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Milwaukee Shooting Incident News Conference; 800,000 in Louisiana Under Flood Warnings; Trump Takes on Media Again; New York Imam Shot; Mike Pence to Release Tax Returns. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired August 14, 2016 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00] EDWARD FLYNN, NATIONAL GUARD CHIEF: And we are concerned for his safety and he has been staying with relatives out of town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you talk about the initial stop? What was the reason for the initial stop? And what has the body camera been able to reveal that you've looked at?

FLYNN: First part of it and I have -- just to give you my understanding of the initial stop, the officers have not been interviewed formally yet. And DCI obviously ultimately controls this investigation.

I can say I was advised it was a suspicious stop. They thought this vehicle was behaving in a suspicious manner. It's a rent-a-car it turns out.

So we have not ascertained its status as to whether or not it was lawfully rented or stolen or held over, we don't know. But these are the (ph) events -- I did look at the tape. And I can tell you, this event probably took 20 to 25 seconds.

I mean, there was virtually no time between the officer unhooking his seat belt, turning on his body camera, getting out of the car and immediately, he was on a foot chase. And that foot chase went maybe a few dozen feet before he encountered this individual in a -- in a fenced yard bordered by two houses -- it's not really an alleyway but a -- a way between two houses.

And the incident occurred very, very rapidly. So it was very fast. And the individual was armed. The individual did turn towards the officer with a firearm in his hand.

And the officer -- we can't tell when the officer discharges his firearm because the -- there's a -- with many body-worn cameras, certainly all of ours, there's a 30-second delay before the audio kicks on. I don't know when the shots were fired.

And again, this is now all evidentiary and appropriately with DCI. But...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will you encourage DCI to release that video for the public's benefit? FLYNN: Well, I think that's going to be -- have to be part of an

ongoing discussion because we're to have to weigh a couple of different things here. We have to weigh the public's benefit.

We have to weigh the rights of the officer involved. We have to weigh the concerns DCI has to have an investigation. It's untainted. I suppose there might be people out there who might say, you know, we might need to protect the potential jury pool someday, I don't know.

At this point in time, it's not being released. Whether that changes or not, we'll have to see

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Walker, answer that question. Walker, there's people in the community who just don't believe whatever the police have to say. They want to see the video.

They have just told me down there on camera, they said, until we see the video, we don't believe anything.

TOM BARRETT, (D) MILWAUKEE MAYOR: I would like to see the video released as soon as possible. But I agree that the officer has not even been interviewed yet, as (ph) my understanding, the officer who was involved. And there is -- there is a state investigation.

But I do think it's in everyone's best interest to be as transparent as quickly as possible. And so I'm hopeful that this will not be a delay, that there will not be a serious delay.

But, again, I -- I respect the process right now. And -- and I will assure this community that I will do everything I can to make sure that this is released.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want it released tonight before you say I don't know what might happen?

BARRETT: Again, this officer has his legal rights as well. So I don't think it's appropriate for it to be released today. Again, as I said, I have not seen it.

I did see a picture that was lifted from it. And I want our community to know that the individual had a gun. Now, again, I think that there were events that were going because it was so fluid.

But I saw a gun in his hand in the still shot that I saw.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why will (inaudible) be released?

BARRETT: Again, that's going to be up to -- up to the state.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just see (ph) -- you said last night was the worst situation that anyone in your department appears (ph) to be...

BARRETT: And again, I want it to -- I want it to be released. I want to be released as -- as quickly as possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he alive in that still shot? BARRETT: I'm sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was that before he was shot?

BARRETT: I believe it was before he was shot, yes. I believe it was before he was shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was he heading up (ph) (inaudible).

BARRETT: Yes, he was. Yes, he was.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on the (ph) investigations (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have there been threats against -- have there been threats made against finally (ph) the officer, the patrol officer involved but also other officers as well?

FLYNN: Yes, there are people calling for violence against police officers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And how is that being handled? Are -- are federal officials involved or...

FLYNN: Well, we're doing the best we can to ascertain the source of those threats. And it -- it requires federal assistance. They have, you know, raised their hand to volunteer to do anything we ask for.

In the near term, we're trying to track down the source of those threats and not only identify if we're (ph) credible but identify with responsible...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you talk about how many threats or what these represent?

FLYNN: I haven't got a number but there's been lots of (ph) violence here two weeks ago...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on past investigations, with officer involved shootings with DOJ who are taking lead (ph) on the wall (ph), police (ph) involved, is DOJ receptive to request that information be released before the completion of the investigation?

FLYNN: Well, you know, we'll have to see. This happened last night, OK? I don't think there's anybody in the country that's released a body-worn camera for those who are involved (ph) shooting in 24 hours or 36 hours.

I think Chicago set the modern record with a week. So police departments in major cities across the country are aware of the delicate balance between what the community needs to know and our need to calm communities down, or at least keep them informed, and also the -- the processes and systems of the criminal justice process.

There is a balance act. And every time one of these is released, it's usually achieved, erring on the side of transparency at some risk to the criminal justice process. I mean, you're going to find very few, you know, career attorneys who are going say oh, yes, get that out in public as fast as possible.

You may get other police chiefs who say that. You're certainly going to get, you know, some political figures who believe that very strongly as well as community activists. But this is a balancing act.

And we're going to try to do our best here in Milwaukee to get that balancing act right.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There have been plenty of (ph) protesters who say, yes, he was harmed but he did not deserve to die. Can you explain or fill us in on how police are trained to react in these type of situations?

FLYNN: Our officers are trained to protect life including their own. You know, I'm not going to get into the issue of anybody deserving to die. That's -- that's really not the issue here.

The issue that will be determined is whether or not when the officer used deadly force, he faced a credible deadly force threat to himself or another person. Now, ultimately, that will be the conclusion of the investigation.

I know what I saw on the video. I know what I see in the still. Certainly appears to me that at the time he made that decision, it was a credible and legally protected decision. But I...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Regarding (ph) the use (ph) of the video, can you describe it with your words what you see?

FLYNN: Well, yes, what I -- what I saw, I think is a -- a representation of a very brief foot chase and a circumstance in which the individual that was confronted by the officer had a firearm in his hand and turned towards the officer. I don't know when the trigger was pulled.

I don't know the point of entry. I haven't -- there's no autopsy done yet. There's like a hundred more credible questions investigators are going to want to get to.

So when I get the script of -- I'm looking at a silent movie, all right, that it doesn't necessarily tell me everything that will come out in a thorough investigation. So, again, I'm walking on ice, too.

I want to be transparent. But you know the tug of war. You know first reports are frequently wrong or slightly off. And then that's a whole other news cycle.

So we're trying to be both open and contained at the same time right now. So I know what I saw based on what I saw, didn't hear, don't know what the autopsy results are going to be, certainly appeared to be within the lawful bounds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that the suspect was hit twice. Is that -- how many shots were fired? And also, was there any other video from other officers, from squad cars, of anything in terms of surveillance video that would shed light on this particular shooting?

FLYNN: That's something we're looking into now. So obviously, short term, I don't know the answer to that question. But it's a key aspect of any such investigations to look for other videos, other perspectives.

And so as to the number of shots that were fired, again, I don't know that. I know the investigators have taken his firearm. I know the scene was searched for shell casings.

And the officer hasn't been interviewed. So I don't know exactly. My short answer would be not many. But again, I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you saw that Sylville Smith did not comply with the drop-your-weapon order?

FLYNN: That's correct.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, how about the gas station (ph). People said (ph) there's been reports there, people say that the gas station owners were mistreating people over the certain community in the neighborhood. Do you guys have any record of police being called to that gas station recently?

FLYNN: This is a busy for us. We've been called virtually to every business there at some time or another. There was a recent controversy there.

It's extensively covered by the local media, involving the proprietors of that store and some -- some unruly customers they confronted inappropriately. And so I knew the owner had (ph) some issues there.

But we have worked with the community. And I know the Mayor's Office of Violence Prevention, that (ph) extensive work in the neighborhood trying to get the business owners and the local residents on the same page. And my understanding was progress have been made there.

BARRETT: And I would point out -- I would point out that -- that I believe it was from what I was told, it was (ph) community members who helped the three employees get out of that building safely, which I appreciate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are people in the community who say that -- they insist that Smith was shot in the back. That's what people have been saying at the scene.

Can you say definitively Smith was not shot in the back?

FLYNN: The only reason I can't say it definitively is the autopsy hasn't been done yet. So I would -- I would be foolish to try to say that definitively.

I do know that he was shot in the chest and the arm. I don't know that he was shot in the back. I'm not being cute. I'm not anything.

The autopsy reveals that. That will be news to me. But to my understanding, that's not true.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It appears he was facing the officer as opposed to turning away.

FLYNN: Yes, again, you know, I'm going to have to count on what the angle is. You know, I saw what I saw.

But, you know, if you've covered these kind of incidents before, body mechanics, kinetics, people are moving, the bullet's going 900 feet per second, you know, where -- where the body was when the bullet was fired and where it was when the bullet hits can move inches. So I don't know precisely know its angle but (ph)...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But in that -- but in that video, do you see the suspect who was hit -- do you see any flash (ph) from his gun? Did he fire him?

FLYNN: We don't have any reports that he fired (ph) inside or no. We do have, you know, video of the officers, you know, administering CPR.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Again, that still photo, can you show us -- was the gun up or was he holding it in his right hand? I mean, was it -- where was it?

FLYNN: It was in his hand. He was raising up with it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you show us maybe...

FLYNN: You know, I don't want to, you know, play act here. You know, hopefully, we'll be able to provide you some useful information shortly and then based on that, you'll be able to evaluate the accuracy of what I'm saying now.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it a matter -- is it a matter -- is it a matter of routine that the officer has not been debriefed or questioned yet? And is there a union (ph) aspect to so and so (ph)?

FLYNN: Yes, there is a -- we're -- we're able to take a public safety statement at a time that there's a incident like this. And then there's generally, at least 24 hours passes before we do a full in- depth interview with the officer.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that officer basically (ph) now -- or what's his status in the police department?

FLYNN: Yes, he's on -- he's on the administrative status until further notice. That's -- that's routine...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any update on the burning of the buildings, the investigation going on there? Is there a video of it on who may have been involved in this?

What do you see from the camera (ph)?

FLYNN: We're -- we're -- we're working hard on publicly accessible social media to identify videos taken contemporaneously last night with the events of last night to see if we can identify people engaged in law-breaking, including arson and that's extensive. And so there's a lot of -- a lot of work needs to be done before we can...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you very much.

FLYNN: All right, thank you.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, you're listening to the Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn there. Still lots of questions about the circumstances leading up to the shooting of the suspect Sylville K. Smith.

You heard from the police chief there who said there is an image that comes from the body cam video -- the entire video he has yet to see. But he says there is an image that did show that suspect was holding a gun.

And in the police chief's view, this was a credible and lawful shooting. But still, lots of questions about what precipitated that shooting aside from that suspect having a gun.

Ryan Young is covering the events there that have transpired as a result or after that police-involved shooting. There was looting. There were the -- the -- some buildings such as the B.P. station behind you that were set afire.

And so Ryan, you've been also interacting with a lot of people there. People in the community, they heard that press conference from the mayor as well as the police chief. Does this fill any -- fill in any blanks for them?

Or does it just solicit yet more questions?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, Fred, to be honest, I don't think people were listening to that news conference. In fact, a lot of them feel like it's too late.

The folks who are out here are very angry. In fact, everyone of us who have worked out here have just spent the last 10 or 15 minutes or so getting a barrage of insults thrown our way because they feel like we had been ignoring the problem here in the community for far too long.

They point to this B.P. as one of the places where they've had issues before. In fact, a few weeks ago, they believe one of the people who worked here came outside and fired his gun toward young people.

No one was hit in that incident. And the community felt like that situation wasn't investigated hard enough. So they believe that was part of the reason why this place was targeted last night.

To go with what's been said so far, I would honestly believe right now, they wanted something to be done. They need to release as much information as possible because on the other side of this building, there is almost a hundred people here who are still very angry about what happened.

And they're talking about issues that have been going on in this community for quite some time. And they feel like this is all going to end in the same way.

So people are saying yes, this incident may have happened. And the young man may have had a gun. But they simply do not believe it.

And there are several people who are walking through this community saying that he did not have a gun. So until some evidence comes forward, I think it's going to be hard for them to believe that.

You talk about the National Guard. Right now, talking to people here, they think that would be the wrong way to handle this.

But if the National Guard shows up, there are people who are talking that they are willing to step up and go out in the streets and face them, and that more of this can happen. Several community leaders said there's a reason why the four businesses were targeted in this community.

They are businesses in this community that have been known to have issues with the black community for quite some time. So when you look back in this direction and you see the damage that's been left here, and the fact that officers still remain on the scene, you understand what everybody is kind of holding their breath for because what happens next?

And look, a young man just said to me right now, the only reason why we're here, he believes, is because of the fact that this was burned down. He thinks that if it wasn't burned down, that none of us would have shown up.

So that is part of the reason why he thinks that this is starting to bring attention to the issues here in the Milwaukee area. So they're talking about that all the time.

And that's a real feeling here. And I'm talking about real passion where people are coming up here and just yelling at us constantly because they want to know what's going on and when will it change.

WHITFIELD: Lots of frustration. So Ryan, sit tight for a moment because I want to bring into the equation CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst, Tom Fuentes on the phone with us.

So Tom, perhaps you had a chance to listen to the press conference of the Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barnett (sic) and the Police Chief Edward Flynn. And while the police chief said, he has yet to see -- yet to interview or an interview has yet to take place involving the officer that -- that fired the weapon, you know, killing the suspect.

But the police chief said, he did see an image -- a still image from the body cam video that has yet to be fully viewed showing the suspect had a gun. And then he went on to say, at least according to the mayor, that, you know, he had a gun in his hand, quote-unquote, "and it had 23 rounds in his gun."

But then, of course, the question is, Tom Fuentes, just because someone has a gun, does that meant that indeed, it is a credible and lawful shooting which were the words of the police chief. What generally would have to happen to help justify this shooting?

That's the question many people, particularly in that community, have?

TOM FUENTES, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, that's pretty simple actually, Fredricka. If the officer threatens the officer with a gun, especially if the officer yells to drop it and refuses to comply, the officer has the right to use deadly force, believing his own life is in danger.

Or if the subject runs off after threatening the officer with a gun, then he has the right to stop that subject because he poses a -- a threat to other members of the community that he may encounter as he's trying to flee being armed that way, being armed and dangerous. So if what the mayor said and the police chief said is true, then it certainly sounds like a -- a completely justified shooting.

Now, you know, it's not even 24 hours. So they have to do the investigation. But it seems like nowadays, nobody -- nobody really cares for the details of the investigation that could take days, weeks, months, the forensic work to be done, the analysis of -- of all the body cams and radio transmissions and all of the other aspects, plus the interview of the main officer himself, whenever that takes place.

So it's just -- and the fact that, you know, we've had these riots break out when it's been a white police officer and an unarmed African-American male. In this case, apparently, you have an African- American officer being threatened with a gun.

And it doesn't seem to make a difference to the community. They don't believe it. And -- and people that came into that community from out of it -- outside the community probably could care less whether it's justified or not.

They're going cause trouble. And that's -- that was their intent last night and maybe their intent again tonight.

WHITFIELD: OK, and Ryan, back to you there in Milwaukee, you know, again, the police chief saying and he kind of paraphrased, you know, his synopsis of what may have happened saying that, you know, it was a suspicious stop in the first place as to why the police officer pursued Sylville K. Smith. But the police chief says, but this event took 20 to 25 seconds.

You know, it led to a foot chase. It ended up in a fenced area between two houses. The suspect turned and had a gun in his hand.

I know that, Ryan, your producer also caught up with the Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor, who also had some sentiments conveyed on all that has transpired from the police-involved shooting to even the -- the -- the burning of the buildings and the looting that has since taken place. Ryan, it looks like we lost your audio.

Let's play a portion of that interview our producer caught up with the state senator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR: You know what I see, you see the terrible violence to the property? I see the hurt. I see the pain of the people.

I see the hopelessness of the people. I'm hurt for the businesses who have been in our community and -- and have chosen to link arms with us, and to be business partners in our community for the hurt that they've experienced.

But what I know is that the trauma that exists in this community must be addressed. And so I don't care about just the buildings.

I care about the human capital and the people that are here. So we need to take the trauma, inform, care, information that we've learned. And we need to implement it as wide and broad and in depth that we can.

That's what we need. That's what I see. I don't care who. I'm willing to link arms if we're about creating solutions.

But I will not be diverted on the negative. I will be diverted on what are we doing to create the change, the help, to deal with the hurt that exists in this community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was much about frustration that had reached a boiling point (inaudible)...

TAYLOR: Of course, of course. Of course, this is about the frustration. It's about the hurt. It's about generations of dealing with the hurt that has not been addressed.

There is time for us to take action. And that time is now across party, across color, across geography, because in the end, it's all us.

It's all us. And we have to figure out what are we going to do. Ask yourself, what am I doing to be the positive change to heal the hurt, the trauma that exists at depths that's -- that's beyond discussing.

Let's think about it. Let's think about this. We're number one in the nation for incarceration of black men, for the least reading scores among third and eighth graders, unemployment rates for African- American men completely off the charts, infant mortality rate.

Let's not talk about the lead in the water, in the soil and the air quality. Let's not even begin to talk about the number of disparities that exist in children being taken from their home, not necessarily for neglect but because of poverty.

Let's not talk about the percentage of people that are in poverty. Now, all of that, just those things -- exactly, preach my sister...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Economic development...

TAYLOR: ...exactly. So this is not my district. But it's all my district because in the end, it's all of us. And that's the piece we've got to stop.

We've got to get past our silos. It's not about is it your block or my block.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all our block.

TAYLOR: It's about we're all in this together. So now, the question is what's going to create the change? Some jobs, some love and faith among wrapping around families and among community is what's going to make the difference, not marshal law.

And thank goodness, the governor has confirmed to me there is no marshal law. The National Guard is not in control.

Law enforcement is in control. They're poised to help. But what we're going to do is show as a community that we can love our past where we are.

I personally talked to the governor before I came to speak to you so I could speak facts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the -- is the guard coming out at all...

TAYLOR: They are not. The guard is not in control. The guard is poised in case we need the guards.

However, what we need are people to come and love on this community. What we need is to be able to move people past the trauma and the hurt that maybe you can't see.

Some of us can only see the property damage. But others of us see the hurt and the pain that exist in this community, not just today, but that is constant.

The trauma informed care issues that we've learned about is what we have to deal with. And then lastly, Dr. Degruy (ph) -- Dr. Joy Degruy (ph) who was brought here by not only the NAACP previously, but also by SDC (ph) to deal with the poverty summit, has told us about the effects of frankly our history of America with slavery and how it has had an effect in this community.

We're number one in the nation for almost everything that exists for African-Americans. There is an effect to that. There is an effect to that trauma.

And we need to deal with it realistically. And we need to address it head on. We can't imagine that the kindles of the fire of the pain that people experienced are going to go away, Mayor.

They aren't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're not.

TAYLOR: The kindles are burning. And without attention, they will rekindle fires everywhere. We must deal with the fires that exist in the pains of our people.

And that's going to take some love and some faith and some work and some jobs, and some unity among all of us (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Action.

WHITFIELD: Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor there, clearly underscoring they want more answers. Ryan, there in Milwaukee, but this really is representative of much bigger issues.

Are you hearing a chorus of that sentiment that's very similar there?

YOUNG: Absolutely. And a lot of people are frustrated that, in fact, that we're focusing on the buildings behind us and not the community pain. Their ideas -- they want things to change.

I almost feel that news conference -- you almost wish there was a speaker to be placed out here so people who are out here who are trying to actively protest could hear it. They can't hear those words.

And on the other side, I did talk to an African-American officer off- camera this morning. And he was telling me how frustrated he is because he believes this is not the cases that have happened around the country.

He feels this one is different. And he feels like all officers are being painted with a single brush. He says it's tough to go home to his family to try to explain what is going on in the community when he feels they're doing some good work in this community.

A larger conversation needs to happen. But I'm not sure with everyone yelling right now anyone's going to hear.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ryan Young, thank you so much in Milwaukee. We're going to continue to follow that story.

All right, straight ahead, approximately 800,000 people under flood warnings in Louisiana, details on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. We're following breaking news in Louisiana. Approximately 800,000 people are now under flood warnings, the governor describing the situation as a major disaster and says, it's the worst in that state's recorded history.

Three people have now died, a fourth person is unaccounted for. More than 7,000 people have been rescued from the rising floodwaters. And another two to four inches of rainfall is expected in the Baton Rouge area today.

CNN Correspondent Boris Sanchez is covering this story for us from Louisiana in knee-deep water yourself. Give us an idea of whether most people in the general vicinity where you are have been evacuated? Are they on safe ground now?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, most of the people in this neighborhood were very, very fortunate to get out. As a matter of fact, where we're standing right now used to be obviously somebody's front yard.

But now, it's become part of this Mannatech Bayou (ph). It's essentially a wetland that overflowed into this neighborhood.

And you could really get a sense of the human toll of this flood. When you see a homeowner like you're about to see, he's canoeing to his home.

[16:30:00] He told me just a few moments ago that his home was flooded.

And you could see people personal objects just floating in the water, flip flops. There's a trash canister that's floating here. From what we've heard it is still supposed to continue raining. But the real concern is where this floodwater goes. This was again an area that got a lot of rain.

Eventually, this water is going to recede and probably head south to other neighborhoods. That's why Governor John Bell Edwards earlier today warned that this situation was still not over, that there's still grave danger out there.

Keep in mind they've conducted more than 1,000 rescues now. People that were in homes that couldn't get out that needed to be rescued or people who got stuck on the roads, some people even clinging to trees hoping to get out of the floodwater.

The warning going out, the governor asking everybody that doesn't have to be out of their homes or that isn't checking on their homes to just stay inside and not risk it, though it's tough, we know about 15,000 people at last check are still without power and there this is urge to find help.

We've heard of several shelters actually where people have gone fleeing the floodwaters that have gotten inundated themselves. So, there's a lot of hopelessness on the streets and just about a half hour we're supposed to hear from the Governor of Louisiana and we're hoping to get some more indication from him as to what the plan is moving forward.

It's supposed to continue raining lightly at least until tomorrow. We'll get a full idea of just how bad the great flood of 2016 was once this water starts to recede, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right. And then that meeting you're talking about the governor as we understand to be a closed door briefing.

Meantime, you know, you also mentioned bayou, knowing Louisiana, so Boris that means there has to be some concern about some wildlife, particularly gators.

SANCHEZ: Absolutely without question, you know, we're very fortunate. The neighborhood that were in there are fences and were a little bit more protected than other areas but I've seen shrimp and crawfish and small fish all around the street basically because when the floodwaters receded they didn't have anywhere to go.

So, it is certainly a concern and some people have told us not in this neighborhood but they've seen water moccasins. It's a big risk but you can imagine the pain that people are going through that they'd be willing to risk running into wildlife especially in their homes just to rescue things.

I mean I talked to one woman where she lives in a house right here who told me she didn't mind most of her things being destroyed, she just got new furniture but what she really wanted to get out of her home were old photos of her family.

So, there's a lot of, you know, heart in this and it's painful to watch people lose the things that are most important to them especially in a situation where we don't know exactly when this is going to end considering that this water, as I get deeper and deeper into it is going to continue moving south, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, potentially dangerous situation in so many levels. Thank you so much, Boris Sanchez appreciates that.

All right, up next Donald Trump going on offense against the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ...crooked Hillary Clinton. I'm running against the crooked media, that's what I'm running for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Trump's Campaign Manager, Paul Manafort explains those claims in his own words next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:35:00] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. We want you to meet this week's CNN hero. There are many organizations that help the homeless providing food, shelter even medical supplies. But what about washing their clothes?

Nicholas Marchesi couldn't find any group helping with that, so he and a friend turned the van into Australia's first mobile Laundromat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLAS MARCHESI, FIRST MOBILE LAUNDROMAT FOUNDER: Most people take for granted putting a fresh, clean set of clothes on for someone who is sleeping rough and who really doesn't have access to washing and drying their clothes, to something that's continually overlooked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Marchesi's group travelled every day to nine cities in Australia. Next stop the United States. You can watch his story at cnnheroes.com and while you are there nominate someone you think should be a 2016 CNN Hero.

All right, Donald Trump is locked in a battle with the media this weekend. He is taking particular issue with a story published in the "New York Times". It alleges unrest in the Trump campaign and says the effort to "save Trump from himself has plainly failed".

Trump fired back calling the media dishonest and saying, "If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say I would be beating Hillary by 20%".

Well, campaign chairman Paul Manafort addressed Trump's war with the media in an exclusive interview on CNN "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": So, Republicans in Washington and throughout the country as I don't need to tell you are starting to get very worried that Mr. Trump doesn't have the discipline to stay on message and win the election.

You see the polling showing him behind in battleground states. I know he did an economic speech Monday and he's going to do a speech on terrorism tomorrow. But in between, of course, he does seem to go off message. Last night, he was talking about Monica Lewinsky's blue dress.

What do you say to Republicans when they call you up and say please get Mr. Trump to focus?

PAUL MANAFORT, TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIR: Well, first of all, you know, the piece you just did is an example of why where he said last night that besides running against Hillary Clinton, he is running against the media.

The point he was making is this week was a substantive week. He talked about an economic plan and Hillary Clinton presented her economic plan. They were two different plans. Our plan very clearly laid out how he was going to cut taxes, lower the tax rates for small businesses how that would create more jobs.

He talked about his trade policy. He talked about his energy policy in making America energy independent. And she laid out a program which frankly is exactly what this administration is doing raising taxes, raising, spending, increasing the national debt. And there was a debate that could have been had there.

Instead the media chose to take her -- the Clinton campaign narrative and go on attack on Donald Trump. Donald trump in the course of this week was very substantive, you know. When he visited a number of battleground states you didn't cover it.

But, frankly the local media is covering it and so from our standpoint we're pleased that we're getting the coverage that we need in the battleground states where this campaign is going to be fought.

Additionally, we think that contrary to your report and contrary to the "New York Times", nameless sources story, the campaign is moving forward and is very strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:40:00] WHITFIELD: All right, for more on this I want to bring in CNN Political Commentator and former Mitt Romney Public Policy Director, Lanhee Chen and CNN Political Commentator and Trump supporter, Scottie Nell Hughes. All right, good to see both of you.

OK. So, Scotty you first. Messaging seems to be an issue for the campaign and Mr. Trump according to today's "New York Times" Article and I'll reiterate it by saying it is stated in the "New York Times" Article that the campaign's effort to "save Trump from himself has plainly failed".

Are you as a supporter of Donald Trump or are members of the campaign frustrated with having to explain his language, his action, or even his gaps?

SCOTTIE HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, absolutely not because if you read the "New York Times" article I think that's the only media that you looked at Donald Trump's campaign would have been done 9-10 months ago because that's all they reported.

And I love Maggie Haberman. I've been on with her. I think she is very fair. Cover her last ten articles that she has done, eight of them have been very negative on Mr. Trump and the other two went after Ted Cruz and after Mr. Trump defending his speech...

WHITFIELD: But her reporting is based on anonymous sources. People who were working within the campaign, who were eyewitnesses to these events that were described even from, you know, Donald Trump nearly having meltdowns, you know, being very upset because numbers were not being shown in his favor.

HUGHES: Well I think that's interesting. Once again, these anonymous sources that they keep quoting, I mean we can sit here and unless these people are willing to put their name by their comments and use that time and time again. I'm going to actually go and look at the Hill's article today that talks about how great the Republican Party had a meeting with the Trump campaign yesterday.

That they're going to invest 200 paid staffers by Labor Day which is almost -- which is much more than Hillary Clinton has. They're going to open up 25 field offices and that they have done a better job recruiting new voter to the Florida, according to the Secretary of State than the Democrats have.

And considering he is being spent with more than $20 million being invested in Florida alone by Hillary Clinton 11 million by her Super- PAC, Donald Trump is polling almost basically tied with her. That's a much better article I think it's actually more accurate assessment except...

WHITFIELD: ...the national polling is showing particularly in swing states in 8- to 10-point loss, you know, or gap between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, she being ahead.

HUGHES: Well, we know that the polls are very temperamental, Fredricka. And as long as you are interested and have people on your show that are great like you had two great economists before who could have talked about the economic plans like Paul Manafort pointed out the differences between Hillary Clinton and how Donald Trump is actually for a better America and puts America first...

WHITFIELD: And he did that as a Trump supporter.

HUGHES: ...as long...

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: ...but he did a little bit of it. But as long as very interested and focused on the negative and of course, you're going to think that the campaign was over 10 months ago.

But if you actually get in with the people and you actually talk to the people like thousands upon thousands that are at these rallies for Donald Trump, you'll realize that this campaign is far from over.

And most people are actually very optimistic as to how the momentum is with Donald Trump.

WHITFIELD: OK, but Lanhee, is Donald Trump who is actually, you know, throwing out the meat essentially, you know, in helping to dictate part of this narrative which is it's he against the media or rather in his view it's the media against him.

But then is he not keeping it alive by tweeting about it all morning long and really placing blame on the dip in numbers and he's not taking any of the blame. It's everybody else who is doing this to him?

LANHEE CHEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think Fred, look Donald Trump can solve this problem himself by staying on message and focusing for example, you know, he gave this economic speech in Detroit on Monday which, you know, there was some substance in there.

There were some things that we could have an actual discussion about it but instead of talking about that he veers off to talk about the Second Amendment and, you know, those kinds of issues and that whole kerfuffle last week and all sorts of different other issues. I think if you were to actually stay on message it would be a different story. But again, I think the big error here is expecting that somehow Donald Trump is going to behave differently. This is just the kind of campaign he's run. I think people just need to accept this is who he is. And if they don't like it then they have to figure out what kind of changes they want to make.

And if that's the Republican Leadership, they need to figure out what changes they want to make whether it's unendorsing Donald Trump or devoting their resources elsewhere rather than expecting he is going to change because I don't think he will change.

By the way, the focus on the media is a great Republican Primary strategy. I don't know that it's a particularly good general election strategy. I think people don't see the "New York Times" generally the same way.

WHITFIELD: You see it as a distraction?

CHEN: Do I think it's a distraction -- yes. I think it's a -- well, I think it's an intended distraction because I'm not sure that Donald Trump wants to talk about anything else right now. I think he likes to play the victim and he wants to say look the media is ganging up on me.

Why they're not covering my poll numbers which happen to be doing so well. Why they're not covering crowd size, by the way, every presidential candidate in a general election is getting crowds to 20,000 and 30,000 people. That's not unusual...

(CROSSTALK)

[16:45:00] HUGHES: Not at this point. Not this far up. No, that's facts matter. Mitt Romney did not have...

CHEN: That does matter...

HUGHES: ...20,000 people until a month after Labor Day -- until after Labor Day. It was not until October that...

CHEN: He was getting them after the convention...

(CROSSTALK)

CHEN: ...and recall that the Republican convention in 2012 was later than it was in 2016.

HUGHES: But not his...

CHEN: So we're talking about his post-convention crowd size.

WHITFIELD: And Lanhee...

CHEN: I'm not going to argue over crowd size.

WHITFIELD: ...support for the Mitt Romney campaign.

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: Let's actually talk then about why the media bias this is nothing new to Donald Trump. Let's talk about how when against Mitt Romney, let's talk about John McCain.

This is a long record. I remember going in 2004 as the White House press corps from (INAUDIBLE) George W. Bush and going into the room every -- in every room we went into the state ballrooms and getting booed.

Because there were such -- there is such an anger towards the media considering that they people feel like most conservatives, most Republicans felt the media is against Republicans and Conservatives in their coverage.

WHITFIELD: OK.

HUGHES: And last week was a great example. Is the media picking and choosing what stories they want to focus on. We've seen the 25 minutes was devoted to Donald Trump Second Amendment statement compared to 4 minutes and 51 seconds on average by the networks compared to the...

WHITFIELD: Yes, well except...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: ...that was Donald Trump's doing and it has to be reported on especially when it's something...

HUGHES: But more important...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: ...does not have factual merit. It has to be challenged. It's gotten with what we do in this business.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: All right, Scottie Nell Hughes, Lanhee Chen thank you so much. Appreciate it.

CHEN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, new details about the deadly shooting of a New York Imam and his assistant in broad daylight. Police say that the shooter knew what he was doing and was precise in his targeting.

Investigators are also led to believe that the suspect had some prior military or shooting experience. Sara Ganim is following the story for us. So, Sarah what more do we know?

[16:50:00] SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Fred. Well, we know as investigators that they continue to investigate what happened here are saying that they do now believe that there is a possibility these two men were targeted based on the fact that there were two clean shots to the back of their head what appears to -- they won't characterize it as a hit per se.

But it appears that these two men were targeted as they walked down the street yesterday after leaving this mosque here all day. Community members in this community which has a significant number of Muslim Pakistani, Bangladeshi members have been here at this mosque gathering in remembrance.

They've been looking at the sketch that was released by the police today who are now also saying that one of the reasons they are thinking this may not have been a motive of robbery is that the imam as he walked down the street yesterday afternoon had $1,000 cash on him and that was not taken.

Of course, there are still many unanswered questions. People here want answers to as the police continue to investigate, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, tragic situation. Thank you so much, Sara Ganim. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Mike Pence is promising to do something Donald Trump isn't doing, release his tax returns. CNNs Chris Frates joins me now with more on this, Chris.

[16:50:00] CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, Mike Pence said yesterday he's going to release his tax returns before Election Day and he defended Donald Trump's decision not to release his repeating the billionaire's assertion that he's not releasing his tax returns because he's being audited.

Now, the IRS has said an audit does not prevent anybody from releasing their returns. And Trump has also said (ph) that six years of taxes are no longer being audited. He has refused to release even those returns.

Now, Pence says he'll release his returns that news came a day after Hillary Clinton released her most recent tax returns and her running mate, Tim Kaine he released a decade's worth of his tax records.

Now, the Clinton campaign has tried to turn this issue to their advantage by arguing that Trump's lack of transparency means that voters can't trust his claims about how much he's made, how much he's given to charity, or how much he's paid in taxes.

But during his interview yesterday, Pence tried to turn Clinton's transparency argument against her making the case that now that she has released her returns, Americans will see that she's made millions of dollars and profited from her public service but whether or not that continues to be the line of attack, Fred that remains to be seen.

WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Frates in Washington, thank you so much. FRATES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We'll have much more of the CNN NEWSROOM after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, at 5 o'clock Eastern. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York.