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Massive Explosion Rocks Tianjin, China; U.S. Now Flying Manned Missions Against ISIS From Air Base in Turkey; Officers Post Video in Response to Black Lives Matter; SC Police Department Under Fire for Killing Unarmed Man. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 12, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:34:24] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: We're following this breaking news out of China. This massive explosion rocked the city in northern China. One hospital is reporting now receiving more than 50 injured people and we are told that number is rising.

I know our there, Will Ripley, is headed in that direction. But right now, I have our global affairs analyst Bobby Ghosh. He is back with me on set.

Because you were saying, as we were finishing a different segment, you were saying that explosion in China is a huge, huge deal. Tell me where this is and why?

BOBBY GHOSH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It's in a city about Tianjin, about two hours drive from Beijing in the northeast of the country. It is a city of about eight million people.

BALDWIN: Eight million people?

GHOSH: Bigger than New York. It is one of the busiest ports in the world. And this seems like this explosion took place in that port. It's the fourth largest port in the world in terms of cargo. It is twice as large as the largest port in the United States, if you want to get a sense of it.

It's one of the richest cities in China per capita income. Richer than shanghai and Beijing. Lots of foreign companies, Motorola, AirBus. You know, China is a big export economy. A lot of its exports go through the port of Tianjin. So this is a crucial port. It's 3:30 in the morning now. As daylight emerges, we'll get a better sense of just how bad the damage is. But potentially, it is very, very big.

[15:35:40] BALDWIN: Do we even know, and this maybe a question you can't answer, if this explosion happened at the port?

GHOSH: It would appear so. The pictures that the -- the videos that have been going on You Tube suggest that it took place in the port. You can see containers, you can see big tanks. There are big gasoline tanks storage facilities there. Some reports say a shipment of explosives blew up. Others reports say it was a gasoline tank that blew up. It could be a combination of both those things. But we'll know pretty soon when there's daylight.

But it's clear that you see from the videos -- they were able to measure on earthquake measuring equipment the scale of this explosion. There were three or four quick explosions and some of them sort of basically made the earthquake machinery --

BALDWIN: That's how tremendous this was. OK, we'll stay on it. We are sending our crew there.

Bobby Ghosh, thank you so much for that context.

Now to this, breaking news also in the CNN. The United States in the fight against ISIS has now begun flying manned missions from an air base in Turkey.

Let's go to the Pentagon to Barbara Starr who has more on this.

Barbara, what do you know?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Brooke.

Now, the Pentagon announcing, as expected, the first airstrikes by U.S. air force f-15s out of a base in southern Turkey called Incirlik into either northern Syria or Iraq. They will not tell us at this hour what the target exactly was. They do want to preserve some operational security.

But what we do know now is the first airstrikes by those f-16s in Turkey with a pilot in the cockpit and why is that so important? This puts U.S. pilots much closer to the targets that they want to strike. It really ramps up the ability of the Pentagon to get to ISIS targets. Until now, these targets in northern Syria and Iraq were having to be flown from airplanes hundreds and hundreds of miles away down in the Persian Gulf. So now, they are much closer. A lot of access being put against all of this.

Syria is a top, top target right now. These planes are expected in their missions to try and shut down that last part of the Syrian/Turkish border that ISIS still controls to a large extent that ISIS is using to bring in fighters, equipment and weapons from southern Turkey into northern Syria and over to some strongholds into Iraq. So a lot of effort now in the coming is going to be made by the airplanes to go against those targets -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right. Barbara, thank you.

To Ferguson Missouri now where a state of emergency has been extended for another 24 hours. St. Louis County officials say they are taking extra precautions after that officer involved shooting earlier there this week. They stress this is not because of an uptick in violence. Protesters have been marking the one year anniversary of the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.

To another police department here, in the small town of Trinity, Texas. Let me show you a photo of two police officers there. Perhaps you have already seen it, perhaps you have shared this. These officers posted this video in response to the black lives matter movement and this is received many, many clicks and shares on social media. And in the same way that sometimes only images can is expanding the conversation on black lives matter movement and what beyond that, really, is truly about.

So joining me one of those men in this photo. This is officer Donald Gibbons of the Trinity police department.

So officer, thank you for all that you do. Thank you for joining me. I'm sorry we couldn't get the other officer. He's on vacation with his family. He's allowed a little time off. We'll forgive him for that. Sir, welcome.

OFFICER DONALD GIBBONS, TRINITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: How is it going today?

BALDWIN: It is going well. It is going well. Can you just tell me whose idea was this?

GIBBONS: Well actually me and chief we normally get together and think about certain things that we can do to basically for our community here in Trinity as well as ourselves as a department. And we came up with the idea because of the issues going around in our nation. And we talked about the black lives matter. And we didn't want the word black lives matter to be standoffish because I look at it -- I don't want it to be a hate group because some people see it as like the KKK, the skinheads and such. So we took it amongst ourselves to say our lives matter.

[15:40:06] BALDWIN: I'm sorry. Let me just pause. And I'm hanging on your every word. But I think when you say, you know, black lives matter movement will be like a hate group I can imagine the activists, you know, will obviously vehemently disagree with you and they're there to bring a voice to a group who they feel like hasn't really been heard and then who has, they would say, been abused by police officers.

GIBBONS: Well, that's true. I mean, but at the same time, you know, we all need to come together as a nation and not just one particular race to be heard. I'm the only minority on this department and by no means have I been isolated and singled out by no means and even throughout this community. So, I think as a nation we should come together with our local department, local officials and state government and voice our opinion. But violence is not the way that's portrayed in our American society today.

BALDWIN: What do you do, Officer Gibbons, just day in and day out just to make sure you're patrolling the streets of trinity with compassion and care and not with a bias?

GIBBONS: Well, I'm a community affairs officer here. So my job besides fighting the crime is to go out within the community and talk to people and listen to their concerns and issues and pay attention to the concerns that they do have and bring them back to the department. We talk about those issues whether positive or negative and we try and make sure those issues are taken care of.

So I think as a department across the nation if the communities can come together and go to their local departments and say these are the issues we have, they can be corrected. I don't think they should be ignored.

BALDWIN: What about - I mean, I know you have been following the news. I know you have been following and all these different stories, they are making national headlines with regard to potential police abuse, you know. Which is really sort of, I don't know, risen the curtain, if I may, to you know, the need for body cams and, you know, how some police, there are allegations of lying on police reports and that kind of thing, a need for transparency. And when you're watching all of this, all these stories unfold, what do you think?

GIBBONS: Well, it's isolated. Again it's just isolated and unfortunate that some of those incidents have taken place. And as a law enforcement officer, we still have oath to uphold and abide by the constitution to uphold the law. So, unfortunately, again, that was some instance that shouldn't have occurred and I'm glad that - I hate that they did occurred, but by no means I will turn my back on my law enforcement people whether white or black because I'm quite sure we all -- when we rise up in the morning, we pray that we come home to our families and I pray about this nation every day. And I wish, you know, it could get better the way it is right now.

BALDWIN: I'm mindful of your family and the sacrifices you take on each and every day.

Officer Donald Gibbons thank you so much and tell the police chief we're sorry we missed him. Thank you so much.

GIBBONS: OK. Thank you.

BALDWIN: We'll be right back.

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[15:47:42] BALDWIN: There's another police department in South Carolina that is coming under fire for shooting and killing an unarmed man, a 19-year-old. The officer was white and this young victim was white as well. Police say the shooting was justified. Zachary Hammond was shot and killed last month during a marijuana bust in the town Seneca. He was out on a date with a young woman who according to authorities was the target of the sting.

Now, police say during the confrontation Hammond who was the one driving tried to run over the officer but Hammond's family, they don't believe that. And so, they want a federal probe. They ordered an independent autopsy and they say the results contradict the police report. They want answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGIE HAMMOND, ZACHARY HAMMOND'S MOTHER: I just don't feel that the Seneca police department is being honest about a lot of things. Their stories keep changing. And we've just lost a lot of confidence. The confidence that we actually did have with the police. It's just shattered us, totally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So that was a conversation you, Don Lemon had last night on your show. And so, this is one of those where the family is saying, why aren't more people outraged over this? Because we do continue to cover, you know, the shooting deaths of young African-Americans and so what more did they say?

DON LEMON, CNN HOST, CNN TONIGHT: They said -- basically what they said in press release, in a statement is sort of what they told me. They said that they wanted the United States justice department to investigate the death of their son, Zachary, with the same thoroughness as demonstrated in other interracial settings. They said every death of an unarmed teen regardless of color, they said, strips a piece of our dignity and humanity as a society.

BALDWIN: What's the likelihood the DOJ would do that?

LEMON: I think they probably are looking into it. But this goes to show that yes it is about black lives, right? It is about police and their treatment of young African-Americans in general and mostly young men. But overall, it's about how police treat everyone. And I think that it is -- sometimes we forget it's often about class.

BALDWIN: Yes.

LEMON: More so than race when it comes to dealing with police officers.

BALDWIN: Wasn't it what Eric Garner's daughter told you once upon a time?

[15:50:00] LEMON: Yes. It's more about class. If you're dealing with someone who has means, whether they are black, white of Hispanic, or someone who has mean, you may think twice about how they deal with them because they may have the means to go after you. If you are dealing with the person who has no money and has no means, it doesn't matter what color they are, then you may feel if you're in a position of authority, that you can make up things, you can create things, and that people are going to believe you, because who is going to believe this person who does not have the means? You know, you're a criminal or you're poor, or what have you.

And this family is saying, they are saying, all young lives matter. They say yes, black lives matter, but all young lives matter. And in fact, they said the biggest support they have gone is from the black lives matter movement.

BALDWIN: How about that?

LEMON: Yes. Yes.

BALDWIN: We should watch it just like we're watching the other cases. LEMON: They want the dash cam video to be released. It has not been

released. And again, they are asking for an investigation for the United States justice department, the U.S. attorney's office and from the FBI, all they want to intervene in this case.

BALDWIN: I'm glad you talked to them. Don Lemon, thank you so much.

LEMON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Make sure you watch him every night, "CNN TONIGHT" with Don Lemon 10:00 eastern here a CNN.

Coming up, moments from now, Jake Tapper's interview with Republican front-runner Donald Trump. This is CNN, set to release new GOP poll numbers. We'll be right back.

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[15:30:31] BALDWIN: While the world was infuriated over the killing of Cecil the Lion. In that same week, five endangered elephants (INAUDIBLE) have been hunted and killed. Conservationists are saying a hundred of elephants are hunted and poached in each and every day in Africa leaving small orphaned elephants for dead, only some of which might find refuge in the Davis shelter wildlife trust nursery. This is Nairobi. I went there myself recently, adopted two baby elephants. And I can attest to some of the horrors there myself.

And so, I'm joined by the man who says he regrets the day he hunted an elephant, writing about this story in his new book, Safari, memoir of a worldwide travel pioneer. Here with me, Geoffrey Kent, founder of Abercrombie & Kent. This is phenomenal tour company.

And you grew up on a farm in Africa. The stories you could tell, I could sit with you over dinner for forever. But can we just begin first with the story of hunting an elephant?

GEOFFREY KENT, AUTHOR, SAFARI: Well, you know, we grew up in a farm and we grew up hunting. That's what we did. At age about 15, one was big enough to shoot something more than a crocodile. It was a rite of passage. I went off with one of my godfathers (INAUDIBLE). It was a hunting area back then, can you believe it. That's where I shot two buffalo, and then the big thing was to shoot an elephant. We waited to for the day. I described it. When I shot the elephant, it was like horror when I saw this dead elephant. That's when I wrote that forever I would rather shoot with a camera, and not with a gun. And that's what became the cornerstone of Abercrombie & Kent.

BALDWIN: It was because of you that went to David shelter wildlife trust and adopted two baby orphan elephants, just because of what I learned about the place from you and from Kristin Davis, who I know is really involved there as well. You know, you tell these stories in your book about, you know, real-life issues, like the terror attack in Mumbai, and you had, you know, groups in Mumbai who you had to get out and also what happened in South Sudan.

KENT: What happened in Mumbai, with of course, you know, we all know what happened was a terrorist attack, but one of my guides called them in their room and said literally, you come out, you turn left, you walk down 100 yards, see a ladder down the windows, come on down and you'll see the Abercrombie & Kent yellow sign which (INAUDIBLE). And they did that. There was a guy in his blue suit with the tie on. And then it made chaos everywhere. And they came down the landing and were transported to the Four Seasons hotel.

But, you know, we always prepare for emergencies. We really want with piecing with trips is you have to be safe.

BALDWIN: With -- when you read your book, and just knowing you, with the people you have taken, ted turner, who are near and dear to our hearts here at CNN, your friend Prince Charles, myself, I didn't - I mean, I knew a little bit about A&K and hopped up a mountain a couple months ago, and made a dear friend in dismiss, one of your phenomenal guides, who is the most interesting people or person that you've taken?

KENT: They're all very, very different, every one of them very different. I mean, I think that -- going back in my book, I remember Richard Burton who is a famous actor, tons of fun, to Ted Turner, one of the most brilliant entrepreneurs of all time.

BALDWIN: Where was his favorite place that y'all went?

KENT: Botswana. Botswana, Kenya in the early days, but today everybody loves Botswana. We have beautiful camps (INAUDIBLE), and you have to go there one day. It is phenomenal.

BALDWIN: It's on my list.

Before I let you go, I think when I met you before, you had this like scratch notepad where you were already dreaming up a trip to the South Pole. Can you tell me about that in 30 seconds?

KENT: Yes. Basically I've been almost anywhere, so now I have to get the map and so we are going to do the Abercrombie & Kent expeditions and we are going to live with the emperor penguins, which is about this high. And then we are going to go on another plane down to the South Pole, and then we are going to climb a mountain that's never been climbed before.

BALDWIN: The world is your neighborhood.

KENT: I love it.

BALDWIN: When I think of you, you know, everywhere to go, Geoff Kent, thank you so much. Again your book, "Safari."

KENT: Safari. It was great fun.

BALDWIN: Thanks so much. I really appreciate it.

KENT: Thank you.

BALDWIN: And that does it for me here in New York. I'm Brooke Baldwin, thank you so much for being with me. Make sure you stick around because coming up next, the Republican front-runners and all the polls right now, Donald Trump is on next with Jake Tapper in Washington D.C. "The LEAD" starts right now.