Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Hillary Clinton Will Enter 2016 White House Race Today; Tulsa, Oklahoma Sheriff's Releases Video of Shooting; Two Teenage Brothers Remain in Comas Today; U.S. Upset By Russia's Unsafe Plane Interception; Awaiting Hillary Clinton Announcement; Police Due Back At Scene Where Walter Scott Was Killed; Video Doesn't Show Officers Helping Dying Man; Obama Meets Castro; New Era For U.S., Cuba. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired April 12, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:30] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now in the NEWSROOM, Hillary and her big announcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm back!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Republicans are already launching their anti-Hillary campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must do better than the Obama-Clinton foreign policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Plus newly released video of a Tulsa reserve deputy who shoots and kills a suspect when he thought he was grabbing his taser.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: What this video evidence means for the investigation.

NEWSROOM starts now.

Hello, everyone and thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. We're waiting for Hillary Clinton to make it official. She is expected this afternoon to enter the race for the White House in 2016. The announcement is expected to come through video released through social media. It will cap months of speculation, perhaps even years about whether she would enter the race.

Let me bring in CNN's senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny.

So, let's talk about the timing of her announcement, Jeff. Why now?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Fred, a lot of democrats have been wanting her to jump into this race already. They want her to become engaged. So Sunday afternoon her advisors say is a good time to sort of get this ball rolling, to get this out in social media.

This video that she recorded last week, that was edited and the finishing touches were placed on it yesterday, I'm told. They just want to be shared and re-shared to all of her supporters. So they want a controlled release of this campaign. And then in the coming days, she will be travelling to Iowa and New Hampshire to make that case one-on-one with Democrats, in small settings; I'm told that she is in this campaign.

But the biggest thing is we know she is running now. The question for her now, the challenge for her is to say why she's running. So that's what's going to be outlined in the video, that's going to be the focus of her message once she starts traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire this week.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jeff, thanks so much. We'll talk again soon.

Once again, wire waiting for that video announcement to come officially.

So even before that announcement, Republicans have already been attacking Hillary Clinton.

Chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash is with me now. So it didn't take Republicans very long. In fact it was kind of a preemptive launch, wasn't it? Jeb Bush releasing a video and Rand Paul has an anti-Hillary ad out as well.

You spoke with Rand Paul earlier at the "STATE OF THE UNION." What is he saying about Clinton's bid for the White House?

BASH: What is he not saying about it, Fredericka? He is, of all of the Republicans, all of them are pretty eager to attack Hillary Clinton because they feel like that's the best way to prove to Republican voters that they are the one that should be the Republican nominee. But he's perhaps the most aggressive. He was so all last week when he formally announced his bid.

But one of the things that I was interested in because he got into some hot water, there was some controversy about some inter-testy interactions that he has had recently with female reporters. So, what I wanted to know from him is what would he do up against a female candidate on the debate stage. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: What about if you're on the stage with Clinton, will you be cognizant of the fact that she would be a female opponent?

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: You know, I'm always polite and even in all the interview where I am accused of maybe being too aggressive, I have never yell or scream/. I don't get out of control. I do try to be polite. And I always treat that way. I would treat her with the same respect that I would treat a man, but I wouldn't lay down and say I'm not going to respond out of some sort of. And I think that would be a sexist response, to say oh, my goodness she deserves not to be treated aggressively because she's only a woman. I would never say that of anybody. And I don't come into argue maybe thinking, OK, it is woman versus a man kind of interview. I just think she's going to have tough questions. He will ask tough questions. I've got to be prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: But he was also very eager, Fred, to talk about Benghazi as her 3:00 a.m. wakeup call that she didn't take. Republicans are going to slam her on Benghazi, going to continue to hit her on all kinds of issues particularly the idea that they're going to argue that she would be a third terms of an Obama presidency, which she's going to have to walk a fine line on.

[14:05:05] WHITFIELD: And then, potential contender, Jeb Bush, also releasing a video today, one that would aimed squared at Hillary Clinton again. So is this going to be the theme for Republicans?

BASH: I think so. I mean, they are definitely going after her much more. At this point, it's still early, but at this point more than they are one another, because she is at this point the singular Democratic candidate who everybody thinks will get the nomination this time. And she's going to be formidable.

So no question, I just thought you see that Jeb Bush video there. It is fascinating. I mean, this is a guy who hasn't formally announced himself. He is still in that exploratory phase, right? And he's out there talking about the Obama-Clinton agenda which is I think something we are going to hear umpteen times from all of these Republican candidates. So it is very telling, I think, that they're all out there so early on.

WHITFIELD: Very interesting stuff.

All right, Dana Bash, thanks so much. We will talk again, soon.

All right, meantime, let's talk more about Hillary Clinton's campaign and what it could look like. Joining us now, Paul Begala, a CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist and Buck Sexton, CNN's political commentator and national security editor at "the Blaze."

Good to see both of you gentlemen.

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.

BUCK SEXTON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. So Paul, you first, you know her well. Hillary Clinton, you know, has a connection to two presidents. She can't afford to distance herself from President Obama. After all she was his secretary of state. And her husband is still one of these most popular figures. So how important, in your view is it that she use them to her advantage, use those relationships to her advantage.

BEGALA: Right. It's a high class problem, you know. If good Lord willing president Reagan were still alive and healthy, would Republicans use him? Of course. Sadly but for them, they only really have President George W. Bush who's busy painting selfies of his toes in the bathtub. And that's, I think, what Republicans want. They don't want to see (INAUDIBLE) out there.

Democrats want to see her from President Obama. They want to hear from President Clinton. But want they want to hear from Hillary and the other candidates about this. What are you going to do for my life? I think Republicans are going to make a mistake in the segment you just showed us attacking Hillary. This is about insults from the Republicans.

WHITFIELD: Why is this big mistake in your view?

BEGALA: Because voters want it to be about them, not about the politicians. And so, if these politicians are only talking about themselves and their opponents, that's a big mistake.

Republicans have lots of ideas. I may disagree with them, but they do. They should run on their idea. I guarantee, that's what Hillary is going to do in her video. And when you sink down to insults, you lose the voters.

WHITFIELD: So, Buck, you said that's true. Meaning, is it true that that is a mistake because we know her opponents will bring up more about emails. We heard it from Dana, Benghazi, foreign money to the Clinton foundation, might all of this backfire.

SEXTON: No. I would say it's true about Republicans having ideas. And by the way, the nation, just to be clear -

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: They better reveal that, right?

SEXTON: Yes. And the notion, by the way, they are all revealing. And I think Rand Paul, for example, is problematic for Democrats because he does represent something that would be new, that would be change. Hillary Clinton is the ultimate establishment candidate. There is no way she can get around that. Everywhere realizes that. Even Democrats are huge supporters realized that.

And this notion, by the way, that she's being attacked unfairly. People are saying that Rand Paul is so mean to female journalists. We all know this is a manufactured narrative, to make Rand Paul look like he is being (INAUDIBLE) and rude. So that when he goes up against Hillary Clinton, or some other Republican does, they will be in a bad light. They will be sure a bad life.

But let me just say that if you want to see someone being testy with reporters, look are how Hillary Clinton responded to NPR reporters asking for questions about her previous opposition to gay marriage, on which she was an enormous flip-flopper. Along the lines are Barack Obama, by the way. At one point they were against, now they're for gay marriage. And when she was asked about that, she had some sort of merely mouth explanation about how she was evolving too. And she was very nasty.

So, this notion that only Rand Paul who's being constantly poked by reporters are trying to look for weaknesses is going to be the one who is being rude or snippy with people. Hillary is pretty rude and snippy when you actually push her and get real questions, which by the way, the media is not going to ask a lot of those ever any time soon.

WHITFIELD: All right. We have enough and talk more about the evolution or who's snippier or what the agenda is, or what the strategy is, certainly later on in the next couple of hours.

Thanks so much, for now though, Paul and Buck for joining me. Appreciate it.

All right, coming up, our first look at a video of a reserve deputy's mistake which caused the suspect to lose his life when the officer fires what he thought was his taser.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:12:28] WHITFIELD: The Tulsa, Oklahoma sheriff office has released video of an officer involved shooting that killed an alleged weapon's dealer earlier this month. Authorities were recording a sting (ph) operation on the man when the shooting took place. They say it was an accident and the officer thought he was firing his taser.

CNN's Victor Blackwell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The incident on April 2nd captured on police video shows the suspect Eric Harris appears he is selling nine millimeters semi-automatic pistol and ammunition to an undercover officer. Shortly after allegedly selling the gun to a Tulsa County gang task force member, Harris runs from officers who were trying to arrest him. It's while Harris is bolting from police, that one of the officers catches up and the suspect is wrestled to the ground. It's in the ensuing take down that you can hear on the tape, the 73-year-old Tulsa County reserved deputy Robert Baits shouting that he has a taser.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's done to warn other law enforcement officers that you're about to deploy this device.

BLACKWELL: Investigators say Baits accidentally pulls the trigger on his gun instead of the taser firing around in to Harris. And you can hear him apologized for what has done.

Tulsa city police sergeant Jim Clark who was brought in as an independent consultant said that Friday during a news conference that a scientific phrase explains what happened to Baits in that moment. It's called slips and capture that's when someone reacts differently in times of extreme pressure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can train someone as much as you can, and you train in every area that you can, but in times of crisis, sometimes training is not going to take you through the scenario.

BLACKWELL: Clark says that in the 200 shootings he has investigated he's never seen a weapon leave an officer's hand and he believes there's no doubt that officer Baits thought he was getting ready to discharge a taser.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he obviously had a taser grip which caused the gun on discharge to leave his hand and fall to the pavement.

BLACKWELL: Before the tape was released, Harris' son spoke about the last words he told his father.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I loved him. And that I would talk to him the next day. (INAUDIBLE), I knew something was happening.

BLACKWELL: And as the investigation continues, the family and their attorneys still want all the information to come to light.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot that we know about what happened to Eric Harris, but there is a lot that we don't know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All tight. That was Victor Blackwell reporting.

So let's talk more about this. Joining me now is retired Los Angeles police department sergeant Cheryl Dorsey. She's also a member of the national coalition of law enforcement officers for justice.

Good to see you again. So help people understand how does something like this happen? Because I think that the basic understanding is a pistol is on one hit, a taser is on another for an officer, how to, especially to avert a mistake like this. Explain how could happen in your view.

[14:15:20] CHERYL DORSEY, RETIRED LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT SERGEANT: Good afternoon, Fredericka, and thank you for having me.

This shouldn't happen, right? Police officers, you know, like I always say receive an inordinate amount of tactical training. And we're professionals and we were taught, we spend hours and hours at to the range practicing fire arm training so we are familiar intimately with our weapon. And you should be able as a police officer to differentiate between the feel of a gun versus the feel of a taser.

WHITFIELD: So in your view, does it kind of underscore that maybe the 73-year-old reserve deputy hadn't had enough training or something was amiss as to why he would mix up these two weapons?

DORSEY: Well, I can't speak to this deputy's training obviously because I'm not familiar with it. I mean, I'm wondering right off the bat if age plays a part. He's 73 years old. And so, that's concerning to think that a person of that age would still be out in the field doing what in my opinion is a young man's game, right? Running, fighting, jumping, shooting, at 73, you're not going to be able to conduct yourself as well as someone in their 30s, 40s, right? And so, to try to minimize and mitigate this deadly shooting, this tragic shooting with oops I'm sorry, is unconscionable.

WHITFIELD: So, should be there anything different about, and maybe even the tasers, some better distinguishing qualities between them. I know you talked about they feel very different than a pistol. But should it be a different color, just so that, you know, as another visual reminder for an officer when they raise it, that oh, my God, reminder, this is a taser not a gun?

DORSEY: Well, I mean, you can only do so much to try to minimize the mistake between a gun and a taser. I'm sure that there's a weight differential. You know, they may be similarly sized in terms of looks like he had a five shot .38 as well as the taser which looked to be very similar in size, but that's why we train the way we do. And that's why we practice drawing our weapon, and then pointing our weapon and then firing our weapon, ultimately, so that we are intimately familiar with this thing.

I use this every day. This is my BFF, if you will. This is what keeps me safe. This is what allows me to go home at the end of the day. So when I do have to pull a weapon and have to discharge it, it should be second nature. I don't even have think about what I'm doing because I have trained just that long and hard. Just like any other occupation, if I'm a chef and I use a knife and a fork, it's important that I be able to distinguish between this two, right?

WHITFIELD: And then, you know, talk to the police rolling out this additional video now showing this suspect in this alleged gun offense and showing the chasing of him, the sequence of events, is there anything to you that you think is customary hero and father some that all of this video, you know, would be now public information, does it help answer any questions for you?

DORSEY: Well, for me, you know, what I see is this police department circling the wagons and I see them trying to create a narrative that will minimize and mitigate the officer's poor tactics and then further vilify this suspect, right? I mean, so he's a bad guy, he sells gun, I get that, but you don't get to kill him because you pulled out the wrong utensil. It is unconscionable and there's no way to explain it away. And so, I just wish once a police chief or commissioner would just come on camera and say we messed up. But they never do and they never will because they understand the liability that follows that kind of admission.

WHITFIELD: All right, retired Los Angeles police department's sergeant Cheryl Dorsey, thank you so much for being back with us today.

DORSEY: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, Turkey recalls its ambassador to the Vatican after taking offense to Pope Francis' remarks at mass this morning. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:23:03] WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories, Turkey recalls its ambassador to the Vatican and wants to meet with the Vatican's ambassador after taking offense to some of the Pope Francis' remarks at mass this morning. He used the word genocide to referred to the mass killings of Armenians 100 years ago. The (INAUDIBLE) empire, the fore runner of modern Turkey is accused of slaughtering more than a million Armenians. Turkey officially denies that a genocide took place.

And organizers in Spain are calling it the world's first hollow gram protest. Thousands of virtual demonstrators protested a new law that takes effect July 1st. The law imposes hefty fines for protesting in front of the Spanish Congress or other parliament building.

And hip-hop star Nelly has been arrested and charged with felony drug possession in Tennessee. State authorities say a trooper pulled the star's bus over because it didn't have proper stickers on it. After the trooper said he smelled marijuana, officers searched the bus and found drugs according to state authorities. Nelly's lawyer released a statement saying when the facts come out, Nelly will not be associated with the contra ban that was allegedly discovered. He is out on bond.

And two teenage brothers remain in comas today after they were likely exposed to a deadly pesticide while on spring break in the Virgin Island with their family. Turns out that chemical is banned for indoor use in the United States which includes the islands where this happened. And as CNN investigative correspondent Sara Ganim reports this may not be an isolated incident.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two teenagers are still in a coma after they were exposed to a deadly pesticide while on spring break with their family.

Now, CNN has learned that the same chemical was likely illegally used multiple times according to government officials.

Governor Ken Mapp told us that even his own condominium complex was fumigated with methyl bromide without his knowledge in 2013.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What these companies did or have been appeared to have been doing is clearly a violation of law and they will be held accountable for it.

[14:25:10] GANIM: The EPA investigation has already found evidence that Terminix may have illegally used methyl bromide four times including the day before thanksgiving on a vacation villa on St. Floy (ph). And the (INAUDIBLE) on St. John last fall. Authorities are now tracking down the residents who stayed at the villas. But Terminix didn't want to talk about it.

Spokesman of government official who says that you guys have used this substance inside this resort before this incident involving family --.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't understand what I said before.

GANIM: What part?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The part that I cannot talk about. We can't, I'm afraid not. You understand why I wouldn't want to discuss it.

GANIM: All right.

Terminix issued a statement saying that it is quote "committed to performing all work in the manner that is safe and is looking into this matter internally and cooperating with authorities." Pest control companies are supposed to document use of methyl bromide, the governor says that if in fact they were false fighting records.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a clear and malice violation of the law.

GANIM: But federal documents and public records show on the islands there were serious management problems. The EPA oversees the local department of planning and natural resources and last year designated it a quote, "high risk saying it does not meet management standards." That came after a top official with the DPNR was convicted of using the agency to run drugs, the second high profile scandal involving the agency.

The EPA says the inspector general is also investigating the DPNR. But the governor who just took office in January says the agency's issues have nothing to do with what happened to the Edmond family. He blames the pest control companies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It occurred because someone was cutting corners, thought they could enhance their profit margin and they could get away with it. And apparently even in my own resident, someone had been getting away with it for quite some time.

GANIM: Federal authorities are now seizing all remaining canisters of methyl bromide across the U.S. Virgin Islands and shipping them off island.

Sara Ganim, CNN on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Island.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And still ahead, a new stop (ph) between Russia and the U.S. The defense department accusing Russia of an unsafe interception of a U.S. spy plane by a Russian fighter jet. We'll explain what that might mean.

And next week on CNN, marijuana is changing the way Colorado does business, and we have a unique look inside two Colorado dispensaries fighting to stay open.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're parasites. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have got no contribution to this society.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are playing on our community and our kids. This is going to end badly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have got exactly $100,000 in cash back in his car, I bet there's guys in prison right there for doing just what we're going to do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want the (INAUDIBLE)-.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a big boy operation now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going after every resort town in Colorado.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a big wave operation now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not Amsterdam. We're Breckenridge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is absolutely unbelievable to us this happens so quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's when the town erupted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we have an image to protect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The powerful elite has definitely put the pressure on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone is playing everyone. They're going to have a target on their back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is a real threat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's $2 billion to be had next year. I plan to get my father share.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: High profits series premieres Sunday night April 19th at 10:00.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:32:26] WHITFIELD: All right. The United States said it will file an official complaint after a close call on Tuesday between an American spy plane and a Russian fighter jet. The Pentagon says the U.S. aircraft like this one seen here was flying in international air space north of Poland when the Russian jet intercepted it. The Pentagon spokesman says, the Russian pilot acted, quote, "unsafe and unprofessional" because of close proximity and high rate of speed.

Joining us right now to help break this down is Lieutenant Mark Hertling on the phone with us. So, help us understand, A, how this could happen if we're talking about over Poland air space?

LT. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST (on the phone): It shouldn't be happening. But we're seeing -- Commander General (INAUDIBLE) has seen increasing incidents to this. The Russians has done almost four times as many of these kinds of incursions and challenges of their craft. Not only the United States but other nations. This year, a significant increase across the board. This is something that we are repeatedly -- is dangerous because Russians are not only going up to our airplanes in a threatening manner, but they have also conducted some of these kinds of overflights of European territory without transponders on, just a very dangerous set of circumstances and I think it's Russia's way of showing NATO and the United States, we're going to do this because we can, you're not doing anything about it.

WHITFIELD: And let me correct myself. I said, Poland-Russians, it's international Russian's space north of Poland.

HERTLING: Right.

WHITFIELD: But, you know, if this is just kind of bullying in the air, if we think that's what this is, what is the ultimate goal? I mean, how does this advance Russia's cause or their position in the world? I mean, what would be the goal here?

HERTLING: Well, the goal is they -- threatened to say that they can do these kinds of things and I think it's a direct response to Europe threatening them, threatening Russia with continued sanctions because of the Ukrainian issue. Russia is testing the water. It's Mr. Putin actually that's testing the waters to see how far he can go. He's already had an encouraging into the Donbass (ph) region in Russia. And I think personally that we will soon see within the next month or two, some increasing Russian incursions into the Crimea, and again we have said, sanctions against Russia are our only means of threatening them back. I think we have seen some military actions in the last few weeks, where both the U.S. army in Europe and the U.S. Air Force in Europe has spread their wings a little bit more and threatening back by conducting some operations especially in countries along a Russian border, the Baltic countries in Poland and truthfully all of those Eastern European countries are somewhat concerned about all of this, they have seen this happen before with Russia and they're not all that fired up about having this kind of actions by their neighbors to the east continue.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, thank you so much. Thanks for being with us. I appreciate it.

All right, well it may be rather unconventional, you're not going to actually see White House candidate Hillary Clinton live and in person today, but you will see her in her rollout for her campaign, her run to 2016.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:39:33] WHITFIELD: In her last bid for the democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton struggled in Iowa while finishing third even behind John Edwards. But it could be a very different scenario this time around.

Senior Washington Correspondent Joe Johns is in Des Moines, Iowa for us today. So, what does she have to do there to succeed?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, hey, Fred, talking to voters here, it's clear that she does have to find a way to connect and meet voters face to face, get to know them in the way that Iowa voters expect. And that's not necessarily as easy as it sounds with Hillary Clinton, because she is very much an international celebrity, she goes with an entourage, almost everywhere that would include secret service, a lot of news media following her around, and whatever aides or staffers she would also have coming along. So, she has to go small, some people are suggesting here in Iowa including people I have talked to on the ground. And that's not always easy when you're Hillary Clinton -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And you know, when we talk about going small, it means having these very intimate kind of meetings there, dinners, lunches and all that, but who gets to attend those meetings? Who gets that invitation?

JOHNS: Well, it depends on who they want to pick and it depends on the venue they want to set. You know, walking around in this state, you see a lot of people at diners, a lot of people at restaurants, a lot of events that are just staged and some in people's houses, it's very personal, it's one-on-one, it's retail politics, of the type you see both here and very much in New Hampshire and people expect to talk to this candidates before they decide who they're going to vote for and Hillary Clinton does have a bit of a problem here, I think. When I got on the ground here in Des Moines, the first democratic voter I spoke with, a woman said she was inclined to vote for Hillary Clinton, but she had some questions, particularly as pertains to Hillary's private e-mail server account, for the public job of secretary of state, it raises questions, this voter said about openness and transparency and the things people out here are concerned about. So, there are some issues that she's got to deal with presuming this announcement comes today.

WHITFIELD: All right. Joe johns, well, that underscores it's not just her opponents that are going to be launching these questions constantly about her e-mails, Benghazi, et cetera, but from the voters as well and especially those who get face to face time with her while in Iowa. Thanks so much, Joe. I appreciate it.

All right. Still ahead. Walter Scott, as family and friends, remember Walter Scott, police prepared to return to the scene where the unarmed black man was shot and killed by a South Carolina police officer out of North Charleston. We'll have a live report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:46:13] UNIDENTIFIED MAN: The goal of this shoot is to get advertising images and campaign images for the ATP for their global campaign. We're shooting hopefully between 60 and 70 of the players today.

The catch phrase that's been thrown around for this campaign is rock 'n roll tennis. Because of the shots that were doing in play -- event.

The players are actually really into it. They see what the other players have done and they're trying to outdo that. Some of the players that have been doing this for a couple of years, definitely come in and know what to expect, I mean not to be cliche, but Roger is really easy to shoot on this campaign. Novak is very easy to shoot. Rufford (ph) comes in and he knows what we have to do. They know because they see themselves every tournament they go to that they need to do a good job here because they're going to be 40 feet tall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Police will be back on the case of that deadly police shooting in North Charleston, South Carolina tomorrow, piecing together what happened. Walter Scott, the unarmed man shot and killed as he was fleeing from a police officer was laid to rest yesterday.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is in North Charleston and joins us now with the latest. Polo?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, good afternoon. And I tell you what, we have watched this story evolve so much the last eight days, you had anger, you had outrage on behalf of the public just days after the shooting, and now the focus is mainly on faith, on healing, that's exactly what we saw yesterday as Walter Scott's family got together to remember him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL (voice-over): There just wasn't enough room within the walls of this South Carolina sanctuary Saturday, hundreds of mourners gathered to bid Walter Scott a final farewell, the overflow crowd standing in the rain to pay their respects. Scott was shot and killed over a week ago as he ran from North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager. Speakers at the service included Scott's brother and daughter but some of the strongest words came from word ministry's Pastor George Hamilton, he presided over the ceremony, he called Scott's death, quote, "an act of overt racism and motivated by racial prejudice." Attorneys for Scott's family were quick to address the fiery rhetoric saying the family is not bitter.

CHRIS STEWART, SCOTT FAMILY ATTORNEY: You would assume that they're angry. You would assume that they're devastated. But all of those assumptions would be incorrect. Because this family has shown you time and time again that the thing that guides them is faith.

SANDOVAL: Stewart says the family plans to file a civil lawsuit while the criminal investigation continues, Slager's case could ending up in the hands of a grand jury as early as next month. He's been fired from the police force and faces a possible murder charge. In the meantime, Scott's family says they're proud of his legacy. STEWART: Their son is going to be remembered for changing the way

that we look at each other because next time something does happen to an individual, be he African-American, you will now think maybe there's another side to the story. Maybe the police report needs to be looked into. And if that's what Walter Scott died to prove, then I can tell you the family is just fine with that because his legacy is going to live on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And again the Scott family attorney there confirming they do plan to move forward with civil action there in this case. Less thing I should mention Fred, the tributes are expected to continue today. In fact, there's a vigil scheduled to happen at the location of the shooting here in North Charleston. It's not far from City Hall -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much from North Charleston. So, we have heard it from so many, what happened after Walter Scott was shot is just as disturbing as the shooting itself. During the critical moments after Scott collapses, the video shows no one trying to keep him alive. The bystander who shot this video says it was minutes before anyone tried to revive the father of four but that does not seem to match several police reports.

Here now is CNN's Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: The chief of police are the --

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These questions about Officer Michael Slager came hard and fast. Eddie Driggers is the chief of the North Charleston Police.

CHIEF EDDIE DRIGGERS, NORTH CHARLESTON POLICE: To my knowledge, nobody was witness to anything but Slager.

TUCHMAN: Slager handcuffed Walter Scott after he shot him, but at least on the video did not appear to aid him. Shortly after the shooting, another officer shows up, identified by the Police Department as Sergeant Habersham. In the incident report, Habersham declared, "I attempted to render aid to the victim by applying pressure to the gunshot wounds." But no mention of CPR, chest compressions. Ultimately several police officers are seen on video at the site. One of them says in a statement, Habersham did perform CPR. Despite Habersham not mentioning it. Sergeant Gan (ph) says, he helped Habersham stating, "I exited my vehicle and assisted Officer Habersham with first aid and CPR, we continued to perform first aid and CPR until EMS arrived on the scene." Still another officer identified as Sergeant Web declared, "I observed Private First Class Habersham administering chest compression to the defendant." So, after the handcuffs were put on, which the mayor says is a standard policy across the country, the question remains.

[14:51:42] (on camera): Was CPR ever performed on this man as far as you know?

DRIGGERS: I'm going to be totally honest with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Do that.

DRIGGERS: I am. And give me just a second. The honesty comes from my heart. I have watched the video, and I was sickened by what I saw.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Part of what the chief saw was no CPR.

DRIGGERS: In the end of it, what I saw was I believe to be a police officer removing the shirt of the individual and performing some type of life saving, but I'm not sure what took place there.

TUCHMAN (on camera): You don't know if CPR was performed?

DRIGGERS: I do not. I was told that lifesaving -- they tried to safe his live.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The investigation has been handed off to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division known as SLED, but without elaborating the North Charleston Police Department does say, there may be more video to examine. So did any of those other officers give inaccurate statements about the aftermath of the shooting?

(on camera): Amidst the sadness and tragedy, that's a possibility that will most certainly be examined by the state agency now conducting the investigation.

(voice-over): At the end of the news conference, the North Charleston mayor was asked one more question about CPR.

KEITH SUMMEY, NORTH CHARLESTON MAYOR: Not every officer is CPR certified.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: And why not?

TUCHMAN: And with that, the mayor and the police chief left the podium, so many questions still unanswered.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, North Charleston, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And still ahead, for decades, the U.S. and neighboring Cuba looked at each other with an icy gaze. And now President Obama and his counterpart Raul Castro are breaking the ice, smiling, talking, hand shaking with their historic face to face meeting means for the future.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:56:45] WHITFIELD: President Obama calling his meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro a promise to turn the page in developing new relationship. At the summit of the Americans in Panama City of Panama, the two leaders shake hands, smiled, sat down, exchanging thoughts and ideas. A huge breakthrough, and in the words of Obama a turning point for U.S.-Cuban relations.

Here now is Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a cold war no more as the President and Raul Castro came face to face, the first exchange between U.S. and Cuban leaders since before Mr. Obama was even born.

PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: It was time to try something new.

RAUL CASTRO, CUBAN PRESIDENT (through a translator): We are willing to discuss everything, but we need to be patient.

ACOSTA: The President told leaders gathered at the summit of the Americas in Panama, he wants to turn the page with Cuba.

OBAMA: The United States will not be imprisoned by the past. We're looking to the future.

ACOSTA: Though we can see that these longtime adversaries will still have their differences.

OBAMA: We will continue to speak out on behalf of universal values that we think are important. I'm sure President Castro will continue to speak out on the issues he thinks are important.

ACOSTA: And Castro did speak out, joking he was making up for missing past summits when Cuba wasn't invited. Castro blasted U.S. meddling in his nation's affairs over the course of 10 presidents. But in a remarkable moment, Castro said, he admired Mr. Obama.

CASTRO (through a translator): In my opinion, President Obama is an honest man.

ACOSTA: An assessment Castro said he made after skimming through the President's autobiographies.

CASTRO (through a translator): I admire him and I think his behavior has a lot to do with his humble background.

ACOSTA: There hasn't been a give and take like this between the U.S. and Cuba since Vice President Richard Nixon met Fidel Castro in 1959 when Dwight Eisenhower was president.

But even after a series of encounters with Castro, the President stopped short of saying he trust the Cuban leader?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Do you think that Raul Castro is an honest man?

OBAMA: It was a candid and fruitful conversation between me and Raul Castro. I can tell you that in the conversations I have had so far with him, two on the phone and most recently face to face, that we were able to speak honestly about our differences and our concerns in ways that I think offer the possibility of moving the relationship between our two countries in a different and better direction.

ACOSTA: Next the Obama administration is expected to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move blasted by some lawmakers including Florida republican Senator Marco Rubio, who said, I don't see how they can rationalize taking them off the list other than the President's desire to achieve a legacy issue. The President argued, times have changed.

OBAMA: Cuba is not a threat to the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: The President did not resolve the issue of whether Cuba will remain on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, though a senior administration official told reporters the President is nearing a decision on that issue. But the process doesn't end there as Congress will have 45 days to weigh in on the issue.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Panama City, Panama.