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Arrest Made from a Tip by a Viewer of CNN's The Hunt; Baltimore Working with Feds to Curb Violence; US Vows to Protect Syrian Rebel Trainees

Aired August 03, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Jennifer, I heard your voice a second ago. Did you want to jump in and respond to any of that?

JENNIFER HORN, CHAIRWOMAN, REPUBLICAN PARTY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: No. Listen, I like I said a second ago, I'm not here to debate other candidates, I'm not here to tell people who is the right person to vote for. We are very excited. We have right now the broadest, most qualified field of candidates that we've seen in my lifetime. Tonight is an important part of the process that's just beginning to unfold.

And I've been through a couple of cycles up here, Brooke. While the summer before is always an he can siting time as the candidates begin to come, anyone who has been following politics in New Hampshire for very long knows that the polls today aren't really measuring exactly who folks have decided they are going to vote for on Election Day. There's a lot that has been unfold between now and then.

And you know, I say all the time, there's no such thing as a front- runner in New Hampshire this early in the game. But again, you know, I was here to talk about the forum, what an important step this is for our candidates to be directly in front of real voters, for them to be able to measure them up, you know. Because here in New Hampshire, we're not just looking at a policy perspective or political perspective but from a personal perspective as well. Its hard work to earn the trust and the faith and the vote of (INAUDIBLE) and this is all part of that.

BALDWIN: Absolutely. And to your point, we got a long way to go.

Jennifer Horn and Lou (INAUDIBLE), thank you so much. But it's a big night for Republicans tonight in New Hampshire. No doubt about it.

Next, breaking news, and it involves CNN's own reporting. "The HUNT" with John Walsh actually just landed its first arrest ever here from the season from the tip from a viewer. Who was captured and how this individual was captured? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:31:01] BALDWIN: Got some breaking news in the wake of one of CNN's original series. This mother has been arrested as a direct result of the CNN program "the HUNT." Investigators say Megan Everett was on the run with her 3-year-old daughter. She's accused of taking this child from her father because she didn't want her to get vaccinated. Everett was taken into the custody from a tip that came in hours after this episode aired of "the HUNT."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Megan was very bubbly. Things became a little more personal. It just kind of progressively became more than just a friendship. When Megan found out she was pregnant, that was the game changer. That was a big change. Lily was always outgoing and a bundle of joy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After they broke up, it seemed that she was trying to cut him out of her life completely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got my daughter that first week and then I brought her back. I went to pick her up on May 13th. I knocked on Carlos' door. He opens the door and says, Megan doesn't live here. She moved. And he slammed the door in my face.

So, you know, I called the Sunrise police department.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: All right. So that was a piece of its episode that ran. And I have now the host of "the HUNT," John Walsh with me on the phone.

And John Walsh, I mean, congratulations! We have talked before other arrests that have happened in the wake of this programs. But in terms of this particular one, how did they find this mother?

JOHN WALSH, CNN HOST, THE HUNT (on the phone): Well, Brooke, the wonderful fans and viewers of "the HUNT" helped us catch four people last year and now this is our first capture this year and someone did the right thing, thought that they had seen Megan Everett in Gainesville, Florida made the call. We distribute, you know. We always protect the identity of our callers. I've said it. You know, you don't have to give us your name. You don't have to get involved. You can remain anonymous. Please don't answer the hotline.

So we gave the tip to the U.S. marshals and the local sheriff around Gainesville, Florida, and they settled then they got Megan Everett. But the best thing of all, Brooke, and I just got the news myself, I'm at in a big forensic conference in San Francisco. I announced the news that the conference. I felt like doing a cartwheel because now this little 3-year-old girl Lily is back safe with her father. And many, many people were very worried about Megan Everett. She was hanging around with this white supremacist group for a while, on the run with them. And everybody worried and anguished about little Lily but she's safe today because of the bravery of a caller.

BALDWIN: It's incredible what you have done with your life and helping find all of these people and put them behind bars, including this particular episode of "the HUNT."

John Walsh, kudos to you and your team, truly. Thank you so much.

And you can watch this episode of "the HUNT" on demand. Just go to CNN.

John Walsh, thank you.

Coming up, after Baltimore's most violent month in decades, federal agents are going to bribe with Baltimore officers. Their plan and how they are hoping this will affect the city, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:43] BALDWIN: The city of Baltimore taking a new approach to help deal with out of control violence. Today, federal agents are embedded with local officers. Now, ten officers from these five different agencies will be joining members of Baltimore's homicide unit in a program called be fed and city leaders, including the mayor and interim police commissioner are holding a conference to talk about this.

The city that has experienced riots and looting and the six officers now criminally charged in the death of an African-American man in police custody, Freddie Gray, has just reportedly ended its most deadliest month since 1972. "The Baltimore Sun" reports there were 45 homicides reported and that follows the month of May with 42 deaths. "The Sun" says the city has never seen two consecutive months with so many killings.

So here to discuss, I have local security group CEO David Katz who used to be a senior special agent at the DEA. So you know about, you know, the notion of federal agents embedding in a local police department. That's not entirely, you know, unique. But I want you to tell me what they will be doing.

DAVID KATZ, FORMER SENIOR SPECIAL AGENT, DEA: Well, typically, federal agencies have created task forces that specialize in whatever the agency's mission is. For example, DEA has narcotics task force (INAUDIBLE) every major city across the country, ATF, FBI, everyone does. So the federal/local law enforcement cooperation is longstanding.

This seems to be a bit different and, frankly, I don't understand it at all. Putting federal agents embedded with homicide investigators. For the most part, you don't have, for example, federal homicide investigators. You might work a homicide, let's say you're an FBI agent.

In addition to your normal functions, you may get several homicides in the course of your career as opposed to a New York City homicide investigator spent 32 years working homicides in Brooklyn. There is nothing a federal agent confused that guy on homicide, period. So I'm not sure where they are going with this or who they got and what their background is. It doesn't make any sense.

[15:45:45] BALDWIN: I have - this is from Evan Perez, our justice correspondent who has been all over Baltimore story, they will be answering 911 calls, working cases, ATF also sending a group to work with the ceasefire units. Those are the officers who are targeting the several dozen known violent people believed largely responsible for the surge of violence in the city. You know, I've talked to these two active officers not too long ago who talked to me about what is, you know sort of known as the blue flu and they were saying essentially right now they will be reactive but they are not being proactive.

KATZ: Exactly right.

BALDWIN: And when, you know, talk about, you know, the greatest number of homicides in decades, two months in a row, do you think that is still behind that number?

KATZ: There's no doubt. There is no question. The thugs on the street in Baltimore - and by the way, in the city and everywhere else, feel embolden. It comes right from the top, from the president of the United States who instinctively react on the side against law enforcement. We saw that in Ferguson --.

BALDWIN: He supported law enforcement.

KATZ: Yes. But there is always a but. Anytime there is an interaction between police and a citizen, it always has the potential to go bad. What we really need to stress, the most important thing is, no matter what the encounter is, if you feel you are being unjustly treated by the police, comply with what they say and then sue in the depart of court.

BALDWIN: All right. (INAUDIBLE) doesn't always happen, you know. There are bad seeds among the neighborhood or amongst the officers, so given that.

KATZ: Well, the problem now is, because of those few bad seeds -- and by the way, not all of these incidents -- Ferguson is a great example of a cop doing the right thing and started this whole chain of events. But for cops who are bad, they are either corrupt or incompetent, that's put a fall on the rest of the law enforcement. So the problem now is, people are challenging law enforcement. And, unfortunately, cops feel that if they get into something, even if it's a close call, you're not going to be supported. So what would you do? You are thinking, OK, what wait a second, I have 18 years, I have two more years for retirement. I have three kids, one is in college.

BALDWIN: You know their spouses are nervous.

KATZ: Of course, they are. Of course because it always has the potential to go south very fast.

BALDWIN: Let me just put some of these numbers. I have been looking to you. This now interim police commissioner Kevin Davis. He says right now his detectives clear about 36 percent of homicides when the department's average has been 46 percent. The commissioner also says gun seizures are up 20 percent. How, just talking about Baltimore specifically, how do they combat that?

KATZ: What they need to do is what Giuliani did here in this -- well, as pre-Giuliani. But, its community policing. (INAUDIBLE) stop and frisk. It was never spoken - they were rightfully abuses. But the way it's supposed to work is stop, question and, if necessary, or if it's indicated, frisk. So you want the police to feel like they are part of the community. They have the support of the good people, the hardworking people who don't want these criminals shooting up the streets and killing the local inhabits. So you want cops proactive. You want them, stopping people who are look like they are up to no good. If they have a good explanation to what they are doing, you say have a nice day. Sorry the intrusion. But if they are not, you get a lot of bad guys off the street and that's not being done.

BALDWIN: OK. David Katz, thank you.

KATZ: You're welcome.

BALDWIN: I got some breaking news now - more breaking news here at CNN. Now to Cincinnati and the test results from that gin bottle that Samuel Dubose had in his car the day he was pulled over and shot and killed by this former University of Cincinnati police officer. The coroner's office now says that it was not alcohol. They say that compound tested was consistent with freshener, air freshener. Remember, the deadly encounter, this was Officer Ray Tensing. He asked what Samuel Dubose -- he was asked what was in the bottle. It was recorded on the officer's body camera. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY TENSING, FORMER OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED SAMUEL DUBOSE: What is in that bottle?

SAMUEL DUBOSE, VICTIM: (INAUDIBLE)

TENSING: Bottle of what?

DUBOSE: (INAUDIBLE)

TENSING: OK. Do you have your license on you?

DUBOSE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Just moments later, Dubose was shot in his head and killed. He died instantly. Officer Ray Tensing is now facing a murder charge.

CNN's Jean Casarez joins me with more on this bottle. And what specifically you have learned about this.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we just got this information in from the Hamilton County coroner's office just as you said, Brooke.

Laboratory testing, preliminary testing, but it has confirmed that it's not ethyl alcohol at all. That it is consistent with fragrance products, air fresheners and perfumes.

You know, when I was in Cincinnati last week, I spoke with Sam Dubose's sister. She said to me it's air freshener in that bottle. I know what he kept in there. She said, look at the color of it. Gin isn't the color of the liquid in that bottle. And as you can see from that video and you see bottle, you do see that it's yellowish tinted substance, not what we denote as gin.

Now, the coroner's office is also saying they're continuing to test other items in the car for evidentiary value. They will not release any other results until the testing is complete. But I think, Brooke, one thing this tells us - because the alcohol, he didn't stop him for alcohol, he was unsighted for alcohol, but this shows that Sam Dubose was telling the truth when he spoke his words to the officer that day.

[15:51:00] BALDWIN: Jean Casarez, thank you.

Next, The U.S. says it will defend the rebels that it has trained in Syria, but could put U.S. at risk with direct conflict with Syria's government. It is possible they would (ph). We'll explore that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:25] BALDWIN: Could U.S. bomb Syrian forces loyal to al-Assad in the war against ISIS? That question today as United States government announced they will protect Syrian rebels back and trained by American military forces. President Obama signed off on that decision. And senior administration officials tells CNN it was, quote, "months in the making."

This comes on the heels of news that ISIS is losing some of its ground in Iraq. Intelligence officials describe the situation to CNN as quote/unquote "a stalemate and a holding pattern."

So let's ask about that here with our CNN global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier in Washington.

And first, just let me begin with that, this Barbara Starr reporting from the defense intelligence agency from the U.S., it is the situation between ISF and ISIS is this stalemate. The word stalemate, how do you read that?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, that ISIS can't take more territory right now, but that it's still managing to maintain some of the areas it controls, parts of Ramadi, Fallujah, areas where the Iraqi government has told us they are preparing the ground work for an assault, but they haven't gotten there yet.

I've had U.S. intelligence officials tell me that the large territory that ISIS does control inside the Iraq, much of it is unpopulated, so really they mostly carry about the cities. So watch in the next week and months whether the Iraqi forces through the softening exercises as they're calling them, manage to lay the ground work and then take those cities back.

BALDWIN: To the broader theme here, though, to the news, if the United States is defending the Syrian rebels, the U.S. trained Syrian rebels against these attacks, wouldn't that mean the U.S. could potentially then go to war with Bashar al-Assad's forces? DOZIER: They could, but they have designed the rules of engagement,

at least as far as they're explaining them to us, to try to avoid that through geography. They're talking about defending the U.S.-trained forces that deploy in the northern part of Syria to fight the major concentration of ISIS there.

BALDWIN: These are those 60 rebels, correct? Just the 60 U.S.- trained rebels?

DOZIER: Hopefully to be supplemented, U.S. officials say, but future forces. Yes, in the north of the country where U.S. and other coalition airplanes are already conducting airstrikes, where the forces of Bashar al-Assad already know to give them wide berth, that know, they - those war planes would be talking to forces on the ground and acting in their defense.

This is probably as much to give some sense of confidence to those forces on the ground and hopefully encourage other Syrian rebels to try out for the team and join up. Because at this point, who wants to be a target if you don't have that kind of backup?

BALDWIN: On that point, you know, precisely that point, they're having a tough time recruiting these rebels. And I know their main focus has been Assad and not ISIS which has been the target of the U.S. I mean, is this appeasing them as well? You know, saying U.S. will help you with Assad if you hell U.S. can ISIS. Does that make sense?

DOZIER: Well, a lot of the rebels have not wanted to sign up, because they have to sign a pledge saying they will only use these new skills and new weapons to fight ISIS, not to fight the forces of Assad. So this at least puts something more on the positive side of the equation, gives them another reason to join up. You know, if you are fighting on behalf of U.S. and coalition, you will have their firepower to call on. But you're still not going to have a huge surge, I think, of forces coming to join.

One of the other reasons that they need to announce this now is that other militant force there, the major militant force there, the Jabhat al-Nusra which alive with Al Qaeda, they have said they're going to target those U.S.-backed forces. And that's got to be in the psychological operations realm, a factor aimed at rubbing those U.S.- trained forces of their steam. So this -- this kind of -- it sends a message to ISIS, to Jabhat al-Nusra, and to the regime of Bashar al- Assad that these forces are not to be messed with.

BALDWIN: Kimberly Dozier, thank you so much.

DOZIER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: And that does it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin here in New York. We'll see you back here at the same time tomorrow.

In the meantime, stay right here with CNN. We are going to go to Washington now. "The LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.