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At Least Three Police Officers Killed in Baton Rouge; Authorities Confirm One Suspect Dead, Hunt Continues for Potential Other Suspects; Interview with Sen. Bill Cassidy. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired July 17, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


[13:00:00] JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Of the wounded, one of the officers is in critical condition. We hope and pray that he or she recovers and this death toll does not rise any further.

One suspect has been killed by law enforcement. Multiple suspects are still on the loose. Baton Rouge police are asking anyone in Baton Rouge who sees anything unusual to call 911 as soon as possible.

I'm Jake Tapper, signing of now. I'll throw the -- my colleague Poppy Harlow will have more on this story. Thanks for watching.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Jake, thank you very much. Everyone, I'm Poppy Harlow in Cleveland. We are following the latest on this horrific breaking news out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana this morning.

What we know at this hour, at least three police officers are dead. They were shot by at least one gunman. The gunman is described as Jake said is dressed in all black wearing a mask, firing an assault rifle at these officers. This also plays also this morning in Baton Rouge right around 9:00 a.m.

Three officers have been killed, six officers in total were shot. We've just gotten an update from the hospital. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center says they've received five patients. Three of those patients are deceased. We know one is in critical condition, one is in fair condition at this hour. Again, this is the fluid moving situation, a horrific police shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Police have confirmed that at least one suspect, the suspected shooter is dead. Again, one suspect's dead.

However, there is a manhunt under way right now. They are looking for other suspects. And we heard the governor's statement saying perpetrators, plural, meaning they are looking for others involved with this, others that may be at large at this minute.

Authorities are calling the scene active. They say it is contained, but still active. We're talking about a shopping center location with a gas station and several stores nearby. That's where this all played out. A Sheriff's Department spokesperson says they're checking the area for possible explosives. One thing we've also heard in a press conference held by police is that they've sent a robot into the scene where the suspected shooter went down. They sent a robot in there as well just to confirm that he is dead.

One gunman dead, as i said, they're searching for others.

Let's talk about the context of this, because this is very, very important. This comes less than two weeks after those 12 officers were ambushed in Dallas killing five, seven more were injured. This also comes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the height of tension between some communities and police officers after the death of Alton Sterling at the hands of police. Nights and nights of protest, very peaceful protest, but tension has been high.

Want to go to our Polo Sandoval who is in Baton Rouge for many, many days covering all of this just to talk about what it was like for you there and set the scene for us as this community is gripping with the fact that three officers have been murdered, three more wounded, and potentially other suspects on the lam.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We were in Baton Rouge as early as this Friday covering the funeral of Alton Sterling, the man who was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police officers about a week and a half ago. And I could personally tell you, yes, there was this growing concern for law enforcement.

While we were there, we spent some time at the Baton Rouge Police Department. And several times we saw members of the community actually come in asking these officers to please be careful as they continue to stay on the beat out there.

And sadly now, there are these grim numbers to report. At least three officers killed. At least three other wounded there in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the search for the possible suspects continues with one of them confirmed dead. There again, this is information from authorities there on the ground that they are looking to the possibility that there could be other suspects involved.

And so now, there are two things that officials are asking for from the community and that is for any information that could confirm those reports and for prayers, plenty of them, especially as Americans across the country head to church this morning.

I want to read to you a statement from Louisiana governor John Bell who echoed that statement there, asking for prayers. He also went on to say, "This is an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing. Rest assured, every resource available will be used to make sure perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.

HARLOW: Yeah.

SANDOVAL: Again, that's an indication that they could be searching for other suspects, Poppy.

HARLOW: Polo Sandoval, thank you so much. Please standby, stay with us.

I want to bring in Cedric Alexander, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst. Cedric, your thoughts at this moment? I mean it's unspeakable, the tragedy. And it comes in the context of the Dallas police officer ambush less than two weeks ago.

[13:05:00] CEDRIC ALEXANDER, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah, absolutely, Poppy. But first, let me say this. My heart and prayers go out to those officers who lost their life in Louisiana today and those who are injured. It is a time that we as a nation really have to pray for their recovery, those that are injured.

But equally important as well too, it is very clear to see that we're in a very challenging time in American policing in this country. And I think with that being said, I need to note that at this very moment here on the nation capital of Washington where I am, there's a national conference going on. National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives were in a civil rights brunch when this news broke. I can't tell you the hurt and outrage that over 1,000 people in attendance today are suffering along with many other people across the U.S.

In addition to that, we had Louisiana officers in there who are from that department ...

HARLOW: Yeah, unfortunately.

ALEXANDER: .... and neighboring department. And it's just really very sad for all of us right now.

HARLOW: Absolutely. Art, stay with me. I do want to read our viewers a statement we just received from the White House. I'll read this too in full. The president has been briefed on the shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge and asked to be updated throughout the day as more details become available. The White House has been in contact with local officials in Baton Rouge and offered any assistance necessary. Again, that statement just into us from the White House.

And as I go to Tom Fuentes, our CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, Former FBI Assistant Director, I do want to give you a little more detail about what we know at this hour. We know that according to authorities, there was a man walking down the highway, airline highway, with an assault rifle. They received a call -- the authorities received a call of a suspicious person walking down the highway with the assault rifle. Police responded and that is when the shooting took place.

Tom Fuentes, to you, we know at this history there are other suspects. There is an active manhunt under way. Yet, one suspected shooter is down but as we heard from the governor in his statement, he used the word "perpetrators", believing that there are potentially multiple individuals involved in this.

If you are the authorities on the ground right now, as you try to protect your officers but also hunt down anyone potentially involved, walk me through what is happening. TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I think, Poppy, the officers are going to be more concerned with finding these people than their own personal safety. So that's number one in this. And they're going to want to get to the bottom of this. But they really need to identify the suspect that's been killed and that may be difficult. If he doesn't have identification on him or a cell phone or any other electronic or other identification, it may be very difficult to do that.

Until they do that, it's going to make it hard to find who his partners were that were involved in this crime. So they're going to have a very difficult time right now. And you do have a couple of murderers on the loose. And it's no other way around it. It's a dangerous situation for the people in that city of Baton Rouge, as well as the officers trying to hunt them down.

HARLOW: Tom, let's listen to a corporal with the Baton Rouge Police Department. He spoke just a few minutes ago. Listen to this with me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CPL. L'JEAN MCKNEELY, BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT: That's why we asking if you see anybody suspicious in nature. If they wearing army fatigue, if they're wearing all black, if they're wearing a mask, if they're wearing anything that's out there, please give us a call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So there you have it, Tom. He's asking on the public to help. You have the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office just coming out and saying they believe that two other individuals involved in this attack may still be at large.

And as we know, the shooter was wearing all black and a mask. He's calling on the public to help identify anyone all in black or anyone in military fatigues. Tom?

FUENTES: Well, that description is what they looked like three and a half hours ago when they attacked the police. So what they are wearing now ...

HARLOW: Right.

FUENTES: ... you know, can be entirely different with all this time. They could be out of state by now. They're going to have to use intelligence, information, either people in the community, anybody that can help the police.

For example, if somebody saw people walking out of an apartment, or driving down the street, or gassing up their car wearing those outfits before the shooting, that would be extremely useful to the police. If there's any other description of those individuals getting into a vehicle where they could possibly identify the type of car, license plate of the car, and then look for it on various security cameras that might be at highway intersections or in businesses.

So that kind of investigative technique is probably what it's going to take to actually identify these people and get them in custody.

HARLOW: OK, Tom. I'm also hearing from our affiliate, this is not confirmed yet, but our affiliates are reporting we may hear from the governor, Governor John Bel Edwards of the State of Louisiana shortly.

[13:10:08] We're expected to hear from him in the next few hours. We will let you know as soon as we have that confirmed to us.

Polo Sandoval, I want to go back to you because you spent time in Baton Rouge over the last two weeks reporting this out. Just about a week ago, three suspects came into focus in terms of their robbery of a pawnshop, stealing guns, because they were allegedly according to authorities believed to be planning an attack on police. Two of those men were arrested, one's still on the run. How does that play into this context here?

SANDOVAL: Well, you know, it's important to point out too, Poppy, is at the time officials believe that this was in fact in their words, a "credible threat" to authorities. That was that these individuals had allegedly broken into a pawnshop to steal handguns that at least one of them claimed would late be use to target police officers.

However, being on the ground, we did eventually learn that there was some information out there suggests that this could -- perhaps that these individuals may actually not have been planning to go through with this. However, that was enough to increase awareness and to increase police presence.

In fact, we saw a major protest take place about eight days ago on the streets of Baton Rouge just outside of the police department on that airline avenue that we're now talking about again today and we did see a significant police presence. Well authorities later said "that is why," because they had this, "credible threat" to worry about in addition to yet another threat that they were following up on of an officer being followed.

But again, they did not really offer whole out of information regarding that one, but while we continue to learn more about these possible threats or this possible plots, it is still fueling the concerns for law enforcement that they could be targeted amid this climate across the country, Poppy.

HARLOW: Polo, thank you. Stay with me. And also, it's interesting to note that in the State of Louisiana, just as of the end of May, it is now officially a hate crime to kill, to target and kill a police officer.

Now officially a hate crime in Louisiana according to new legislation just passed by the state there and signed by the governor. We are waiting a press conference later this afternoon with potentially with Governor John Bel Edwards.

Again the headline here, six officers ambushed in a horrific attack this morning around 9:00 a.m. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A man with an assault rifle walking down the side of an -- a highway. Police called to respond, he opened fire. Seemingly indiscriminately three of those officers fighting for their life at this hour. Much more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:16:58] HARLOW: All right, we are continuing to follow the horrific breaking news out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this morning. If you are just joining us here is what we know at this hour.

Six officers have been ambushed by a gunman walking down a highway this morning with the rifle. We know the three of those officers are dead. We know that three the officers are fighting for their life at the hospital right now. We have just gotten in sound of what took place this morning in this horrific attack. Listen.

We know that at least one individual who carried out this horrific attack is down, is dead. The suspected shooter is dead, but he according to authorities likely not alone.

Right now, they are looking for at least two other suspects. They have called on the public to be vigilant. They have called on the public to let authorities know if they see anyone dressed in all black or military fatigues. This is an ongoing active situation. A manhunt under way right now.

Here's more of what we have from the scene.

Art Roderick is with me, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, Bob Reid also with me, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst. To the two of you, as officers, when you listen to the absolute chaos of that situation, Art what comes to your mind for these officers?

ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I mean when you're going up against somebody with an assault rifle, with a handgun, that is terrifying. That type of assault weapon, that type of caliber of weapon can go right through a stand of bullet proof vest, issue to law enforcement. It's a high super sonic type round. It will go right through a car door, it will go right through your bullet proof.

HARLOW: They are not protected as they're approaching this individual, Bob.

BOB REID, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: They're not. I mean the right in the open, someone with an assault rifle as Art said is deadly, or right through body armor. And what this does, too, is it every call police officers go on, the minor calls in the near future, everybody's on edge and as I would be if I was in that in uniform. So even the most minor calls can be result in an escalated issue.

HARLOW: The fact that this has happened at a period of time when this country is grappling with such tension between police officers and some of the communities that they police are, just speak to that for a moment.

[13:20:01] I mean we're sitting here less than two weeks after ...

RODERICK: Right. HARLOW: ... those 12 officers were brutally attack in the middle of the night, in Dallas in a middle of peaceful protest. We're talking about this following the death of Alton Sterling at the hands of police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

RODERICK: And we also had the Minneapolis situation too, so these are all stacking on top of one another. I was in Dallas after the shooting. It was absolutely horrible. This is terrifying if there's more than one shooter. At least in Dallas, we have one single deranged individual that co-opted a peaceful protest.

HARLOW: But let's just remember, and it's really important just to tell our viewers and be fully transparent ...

RODERICK: Yes.

HALOW: ... that this is an ongoing situation. This is very fluid right now.

RODERICK: Yes.

HARLOW: And we are telling you our viewers what we know at this hour. The authorities believe there are two other suspects at least, but that can all change. In the wake of Dallas, they thought for a few hours there were potentially ...

RODERICK: It did.

HARLOW: ... additional shooters, Bob.

REID: Correct. Yeah, and, you know, it's horrific to believe that there's three involved in it. But in an intelligence thought, it's now that one is down, we get an I.D., we have two more that now we're looking for. When you have three suspects, sometimes some things don't stay a secret.

So I think for an intelligence post-tragedy, it's kind of good that we have three suspects because we're going to get intelligence have been much more quicker.

HARLOW: What -- Art, take me in into the mind of the authorities on the ground right now as they are trying to care for obviously the other officers that were shot now and now in the hospital. They're also searching for potentially two other individuals involved. What are they doing at this moment?

RODERICK: You've got several things going on at once here. You have not only the -- when you respond to an active shooter scenario, the first thing you have to do, even before you initiate any type of first aid is neutralize the threat, OK.

Then you take care of your officers, render them first aid. But then not only you got the crime scene at that particular location, and then you have a manhunt going on. So this is very chaotic situation, organized chaos. And what you've got is multiple law enforcement agencies, state, local, and federal that have showed up. I know -- I just talked to some law enforcement friends of mine and they are looking for two other shooters. Again, not confirmed that's some of the witness statements that they're getting, but law enforcement is actively pursuing two other individuals. Now whether there were two others, you know, again ...

HARLOW: Right, again, early reporting, and we have to be ...

RODERICK: Right.

HARLOW: ... very careful.

Stay with me, my colleague Martin Savidge is here in Cleveland as well, where we're all hear the nation, the world's media is here covering the Republican National Convention.

The security, Martin, is incredibly tight here. And when you talk about how this factors into where we are sitting at the RNC here in Cleveland, you also I be were missed not to mention the fact that this is an open carry state. So as we see some of the protests that are expected to play out here this week, they are allowed to carry weapons openly if they have the licensing to, so Martin and that come complicates things to say the list for the authorities here.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it does indeed. In fact Poppy, we know already that the news that's coming out of Baton Rouge has passed through the Cleveland Police Department like an electric shock. Friends who were in the police communications department, and they're absolutely stunned. That's not to say that this department wasn't planning or even prepared for something like this, it's just to say that it's a real emotional gut blow.

You can see the officers are here on public square. This is just part of the bicycle unit. Cleveland has about 300 of them beat up for this convention. Let me show you what other adjustment, the city has already made.

In a distance, we walk out just here, see the snowplows? It is not going to snow here in the city of Cleveland, not in July. This was the response to what happened with the terror in France. Now they've had to adjust again.

You can imagine that of course in light of what we already had seen in Dallas, the police force here had planned and altered their security plan based upon a shooter that might try to go after police officers. That plan again is going to tightened up. The city is very much on edge, in part because of the protests, in part because of terror, and a fact it's got 50,000 people that are coming in for what was already a controversial convention.

The news coming today from Baton Rouge is only going to make the level of concern worse. Cleveland maintains that security-wise, they're ready, 4,000 military troops are here to help with the convention. They have over 3,000 police officers that are here. And I won't even begin to tell you the alphabet soup of all the federal agencies that are here. And there's the private security for the many venues. This city is not in lock down, but it is certainly heavily armed and right now very anxious convention city, Poppy.

HARLOW: Martin, thank you very much, here of course in Cleveland, stay with us, as we continue to follow this breaking news.

[13:25:01] I do want to let you know we have just learned that the governor of Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards will be holding a 4:00 p.m. eastern press conference. We will carry that for you live of course before he does update us though, at that press conference.

We've learned that he is right now at the hospital with the victims. Those police officers and their families, comforting their families as this city of Baton Rouge tries to grapple with the fact that six of its officers were ambush at 9:00 a.m. this morning by a man walking down the highway with an assault rifle, killing three, wounding three more.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: All right, we are continuing to cover the breaking news out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana this hour. An absolutely horrifying scene playing out around 9:00 a.m. this morning when a man with an assault rifle was walking down a highway.

Police were called and that person openly and indiscriminately fired on those officers. Three are dead. Three are fighting for their life at the hospital, one at least in critical condition.

[13:30:04] And this shooter who is dead is not along according to authorities, they believe that there are potentially two other people involved that are on the run right now, so its officers and the city grapple with what is going on. At the same time, there is a manhunt under way for two other people potentially involved in all of this.

We have full team coverage. Our Polo Sandoval is with us in Atlanta, Tom Fuentes, former FBI Assistant Director, Cedric Alexander, Bob Reid and Art Roderick, all law enforcement analysts. I want all of us to take a moment and pause and listen to new video just in to CNN.

Art Roderick, that's the first time we've all heard that. That is amateur video coming into CNN from the scene that played out this morning just around 9:00 a.m. Your thoughts as a former member of law enforcement, your thoughts being at scene like this. You respond to a call and this happens.

RODERICK: Yeah, I spent 10 years in Marshal Special Operations Group, which is a tactical unit. That sounds like somebody has arranged. That is horrible to hear.

You've got law enforcement officers there with handguns probably, maybe a couple might have had shotguns. That's usually what they carry in the cruisers. And to go up against an assault rifle would definitely being outgun, especially, and it's yet to be confirmed if there's more than one shooter.

HARLOW: Right, and Bob, what would you do in a situation like that? You pull up -- you're not alone as an officer. You've got at least one other officer with you. But you see this person with a long rifle, we don't know what kind of rifle. What do you do? You have to approach the suspect right, if they won't drop the weapon?

REID: We're immediately trained to get out of the car. I mean you have to get out of the car ...

HARLOW: No matter what.

REID: ... the car is ...

HARLOW: Knowing that those bullets can go through your bullet proof vest and all you've got is a handgun.

REID: ... car is a coffin, and that's what they call it. And it's better to try to put the car between you and the suspect and use the car, especially if you have an assault rifle. But Art had said, many cars are not quipped with assault rifles. But putting the car between the suspect.

But you know, these things happen so quickly and so fast, sometimes that can't happen. And you're ambushed inside the car, you're opening the car. Your partner's opening the car on the wrong side where the shooter is on that side.

So these things happen very quickly. And the adrenaline's pumping at the same time. And -- but that's what we're trained for. That's why we continually train every month for issues such as this. And that's why I think that we're better. But in this case, lot of carnage for law enforcement.

HARLOW: We've also learned in just the past few moments to update our viewers that the governor, governor John Bel Edwards will be holding a press conference today at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. He's at the hospital right now with the victims of this shooting and their families. But we'll get much more from him at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Meantime, we've learned from the White House that the president has been updated on the situation and he will continue to be updated as we learn more.

Polo Sandoval, let's talk about the context of this. You were down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, covering the protests et cetera in the wake of the Alton Sterling shooting there. Talk to me about the angst in Baton Rouge right now, how high tension is in that city right now.

SANDOVAL: Yeah, Poppy, not just there for protests, but also for this renewed call for peace. As we wait to find out whether or not this is actually directly linked to this growing violence towards law enforcement across the country, as we witnessed in Dallas.

I can't tell you that, yes, there was this growing concern among the community there for some of their officers here. We did see a protest last weekend. Things got fairly heated, large amount of arrests, and also violence.

We -- I spoke to some police officers who were there who said, yes, they did spot some individuals that did have firearms. As you mention, though, this is an open carry state. So that was a concern for individuals of people may or may not have firearms in the crowd, some of these so-called instigators that we have seen over and over before in previous protests.

So as a result, we did see a significant police presence on the streets. At the police department itself too, we witnessed this not really large groups of police officers were set up at the entrance of that department as not just security measure, but also to speak to some of the individuals that were coming in to show their support because yes, there was that too.

There were people who were coming in with food and drink for these officers to thank them for their work and also asking them to please be careful as they remain on the beat because sadly, those concerns have now become a reality, regardless of what that potential outcome may be.

We now have those grim numbers to report. At least three officers killed and three wounded.

[13:35:00] And speaking this in people on the ground, Poppy, there is concern that that casualty count could potentially rise. But at this point that is what we have as we wait to find out whether or not these officers were in fact ambushed or directly targeted or if this was something else.

HARLOW: Polo, thank you. I want to go to Bill Cassidy. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is joining me now. Senator, can you hear me?

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R), LOUISIANA: Poppy, I can hear you. I'd assume you can hear me.

HARLOW: I can hear you. I understand ...

CASSIDY: Poppy?

HARLOW: ... you are in Baton Rouge. First -- yes, i can hear you. Can you hear me, Senator?

CASSIDY: Yes, Ma'am.

HARLOW: OK. Senator, I understand you're in Baton Rouge at this hour. First, my sincere condolences and thoughts with that entire community right now. What an absolutely horrifying, horrifying Sunday morning for all of you.

What can you tell us at this hour because we have reports from the police saying that, yes, one shooter is down, but they are looking for at least two others? Is that how you understand it?

CASSIDY: That is what I understand as well. Obviously, we -- first, let me just say, with our heart we all grieve. We grieve for our community. But right now, we particularly grieve for these families. With my head, I know exactly what you're saying, Poppy. We have to wait for the details. We have to make sure that people are safe and we have to make sure that everybody that did this terrible crime are captured.

So, totally agree with you on that. I've spoken to people at the scene. The details I've heard are the same as you've just relayed.

HARLOW: What can you tell us about the condition of the officers that were injured but not killed?

CASSIDY: I cannot add to that. I'm not at the hospital, although, I am a physician and I do have privileges at the Lake where the Lady Lake Hospital where they are. I am not speaking to the physicians who are caring for them. And frankly until proper channels are gone through, it's probably not wise to speak about that. Their families should know first before we ...

HARLOW: Let's talk about your city. This has been a very, very difficult few weeks for the entire country following the police ambush in Dallas, following the shooting of two African-American men, one in Minneapolis, one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and now this. Let's talk about the state of the nation as we see this play out. Your thoughts, Senator?

CASSIDY: Yeah. I think that we first have to recognize the police have this incredibly tough job. All last week, I think people discounted the fact that there might be there -- there might be people and we don't yet know if this is related to the Sterling affair, but it's easy to imagine it might be. And all last week I think people kind of discounted the fact that the police might fear for their safety.

And in the meantime, the police were out there actively protecting the constitutional rights of those who wish to protest. It is a tension and responsibility and duty that few, few other jobs demand.

In our city, we have much to do, but we have done much. To build bridges, to diversify the police force for example, the front page of the local paper, the advocates speaks about how there's been great progress more to do but great progress in terms of diversifying our police force, in terms of its African-American and white and other groups as members of it.

And what we can't do is allow the actions of a few to breakdown the really positive things that have occurred, more to occur, but nonetheless have occurred already. I think that's the challenge and the resolve we have to have as well as the support of police force.

HARLOW: Governor -- Senator, a statement from Governor Edwards that came out just a little while ago called this an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing. He spoke about multiple perpetrators, saying those perpetrators will be brought to justice. Are you getting any indication of how many people authorities believe at this hour, and I acknowledge it is quite early and, you know, the facts are just coming in, but any sense from you on how many people may have been involved in this?

CASSIDY: It's my understanding that they think three are. But obviously this could be point of a spear of a larger effort. This may be three folks who decided to get together. So we must wait for more details before we kind of jump to that.

HARLOW: Can you ...

CASSIDY: And so leave at that -- leave that statement there.

HARLOW: So your understanding -- just so I have it clearly, the three people is what you're understanding were involved in this, the one shooter that is dead and two that are at large.

[13:40:03] Is that correct, Senator?

CASSIDY: That is my understanding as well. And it appear to be planned and potentially an ambush. Although I'm not sure that's been confirmed yet. But that is also the detail I have.

HARLOW: What is your message before I let you go to the people of Baton Rouge, Louisiana right now as they cope with yet another unspeakable tragedy there?

CASSIDY: Yeah. We are all Americans. And we in the midst of this terrible tragedy, we must remember first, you know, we just need to remember, one, that as we are told in scripture, we are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. And so, this new time force to come together and not allow anyone who would create division to create division.

Secondly, to support law enforcement, the law enforcement that's been in line between civil society and anarchy. And anyone that may at some point have some an anger in their heart with law enforcement, I ask them just to bury that and just to speak positively, because there will be some who are deranged by what for others is just the casual comment.

And thirdly, our community has made great progress. We are great progress yet to do. But, on the other hand, we cannot let this hurt our state and our community, even more so than the loss of three lives of those view law enforcement and the grief that their families and all of us are feeling right now.

HARLOW: Senator Bill Cassidy there with us from Baton Rouge today. Our thoughts are with your entire community right now. Thank you so much for joining us.

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be back with the latest from this horrific police shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:46:03] HARLOW: We are continuing to follow breaking news this hour out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Three officers have been shot and killed there this morning, murdered on duty. We know three more officers have been injured and are in the hospital. We know that one suspect is dead.

We also know from authorities that at least two other people are suspected to be involved in this ambush and that they are on the run right now. A man hunt is underway for them. A witness captured this video and the sound of the gunfire as it rang out this morning.

All right. That's what unfolded this morning along airline highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, just around 9:00 a.m. when officers responded to a call of someone walking down that highway armed with rifle.

Now, sources are telling us here at CNN that investigators are looking into whether or not that call was made to lure the officers directly into an ambush.

We don't know that. That is part of the ongoing investigation. I want you also to listen to this video.

Now, witnesses say, that the shooter was wearing all black that the shooter had a mask on at the time this is all unfolded.

Police are warning people on the area to be very vigilant, obviously, but also they need your help, they need people in the area to let them know if they see anyone that looks suspicious, anyone dressed potentially they said in all black or military fatigues because, again, they believe there are at least two other people involved in this that are on the run right now.

Local businesses are on lockdown. We just heard last hour from someone calling in from one of those buildings that was shot down.

And our affiliates in Baton Rouge, Louisiana say that two hospitals at this hour are also on lockdown with armed police standing on guard outside as they work to treat these officers. Three killed, three more injured, one at least in critical condition.

We are also now hearing firsthand from a man who witnessed the shooting this morning. He called our affiliate station WAFB moments ago detailing what he saw play out.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BRADY VANCEL, WINESS: I'm directly next to the scene on Carolyn City Drive right behind the Party City.

And they still have the whole place surrounded. They have cops aligned in the street in front of the house. They have -- I'm not really sure what's going on that moment.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Brady, tell me what we've gathered from witness and from law enforcement, there have been reports that officers were targeted. Do you believe that based off of what you have seen and heard? VANCEL: I'm not entirely sure. I don't think that police officers were targeted. It could've may have been a planned attack, but not to my assumption.

What I witnessed as I walked around the fence and saw a man laying on the ground in a red shirt that wasn't a police officer and it's been a parking lot, an empty parking lot with another gunman running away as more shots were being fired back and forth from several guns.

And then about 45 seconds later, that's when police started to pull up on the scene.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Did you see one of the suspects wearing a mask?

[13:50:02] We've heard reports of a masked gunman, ninja style, military style. Did you witness that?

VANCEL: Yes, ma'am. He run, as he was running down the fence I guess to run away from the scene, he was running towards me. He was -- he wasn't ninja style or military at all. He was -- he was in all black. He wears a black shorts or black shirt, he had a mask on and gun in his hand. And the way he was moving, you would know that his was just a pedestrian running with a rifle in his hand more than someone with trained skills to move in a way with a rifle.

And, so, if anything, this is just a man on the street acting out or having, you know, a problem. I'm not entirely sure. I just know from what I saw, I don't believe that it was police-targeted.

GREG MERIWEATHER, WAFB 9 NEWS BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA NEWS: Brady, this is Greg Meriweather. And we want to be careful that, you know, tell us what your advantage point was in case maybe you saw part of it and didn't see the other part of it. Is that possible?

VANCEL: Yes, sir. I've seen -- as it was happening, I didn't see the store situation. I just saw what took place next to the store behind Party City in the parking lot.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Now, what were you doing around this time, Brady, to give us an idea? It was just your regular Sunday morning. What were you in the middle of when this all unfolded?

VANCEL: I was pulling up to a job site over here. I'm doing a floor -- I'm doing a floor over in a foster center this morning and that's what was going on as I was pulling and then after I was going to take care of.

MERIWEATHER: When you heard the gunshots, Brady, did the sound like automatic? Were they in very close successions like we heard?

VANCEL: I mean there's definitely semiautomatic and maybe a handgun as well because, you know, from the shots I heard, it was rapid fire but it wasn't, you know, it wasn't an automatic weapon. But it was a semiautomatic rifle.

MERIWEATHER: Semiautomatic, yeah, that's what I was referring to. Right now we're looking at some pictures of the viewers have sent in from the scene. And, so many of those businesses are well-known to a lot of our viewers. The Pep Boys, you saw them long ago. The Albertson's is very close to their shopping center. Brady, what business were you near?

VANCEL: Sir?

MERIWEATHER: Where were you specifically at?

VANCEL: Right behind Party City on Carolyn City Road or Drive.

MERIWEATHER: Yes.

VANCEL: I was right there directly behind the scene. Maybe -- I mean I can -- maybe 30 yards, 25 yards from the gunman before he realized I was standing in the street in front of him and he turned around and I saw he realized I was there and so he turned around and started hiking back towards Party City and towards the stores and running back.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARLOW: That witness, Brady Vancel, speaking to our affiliate saying that he believes there was gunfire even before the officers showed up. We are going to talk about that witness account and what that could mean with our experts right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:57:34] HARLOW: All right. We are continuing to follow the breaking news out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where this morning around 9:00 a.m., a man with a rifle was walking down a highway. Police responded to a call and that person shot six officers. Three of those officers are dead, three officers are injured and police are saying that they believe at least two other people involved in this are on the run.

We just heard before the break from a witness, a witness who was nearby and who saw these all play out that witness said that he believes that there was gunfire before the authorities arrived.

So let's unpack that. Tom Fuentes, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst with us and Former FBI Assistant Director. Tom, what do you make of what that witness said because that could indicate that perhaps this was not an ambush. Again, it's early reporting and we're giving you all of the facts we have but this one witness account says there was gunfire before the authorities arrived. What do you make of that?

FUENTES: You know, Poppy, I'm very leery of this kind of witness accounts to suddenly come out and get worldwide coverage even if they may or may not be true.

I'm not saying that this witness lied. I'm saying that he could be wrong. He could, you know, just not be telling us exactly what actually occurred, but what he thinks occurred. And, you know, and it has consequences for that. All the networks put on Dorian Johnson and two other young ladies in Ferguson after the Michael Brown shooting and the hands up don't shoot movement started from their witness statements that Brown had his hands up and other witnesses from the Canfield Apartments told the FBI secretly, "Please don't reveal our identity." And they testified to the Grand Jury that Brown never had his hands up. So, Dorian and the other two recanted later under oath. So that can happen.

HARLOW: OK, Tom Fuentes. Thank you very much. Important for no one to jump to any conclusion is what you're saying as we reset for a viewers here. Tom, please stay with me.

We've got our entire law enforcement team here with us as we continue to follow this breaking news.

Tom, thank you very much. Stay with us.

All right, we are continuing to follow breaking news here on CNN. It is the top of the hour 2:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm Poppy Harlow joining you live from Cleveland, the site of the Republican National Convention.

[14:00:00] But all eyes of the nation right now are on Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And that is where a horrific scene played out this morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time when a man with a rifle was walking down -- walking down the highway.