until it's in danger of going away or it's gone away.

WEIR: Right.

COSTELLO: We never do.

WEIR: And once we do realize it's gone away, it's so expensive to bring it back. It's going to cost $13 billion to try to get that fresh clean water flowing again to the right parts of the glades.

COSTELLO: So all of the politicians who don't believe in conserving right --

WEIR: Right.

COSTELLO: -- along the way. Now have to spend huge amounts of tax dollars because, you know, nature is dead at the moment.

WEIR: And that's human nature, isn't it? Just one more development; if I just push a little bit farther into the glades and build this one housing development, it will be mine and we can stop. Multiply that times a thousand and that's what happens. So I hope "The Wonder List" helps people think about these things in a little broader way and fall in love with these places that you normally would never explore.

COSTELLO: I don't think people realize how beautiful Florida is.

WEIR: Yes, it's gorgeous.

COSTELLO: Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

WEIR: Thanks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: A double episode of "THE WONDER LIST" starting this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. "The Outskirts" at 9:00, that's followed by "The Everglades".

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a big day for Tiger Woods -- round two of the Masters now under way. Will he be able to earn that coveted green jacket? We'll take you live to Augusta next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:54:47] COSTELLO: All eyes are on Tiger Woods today at round 2 of the Masters. Moments ago, he teed up. Fans are hoping things go better than yesterday. Woods was outshined by 21-year-old Jordan Spieth.

Let's bring in Don Riddell. He's in Augusta where all of the action is taking place. Good morning.

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

Yes, Tiger Woods has actually just come past us here on the first hole and he made a much better start than yesterday. Yesterday he three- putted the first green. He has just birdied it bringing him back to even par for the tournament.

You really got a sense yesterday that he was just fighting to keep his head above water. He looked really dialed in on the range earlier on today particularly with his iron play so his fans, and there are many of them, are hoping that he has a better performance today.

Of course, he's back in action for the first time in nine weeks after that disastrous start to 2015. Earlier this week he kind of glimpsed to the future when he referred to the fact that Texas-born Jordan Spieth was in diapers when Tiger won his first Masters here back in 1997. That young man has grown up. He was phenomenal shooting an eight under par score yesterday. He's already birdied the second hole.

So Jordan Spieth is now four strokes clear. He's a man very, very much on form over the last few weeks and he's really gaining a lot of momentum here already on day two.

COSTELLO: All right -- Don. Thanks so much. Don't forget to watch CNN tomorrow 2:30 p.m. Eastern for all access at Augusta; a CNN Bleacher Report special hosted by Rachel Nichols. Again, that's right here on 2:30 p.m. Eastern. Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

AT THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND BOLDUAN after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:09] JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Utter destruction in the Midwest; tornadoes devastate homes, businesses and --