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Reserve Deputy Has Falsified Training Documents?; Pilot in Custody After Capitol Copter Stunt; Aaron Hernandez Convicted of First Degree Murder; Estranged Sisters on Opposite Sides; Spring Break Scrutinized after Alleged Rape; Violence Intensifies in Key Iraqi City. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired April 16, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:28] DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, new developments in the deadly taser mix-up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Allegations that supervisors falsified training records for a volunteer deputy charged with shooting an unarmed man.

Plus how did they miss it? A guy flies a gyrocopter through restricted airspace and lands just feet from the capital. Security questions swirling today.

And the CEO of a multimillion dollar company does the unthinkable. Not only did he take a 93 percent pay cut, he gave the money to his employees. Why did he do it?

Let's talk in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And hello there, everyone. I'm Deborah Feyerick in for Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

Let's begin with the shocking new allegations on a deadly taser mix-up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A bombshell report from the "Tulsa World" that supervisors of Robert Bates, the 73-year-old volunteer deputy and insurance company owner, who said he accidentally fired his gun instead of his taser, well, those were allegedly ordered to falsify Bates' training records.

The report claims that at least three of those supervisors were reassigned after they refused. It is unclear who exactly issued the order. But if true, it could mean that Bates received credit for field and weapons training that he never completed. The sheriff's office denies the claims but the "Tulsa World" newspaper standing by that report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZIVA BRANSLETTER, ENTERPRISE EDITOR, TULSA WORLD: Back when he was trying to get on as a deputy, he had already been accepted into the program. Then there was the falsification of the field training record initially then the handgun qualification records after that is what we understand.

So it was, you know, back several years ago. And then every since then he was named Reserve Deputy of the Year in 2011. Ever since then he's been going on -- he said 100 or so undercover operations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And Bates has already been charged with manslaughter over the killing of Eric Harris.

Let's bring in CNN national correspondent Ryan Young.

And, Ryan, this report that, in fact, these documents may have been documented or even missing is very troubling.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, these are explosive details. The victim's lawyer in fact raised some concerns about training a few days ago. And I'll also tell you, look, the 73-year- old man on a tactical operation like this, a lot of people had questions. When you at that video and you hear him scream, taser, taser, taser, but instead the handgun is fired. A lot of people have questions just about how that scenario worked out.

You did hear him say, I'm sorry, but a lot of police departments and sheriff's departments actually separate the taser from the handgun. Something like this is not meant to happen because you're trained to know that the taser and the gun is put in two different places. But look, the "Tulsa World" is reporting that three supervisors were reassigned after not being willing to falsify reports.

It brings this whole idea and this whole operation into question when it comes to Robert Bates. In fact, days ago reporters asked the sheriff about the training that Robert Bates had received.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: For failure to sign off on his training, approve his training?

SGT. JIM CLARK, TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT: Not to my knowledge, no.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So there's ever been any concern about his training and his --

CLARK: Not that I am aware of, no. He has been trained.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Anything?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, he has 300 hours, or almost 300 hours of CLEET credit training, and state statute requires 25 hours of continuing education for a year, so he is well in excess of what you would anticipate someone would have that was meeting minimum requirements.

[09:05:10] UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But no one has ever expressed concerns about his ability or his training at the sheriff's office?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never to me. In fact just --

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: At the sheriff's office.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, just the opposite.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Now we do have a statement from Major Shannon Clark from the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department and it reads, "Just keep in mind that the 'Tulsa World' reporter cannot validate her sources and claims anonymity which leaves us skeptical that her claims are unsubstantiated and deceptive."

Now of course, all this is going to be put into question. Now in fact, the entire program is being watched after these new explosive reports have come out.

FEYERICK: Yes, and an audit of the sheriff's department as well.

All right. Ryan, Young, thank you so much.

And last hour I spoke with a former ATF agent and he said that many different levels of training appear to have been shortchanged in the case of Bates. A specific type of training for tasers as opposed to firearms and a much higher level of training for tactical operations.

[10:05:15]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW HORACE, FORMER ATF AGENT: We talked about early this week the fact that there's a different training mechanism for use of the taser than there is the use of your primary firearm. That came out.

The other thing is that tactically, tactically, officers that are out on tactical operations should receive hundreds or more hours of qualification time than officers that just might be issued a taser for general use. In this case, he had neither and I think the incident proves that.

He had qualified with the taser once, let's just say back in 2007, and qualified with his firearm back in 2007, normally there are systems in place to ensure that you get refresher training throughout the year. Even if that were the case, he was ill qualified to be on a tactical operation. It was a danger to the suspect, it was a danger to other officers and it was a danger to the public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: A lot to look into there.

And another story a mailman turned gyrocopter pilot is headed to court in just a few hours after he flew into restricted Washington airspace and landed just feet from the capitol steps.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not good, people. No, it's not.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FEYERICK: Well, Doug Hughes says he was flying his message of campaign finance reform right to Congress but that message was apparently missed by NORAD, the capitol police, and the Secret Service who actually interviewed Hughes last year. They all seemed surprised when his gyrocopter touched down so close to the steps.

Rene Marsh is following the story from the capitol lawn near the spot where Hughes landed -- Rene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not good, people.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Apparently undetected and unauthorized. This small aircraft sailing through the most heavily guarded airspace in America.

NORA NOUS, WITNESS: Within about 45 seconds of his initial landing there were multiple police cars on the scene.

MARSH: The Florida mailman, 61-year-old Doug Hughes, swarmed by police and a bomb squad after landing on the West Lawn of the Capitol building. The bizarre incident throwing the U.S. Capitol into chaos, shutting the area down for hours.

DOUG HUGHES, FLEW INTO PROTECTED AIRSPACE: I had carefully planned it so that nobody will get hurt.

MARSH: In this video published by "The Tampa Bay Times," Hughes says flying the gyrocopter into the no-fly zone was all in protest. And he'd been planning it for years.

Strapped to the landing gear, 535 letters, one for every member of Congress, opposing corporate money in politics.

HUGHES: There are these problems and these problems and these problems that are much more important than campaign finance reform. But those won't get addressed until we fix campaign finance reform.

MARSH: Ben Montgomery, a reporter from "The Tampa Bay Times," says they alerted the Secret Service and the Capitol Police before takeoff. Not so, says the Secret Service. Montgomery says he was amazed Hughes made it.

BEN MONTGOMERY, REPORTER, "TAMPA BAY TIMES": He was fully prepared to be blown out of the sky long before he ever entered protected air space.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH: Well, this afternoon Hughes will make his first appearance before a judge. It's unclear at this hour exactly what he will be charged with. But aside from criminal charges he could also face civil penalties after that bold stunt that he pulled off right behind me here on the West Lawn of the capital -- Deb.

FEYERICK: All right, Rene Marsh, thanks so much. Bold being an understatement. Appreciate it.

And from football star to convicted murder. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez will spend life in prison. But his time in court not over by a long shot. More trials ahead. Another one for murder. Hernandez is accused of killing two men and wounding another near a Boston nightclub July of 2012. That's in addition to numerous civil suits. Keep in mind the jurors who convicted Hernandez yesterday in Odin Lloyd's death had no knowledge that Hernandez was facing these other trials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Judge Garsh said, keep your mind suspended. And for me, and I know that a lot of other people did, we went in there every day with open minds. We listened to the evidence. We heard what they had to say. We got to go into a room and look and see what -- and feel and touch all the evidence. I think we can all stand here and say we made the right decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And Hernandez's new life is a jarring turnaround from 2012. Three years ago he had a $40 million contract with the New England Patriots. The beginning wages in prison where he sits now, well, when he works he's going to receive a mere $0.50 an hour. Adding to the irony, the maximum security facility is located less than two miles from the field where he once scored his famous touchdowns.

[10:10:14] A source tells CNN that Hernandez told jailers on his way to prison, quote, "Hey, man, I'm going to miss you guys. But you know, they got it wrong. I didn't do it. I don't need any luck anymore."

Understandably the trial was a very emotional saga for all of those involved. At the crux, two sisters, now divided, Shayanna and Shaneah Jenkins, one the grieving girlfriend of Odin Lloyd. The other who just saw her fiancee convicted of the murder of that man.

Randi Kaye joins me now to discuss pretty amazing, two sisters sitting on opposite sides of the court, both of them very convinced of who was right.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. It's really, Deb, a tragic story for everyone around. When Shaneah Jenkins found out her boyfriend had been killed, first she called her mom. But her second call was to her sister. That's how close they were. But then they ended up in this courtroom, one sister likely hoping Aaron Hernandez would be convicted, the other hoping that he'd come home to her and their baby and the family drama played out for all to see.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE (voice-over): Her name is Shayanna Jenkins. For months she stood by her fiancee Aaron Hernandez testifying on his behalf, answering tough questions about a gun in the junk drawer at home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it similar or dissimilar to what you observed?

SHAYANNA JENKINS: Shape, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Color?

JENKINS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Size?

JENKINS: I'm not sure.

KAYE: But while she was there to support him, her own sister was in court, too, supporting the family of the man Hernandez is now convicted of killing. Odin Lloyd was dating Shaneah Jenkins. She told the court about that horrible phone call from police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what did you learn?

SHANEAH JENKINS, ODIN LLOYD'S GIRLFRIEND: That Odin was dead.

KAYE: She also shared this, about seeing Hernandez after the murder.

SHANEAH JENKINS: Asked me if I was OK. Put his hand on my shoulder, kind of rubbed my shoulder and told me he'd been through this death thing before, it will get better with time.

KAYE: For months the two sisters, once considered close, sat on opposite sides of the courtroom. Shayanna set behind her fiancee. Next to Hernandez's mother. Shaneah sat with Odin Lloyd's mother. Their now strained relationship hardly went unnoticed in court.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you close as sisters? Have you been in the past, ma'am?

SHAYANNA JENKINS: I mean, we've estranged, kind of.

KAYE (on camera): Shayanna and Shaneah Jenkins grew up in Bristol, Connecticut. They went to Bristol Central High School where Aaron Hernandez was the star of the school's football team. Shayanna, who was Hernandez's high school sweetheart, ran track. Her younger sister Shaneah was reportedly a good student, making the honor roll.

(Voice-over): The two sisters actually introduced Hernandez to Odin Lloyd after Shaneah started dating him. The couples hung out together at Hernandez's house. Shayanna testified the sisters would often go shopping while the boys stayed in what they called the man cave smoking marijuana.

Those memories long gone by the time Shaneah testified that Shayanna had been acting strangely after the murder, getting a flurry of calls and text messages from Hernandez. Prosecutors pounced suggesting that Shayanna threw out a box of trash that also contained the murder weapon, which was never found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The defendant had called you and said it was important that you go down and get this box and get rid of it, is that right?

SHAYANNA JENKINS: I believe so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were also asked whether you had taken certain steps to cover or conceal or hide the box. Do you recall doing that?

SHAYANNA JENKINS: Yes.

KAYE: When the guilty verdict was read, the two sisters never made eye contact, both in tears for their own reasons. Shayanna with Aaron Hernandez's mother, Shaneah holding her head in her hand. So many lives and a sisterly bond ruined by a handful of bullets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And they never did find that box of trash that Shayanna had been seen on that surveillance camera leaving the house with. She told investigators that she couldn't recall where she had dumped it.

And I should mention also, Deb, that Shayanna was granted immunity for this trial. She had been facing about 30 charges for lying to the grand jury while they were looking at this case so prosecutors granted her immunity, compelled her to testifying. In the end she really ended up as a prosecution witness.

FEYERICK: Right. Absolutely. And what a tragic story. Just you never know in the circumstances and how they intersect.

All right, Randi Kaye, thanks so much.

And still to come, a third arrest after video of an alleged gang rape during spring break in Florida makes headlines. Now local officials and business owners are coming together and vowing to make changes.

[10:05:03]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Disgusting, repulsive, sickening, that is how one Florida sheriff describes the video of an alleged gang rape in Panama City Beach over spring break. While three suspects are now custody, officials say they found even more shocking videos. And that could spark changes to this annual event.

CNN's Alexandra Field is in Panama City Beach with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's fight filled booze fueled wild lewd scenes shared with #panamacitybeach2k15. Then there's this video. Panama City Beach in broad daylight, hundreds stand around a few feet from here a woman is being gang raped.

MIKE THOMAS, BAY COUNTY COMMISSIONER, FLORIDA: Spring break as we know it is over. FIELD: The crowd comes in over 100,000 strong during the month of

March and early April. This year officials say arrests topped 1,000 triple last year's number. 49 guns confiscated compared to nine a year ago. Drug arrests total over 200, up five times. Sex offenses double. Investigators are still searching social media for evidence of other unreported crimes including another possible sexual assault.

SHERIFF FRANK MCKEITHEN, BAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We've had one more incident where we're able to identify the female victim. We have not been able to identify the suspect.

[10:20:04] FIELD: The chaos and the crime spiking at the end of the March when police find seven people shot, a number of them college students on spring break.

Sparky Sparkman's Beach Side Bar depends on thousands. Spring break is big business in the area. In March of last year visitors spent upwards of $100 million. Investigators say the gang rape happened near Sparkman's restaurant.

SPARKY SPARKMAN, BUSINESS OWNER, PANAMA CITY BEACH: I'm trying to protect Panama City Beach's reputation, whatever that takes, OK? I do benefit economically from spring break, but we cannot tolerate this kind of business.

FIELD: Late in the season lawmakers passed ordinances aimed at curbing the partying. Just the start of a crackdown one county lawmaker says must come.

(On camera): But there's a will to change that.

THOMAS: There is a will to change it. But we're going to make spring break smaller.

FIELD: He's pushing for a rash of alcohol and crowd-related ordinances that he hopes could deter many from even coming at all.

THOMAS: There's just a trashy element that is found amongst the fist fights.

FIELD: It could mean a financial hit for the local economy. But to many after this year, it seems worth the price.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: And so, Deb, when you hear people calling for more ordinances, of course the question becomes how do you enforce those ordinances. The sheriff's office here has said that they cannot police the crowd at this size. They simply don't have the resources for it. And that's why you're hearing some people coming out and saying that they believe the solution right now is to simply to reduce the size of the crowd with those deterrents.

They hope that they'll keep some of that criminal elements that you hear them talking about away from this beach. They hope to one day restore to the spring break that has been here for years, for decades really. They want this to be, you know, the traditional destination for spring breakers. They don't want the crowd that's has been here to continue to come here -- Deb.

FEYERICK: Yes. And shocking that none of the students who were there watching did anything to help.

All right. Alexander Field in Panama City Beach, Florida. Thanks so much.

And still to come, ISIS making gains, close to losing control of another key city. Next the critical battle under way to keep Ramadi from falling.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:25:55] FEYERICK: I grabbed my children and ran. Those are the chilling words from one of the thousands of civilians trying to escape violence in Iraq. Right now ISIS militants are in a fierce fight to try and seize the government complex in Ramadi. Overnight violent clashes intensifying between terrorist and Iraqi forces who say they need more ground help.

Let's bring in someone who knows this region very well, CNN military analyst Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.

Thank you so much, General. Talk to us about Ramadi and the tactics that are being used by ISIS to gain control.

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Deborah. You know, it's going to be a tough fight out there for sure. But I think your listeners need to know that there has been fighting going on for the last several months. While the focus has been on Tikrit, in Saladin Province, the Iraqi Security Forces have all been fighting ISIS in that region. But as they have -- as ISF has defeated ISIS in Tikrit, some of the forces of ISIS have shifted more to Anbar Province and they are conducting this offensive operation in and around Ramadi.

Certainly going to be some tough battles out there. This was what we in the military call an economy of force region for the last several weeks. It's now turning into the Iraqi government's main effort. So they are going to start pushing more security forces out there and certainly the coalition air forces are going to be targeting ISIS targets out in that area.

FEYERICK: So that's really interesting. So essentially what you're suggesting is that when ISIS doesn't make gains in one area, they simply sort of recombine and move their troops to someplace else. So that's actually a positive thing on some levels.

HERTLING: Yes. They have become very adaptable in terms of how they are fighting, which is an interesting piece. You never underestimate your enemy. And they are certainly been a little bit nimble in moving forces around. But what's also interesting is it's giving time for Iraqi Security Forces to build back up. They are training several brigades, they put Mr. al-Abadi, the prime minister, in a bit of a little bit of a crunch because he knows he has to secure not only Anbar Province but he has to gain support of the Sunni tribal leaders in that area.

That's why we don't see him continuing the fight from Tikrit north to Mosul. He needs to secure Anbar, consolidate his position, gain the support from the Sunnis, show all of the government or all of the people of Iraq that he's actually fighting to pull them together and defeat this scourge.

FEYERICK: Yet some say that Ramadi is on the brink of collapse. Is that accurate? Because other towns have been in a similar position. But ultimately ISIS had to move on.

HERTLING: No. I think that's hyperbole. There are certainly members of the provincial council. And I know several of them, Mr. al-Asawi, first of all, who have been screaming the last several weeks for more forces from the Iraqi government. And it's certainly difficult out there as Arwa Damon's report you showed earlier mentions. There's a lot of fighting, there's a lot of refugees.

ISIS is in defensive positions. It's going to be tough to get them out of there. It's going to take precision weapons, precision bombings and a lot of house-to-house fighting. But I don't think you're going to see Ramadi fall. It is going to be a tough fight, though.

FEYERICK: It's interesting because when we saw that map up there, clearly ISIS has more ground than it's had ever before. But you see that inroads are being made and that some ground there, especially in the yellow, is what they are sort of beginning to lose. Kind of interesting there.

All right. General Mark Hertling, thank you so much. Really appreciate your insights on that. We'll watch that closely.

HERTLING: OK. Thank you, Deborah.

FEYERICK: And -- of course.

And still to come, we may be 18 months from the presidential election, 18 months away but yes, it's already started with a vengeance. What happens when candidates attack?

Plus a CEO now a hero to his employees. His motivation to slash his salary and give more than 100 workers a better life.

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