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New Day

Ottawa Shooter Details Emerge; Another White House Fence Jumper; Details of Michael Brown's Autopsy Leaked

Aired October 23, 2014 - 08:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

We are live in Ottawa, Canada, now. The morning after a soldier was killed at the city's war memorial right over my shoulder here and before -- after that, the same gunman entered Parliament Hill, causing a massive lockdown. Obviously there to do no good.

There are new details about the shooter. His name, for what it's worth, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau. He has a criminal past. He has a troubled past. He has a past of addiction. He sought out Islam for some type of redemption and clearly became radicalized and confused about what the faith was about. His passport was confiscated so Canadian authorities were onto him. But, ultimately, he was still able to get a gun and try to kill as many people as he could.

We have Police Chief Charles Bordeleau. He's with us right now.

Thank you very much, chief. I know it's a busy day for you.

CHARLES BORDELEAU, OTTAWA POLICE CHIEF: Good morning, Chris.

CUOMO: Behind us we see that there's still forensic activity going on at the crime scene. And that's the purpose for this. This isn't about the fear of the unknown, it's about dealing with what happened.

BORDELEAU: That's correct. Our forensic and case (ph) officers are still conducting the investigation and gathering evidence and we hope to have this reopened to the public today.

CUOMO: And now what is your takeaway from what happened yesterday and why?

BORDELEAU: Well, the first thing is, our condolences to Corporal Cirillo's family, the members of the Canadian Forces. There's a large presence of Canadian Forces here in Ottawa and I spoke with the chief of defense yesterday and expressed our condolences and reassured him that we're there to support them and that we'll do everything we can to make sure that Ottawa remains safe and secure. And I think yesterday's incident is a reminder of the reality of the threat that exists around terrorism in our country and abroad. And I was proud of the response of the officers involved and the collaboration that exists with the RCMP and other security staff on the hill and the broad response from the community as well as far as, you know, them trying to help Corporal Cirillo and the interventions that have taken place.

CUOMO: By any measure you do a great job of policing here in Ottawa. I've been citing all morning, four homicides you've dealt with here and this, of course, the fifth being with Reserve Sergeant Cirillo. But when you look at yesterday, there was chaos when he got into Parliament Hill. Lots of different agencies involved, running around, trying to figure out what was going on. Multiple reports of multiple shooters wound up being one. What do you think has to change?

BORDELEAU: Well, these situations are very fluid and very dynamic, as your listeners can appreciate. And we worked very closely with the RCMP, the House of Common's security staff and the Senate. We train, we plan and we exercise. And what you saw yesterday is that response, that coordinated response, to identify the threat and mobilize that threat. And that worked very well from a response capabilities perspective. But like with any incident, there will be a review and then there will be some recommendations to identify, are there potential gaps that exist in the response or the (INAUDIBLE) work that needs to take place. And we'll be participating in that review with the other public safety partners here in Ottawa.

CUOMO: Do you see a change in daily life in Ottawa in terms of how secure your sensitive areas are?

BORDELEAU: I think you're going to see in Ottawa an increased presence from police officers and other public safety partners and that's the -- I think that's the reality within the next - next little while. The threat level has changed in Canada as far as going from low to medium and you're seeing a response by all police services in Canada, increasing their presence and to reassure the communities that we are safe. However, there is still that threat that does exist in our communities.

CUOMO: You know, it's a little perverse and counterintuitive, but, you know, a lot of people this morning here are saying, hey, look, he's just one guy and thank God he only got one guy and, you know, this is -- it's better this way. But in truth, this is harder for you as a police force to deal with than the specter of stopping an organized group who wants to take out thousands, right? I mean this is something that can happen anywhere.

BORDELEAU: Well, that's a challenge with the threats that we're facing with ISIS and the methods that they seem to be promoting when you have that lone wolf individual. It's a challenge to be able to identify and predict, but the best we can do is to continue to work with our partners at the RCMP, with (INAUDIBLE), to identify those potential threats and to prevent them from taking place if it they do exist and then increase our response capabilities when they do happen.

CUOMO: Canada is known, compared to the U.S. for having tougher gun laws. He had a single shot rifle yesterday, not a semiautomatic, right?

BORDELEAU: I'm not specific -- I know it's a rifle he had.

CUOMO: That's our understanding of it. So, obviously, a permitting process is a little different. But the Canadian authorities knew enough to flag his passport and take it and yet he was still able to buy a gun, assuming he did it legally in any way. Does it give you some thought about what you have to do with gun policy going forward?

BORDELEAU: I can't comment specifically as to his past or his history and how he obtained a firearm. That will be part of the work that the RCMP will be doing. And I'm sure that if there's any opportunity to bolster our gun laws, that we will do so. We live in a safe country. Our -- Ottawa is very safe, but these incidents are certainly an awakening and bring the reality of that threat that does exist.

CUOMO: And, chief, I know there's a big effort here to learn from this and to move forward. Reporters are gathering here because there will be a procession around the National War Memorial to remember what happened here and then to try and move forward as a community and get stronger from it. So, chief, sorry to meet you under these circumstances, but I wish you good luck going forward. And thank you for being with us.

BORDELEAU: Thank you very much. Thanks for the community. They've really rallied together with provided that support. So we appreciate that.

CUOMO: It's good to have you, Chief.

BORDELEAU: Thank you.

CUOMO: Good luck.

Alisyn back to you.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: The community there seems strong and united. Chris, thanks so much.

Another fence jumper to tell you about at the White House. This time, the Secret Service and the guard dogs were on their game. We'll go to the White House for what happened.

And protests erupting again in Ferguson, Missouri. People are angry about details leaking out from the grand jury investigation into Michael Brown's death. The Brown family attorney is speaking out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for the five things you need to know for your new day.

Canada's prime minister says the shooting death of a soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa was an act of terror. The shooter was killed when he opened fire inside the parliament building.

A White House fence jumper tackled by Secret Service dogs. Police say 23-year-old Dominic Adesanya was unarmed when he was arrested. This is the second such security breach at the White House in just about a month. President Obama is says he is cautiously optimistic that the country

may be turning the corner on Ebola. The CDC, though, being very vigilant, saying it will track all airline passengers coming in from the three Ebola hot spots in West Africa. They will track the passengers for 21 days.

Overnight, protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, with new calls for Officer Darren Wilson to be arrested. This comes after Michael Brown's autopsy results were leaked. Some analysts suggest the findings corroborate Officer Wilson's account that he fired in self-defense.

And it is all tied up in the World Series after the Royals beat the Giants 7-2. That makes it one game apiece. The fall classic now shifts to San Francisco for the next three games. It's a 2-3-2 format, which I'm against. Game three Friday night in San Francisco.

We are always updating the five things you need to know, so go to newdaycnn.com for the very latest.

Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: It's possible you've missed your calling, John Berman, with your announcer voice.

Meanwhile, as you've just heard from John, there's been another security breach at the White House. After jumping the White House fence, a man was tackled by Secret Service K-9s. This is the second fence jumping incident in a little over a month. But this time the Secret Service was prepared for it. CNN's Michelle Kosinski is live at the White House.

What was different this time, Michelle?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, right, another White House fence jumper. I mean this time the president was here. But another big difference, the Secret Service takedown. They showed no hesitation in using those dogs.

And this 23-year-old fence jumper from Maryland, Dominic Adesanya, was no match for them. I mean just after he made it over the fence, you could see the dogs right there. He actually tried to do battle with them, kicking one, wrestling another, but they got him to the ground, and moments later you could see Secret Service officers there.

They say Adesanya was not armed. He was taken to the hospital and charged with assaulting the dogs, unlawful entry, making threats. And they say there were other outstanding warrants on him as well. By the way, also the dogs were treated for minor injuries in this.

At this point, though, it doesn't look like any kind of a terrorist threat. You know, a family member told reporters that Adesanya is disturbed and was arrested, in fact, just outside the White House about two months ago for hassling the Secret Service and wanting to talk to the president.

But this morning we don't see a big change in security here. It already was increased and very tight after that last fence jumper just a few weeks ago. And you still see that there is a temporary, shorter fence about eight feet away from the tall fence, so it's strange to see that somebody can still now jump over both of them. But law enforcement sources close to this say, unless there is a big change, like a higher fence, this is still a possibility. But they say what's important is that the Secret Service response be immediate and strong, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Release the hounds, as they say, and that worked.

KOSINSKI: The hounds from hell.

CAMEROTA: Exactly. Michelle Kosinski, thanks so much.

Well, protesters in Ferguson are clashing with police overnight as the attorney for Michael Brown's family speaks out on new evidence and a leak that some say could keep Officer Wilson from facing charges in Michael Brown's death. We'll explain all of that, next.

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CAMEROTA: Overnight protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, calling again for the arrest of Officer Darren Wilson.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA (voice-over): As new details about Michael Brown's official autopsy emerge. The report has been leaked to the media. It suggests there may be forensic evidence showing that Brown was not shot with his hands up. In addition, the grand jury reportedly heard testimony from about a half a dozen eyewitnesses, all African-Americans, that correlates with Officer Darren Wilson's account of what led him to shoot and kill the unarmed teenager in August.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA (on camera): Let's talk about all of this with CNN contributor and legal analyst Mel Robbins, and Liz Brown, columnist for the "St. Louis American." Ladies, thanks so much for being here. Liz, I want to start with you and this new report in the "Washington Post," which is staggering, to learn that seven or eight, they say, African-American witnesses have come forward to the grand jury and said that they are corroborating and supporting Officer Wilson's account. What do we know about this, Liz?

LIZ BROWN, COLUMNIST, "ST. LOUIS AMERICAN": Well, what we know about it is, has to be framed in terms of how this entire grand jury has been prosecuted, how the grand jury has been put together, and what information that we've been given.

And the fact that we know anything at all about any of those witnesses is astounding, because of, that this information is being leaked. So, do we trust that the same entity, the same person, the same prosecutor, Bob McCulloch, do we trust that this person is being fair and impartial with this case, and this is a very calculated thing to get to, very calculated bit of information, to say that witnesses corroborate Darren Wilson's testimony. And then it's calculated to say that they are African-American.

Those are two calculated statements who get to the heart of what has been said about this case from the very beginning. It's very calculated.

CAMEROTA: You are not alone in your thinking. That is exactly what Michael Brown's family attorney told CNN. Let's listen to his thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DARYL PARKS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY: I think we all have to be very concerned that someone would leak the autopsy report to the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch." I think the Brown family, all along, has had serious concerns about whether or not they could really get justice. This leak doesn't help their confidence at all. In fact, it hurts the confidence of the general public can have in this process.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA: Mel, the feeling is is that these leaks are going out because they're trying to basically soften up - -

MEL ROBBINS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Of course, they are.

CAMEROTA: - - the protesters in the event that they're not going to indict the officer.

ROBBINS: Yes, exactly, in fact, you know, the leaks are inappropriate. They're not surprising. This is a police department that released the videotape of Michael Brown and the strong-arm robbery that happened before the shooting as a means to get out in front of the story. And so, leaks happen a lot in big cases like this. "The New York Times" is reporting that the autopsy was actually released by the feds, so while it is completely inappropriate, I don't think it is surprising at all, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: But, Liz, let's talk about the substance of what the "Washington Post" is saying in their report this morning. Now, they cite unnamed sources. They say that the sources have not come forward in the public because they're afraid to do so. Is it possible to imagine that seven or eight African-American witnesses have come forward to support Officer Wilson?

BROWN: No. Well, let's look at the whole issue of fear. I believe, really, that if a police officer is going to say that they were fearful of an action by an African-American person, they have to first prove that they have no racial animus. Because what has happened in this case is it's all based on the fear of an African-American person. We have hundreds of years worth of history to get us to this place, so of course they're going to say it's fear, and they're also talking about Michael Brown as this big, black African-American man, I was so fearful of my life, he was incredibly strong. All of the language that has --

(CROSSTALK) CAMEROTA: I do want to challenge you, Liz, because what the officer is saying that he was afraid that his gun was being taken by Michael Brown. He's never said that he was afraid of a black man. He's saying that Michael Brown was reaching for his gun, and that was what started the altercation in the car.

BROWN: Well, it would be amazing in America at any time for a person to admit to racial animus. How could they do that? We have to look at this within the circumstances and the context of what is being said. But he says that he's-- wait a minute. He says that he's an incredibly strong individual. All of these words that are historically and typically used to define African-American people, and within the report itself, he said that he was incredibly strong. In the report, he said he was fearful of what do we have to get to that? We have the tape that was released inappropriately, but intentionally, so that when you --

ROBBINS: Let's talk about what you're asking about, which are the witnesses.

CAMEROTA: Go ahead.

ROBBINS: If you're somebody that saw this, and you have the opinion, and you back up what the officer says, what motivation do you have to come forward and talk to the public when there are protests going on, when the situation in Ferguson is like a powder keg waiting to go off, because tensions are incredibly high. I don't think anybody would want to be the person saying hey, wait a minute, I actually support the police officer. Are you kidding?

CAMEROTA: Well, I mean, if it's the truth.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBBINS: And here's the one thing that I think we'll agree on, and that is that we don't know which part of the officer's story- -

CAMEROTA: That's right.

ROBBINS: - - that these witnesses corroborate, and everybody, including Michael Brown's friend who was on the scene, said there was an altercation inside the car.

CAMEROTA: Good point. Okay, go ahead. Liz, last word.

BROWN: Well, and here is the other point. This is about whether or not this entire police department, this entire police process, everything that has been done by this prosecutor has credibility. And this prosecutor has done little to nothing to show anybody that's looking at this, to show the world, that he is to be trusted in this, that he has been fair and impartial with this. So, anything that they have to say about corroboration is going to be met with skepticism and it also has to be framed in terms of the issue of race. It has to be.

CAMEROTA: And in fact that is what we're seeing, skepticism of the demonstrators last night. ROBBINS: I think what we're seeing is a mess of a case with multiple

witnesses, and different perspectives, and all kinds of problems.

BROWN: And we don't even know what was taken to the grand jury.

CAMEROTA: In the public.

BROWN: We don't know what was introduced to the grand jury.

CAMEROTA: Great point. Liz Brown, Mel Robbins, we'll see what happens in a couple of weeks with that indictment, whether or not it happens. Thanks so much, ladies.

Much more on the deadly shooting in Canada and what we're learning about the gunman. What motivated him, and is the U.S. at risk of a similar attack?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Hey, Alisyn and John. We're here live in Canada. Behind me is the national war memorial. As you can see, people are gathering for what we believe will be a procession of members of Parliament and of the public. They're obviously marking the tragedy that happened here, but also it will be a signal of their resolve as a community to deal with a threat that is very real. The man who did the shooting is dead, the threat is all too alive here in Canada, but even more so in the United States. That's why we'll be following this story all day with the developments to come. Alisyn, John, that's it for us. A lot of news. Let's start following it right now in the "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello. Carol?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks. Thanks to all of you. Have a great day. NEWSROOM starts now

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

COSTELLO: Good morning to you.