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FSU's Jameis Winston Cleared of Rape Allegations; New York City Mayor Under Fire

Aired December 22, 2014 - 6:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at your headlines this morning. The New York City Police Department on high alert following the cold blooded shooting death of two of its officers. The Police Union slamming New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. They believe he has blood on his hands for backing protesters over police in the wake of the Eric Garner grand jury decision.

The gunman, Ishmael Brinsley, had a long history of violence. He told two bystanders, "Watch what I'm going to do," before opening fire and killing those police officers.

To Northern Iraq, where Peshmerga forces aided by U.S. airstrikes have made big advances. They claim to have ripped control of the town of Sinjar from ISIS militants. Thousands of minority Yazidis and other displaced Iraqis have been trapped on Mt. Sinjar since August when ISIS took over. The Peshmerga takeovers expected to ease the humanitarian crisis now that supply convoys will be able to get through to people on the mountain by ground.

New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, calling on President Obama to demand Cuba, handover a cop killer. Joanne Chesimard fled to Cuba in 1984, five years after escaping prison. She was convicted in the 1970s of murdering a New Jersey state trooper.

In a letter to Obama, Christie urged the President to insist on her return as part of the normalization of relations with Cuba. The potential 2016 President contender also join the chorus of Republican voices criticizing Obama's move to reestablish those ties with Cuba.

Now here's a reason to hope that long lost luggage goers (ph) may turn up eventually. Maria Dellos of Arizona recently had her luggage returned to her 20 years after it went missing. Even better, all her art supplies were still in there, some of them actually valuable. The bag somehow turned up recently at Tucson International Airport. Officials used a hand-written note with the woman's old address to track her down. And you know what, it's so quaint, she didn't have to pay anybody to put that bag on the plane back when it was free to (inaudible)...

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Where has it been for 20 years?

ROMANS: It showed up in Tucson, and now she's got it back.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: $500 handling charge though to get it back.

ROMANS: Right.

CUOMO: All right. So some big news in the sports world, college sports especially. Florida State University has cleared Jameis Winston of these rape allegations at a student code of conduct hearing. This will be big for his future.

Let's bring in Brian McFayden. He has more in this morning's Bleachers Report. It's going to be controversial but it was news this kid needed to hear.

BRIAN MCFAYDEN, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, definitely, Chris. Good morning to you.

Former Hiesman Trophy winner Jameis Winston has been cleared of any wrongdoing at a student code of hearing from an alleged 2012 sexual assault. Independent hearing officer, Justice Major Harding ruled that the evidence before him was insufficient to satisfy burden of proof. The accuser's attorney told CNN that they are stunned and dismayed and will consider an appeal. But right now, feel a little duked (ph).

Jaimes Winston was never arrested in this case and has his Florida State Seminoles will participate in the first ever college football playoffs at the Rose Bowl on January the 1st against number two-ranked Oregon Ducks.

The defending Super Bowl champs, Seattle Seahawks clinched a playoff spot yesterday after the Cowboys beat the Colts and then they went into Arizona and let everyone know that they are the team to beat in NFC.

Marshawn Lynch looked all beast-mode, angry, unstoppable. Check this out. 79 yard touchdown run, Lynch and the Seahawks wrap up home field advantage with a win next week against the St. Louis Rams.

The sports world paid tribute to the two New York Police officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were killed Saturday afternoon. Giants coach, Tom Coughlin, who were a black strip on his left shoulder and a peace sign underneath the team's New York logo as a tribute. Meanwhile, there were emotional scenes before the Jets, Rangers and Nets' home games where each team held a moment of silence.

Also, the Yankees' Silver Shield Foundation will pay for the college education of Rafael Ramos' children.

And that is your Bleacher Report, guys.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much.

Well, New York City's mayor under fire following a deadly attack of two police officers. A police leader said that Mayor de Blasio has blood on his hands. This, as the divide between the police and the city, widens.

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BILL DE BLASIO, MAYOR (D) NEW YORK CITY: Our city is in mourning, our hearts are heavy. We lost two good men, who devoted their lives to protecting all of us. Officer Ramos, Officer Liu died in line of duty protecting the city they loved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: That's New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio shortly after two officers were executed by a deranged man who said he was avenging the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. It's a senseless act. And it set off a new wave of pain and outrage.

We have Eugene O'Donnell with us, he's a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He served 14 years as a New York City police officer, and Michaela Angela Davis, cultural critic and writer.

Eugene, the blame for why this happened, OK? There's a lot being offered on this, but should it begin and end with this Ishmael guy, who came up shot his girlfriend and then shot these two officers. Should the blame begin and end right there?

EUGENE O'DONNELL, FORMER NEW YORK CITY POLICE OFFICER: Well, two conversations we should be having. Obviously, this is a very damaged kid, the shooter. We have a mental health crisis in the country, we have guns that are too available. That's one issue for sure. And then the second issue is that -- and I'm sure this is the week to have a tremendous amount of -- to spend a lot of time on it, but the atmosphere that has been set for the police is really intolerable.

Elected officials have to step up, they have to stop acting like bystanders. They're partners in government, they need to explain what the police do and how they do it. I'm not sure this is the week to have that conversation, but that's an essential conversation. Over the last few months, we've heard almost nothing but negative stuff about the police untruths, distortions, repeated time and time again and it's insidious.

CUOMO: There were those in Brooklyn and on online who were celebrating what happened with the officers. They were young, they're misguided -- a lot of them. But there is a hatred out there. What do we do with it and where do you see its source?

MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS, CULTURAL CRITIC AND WRITER: Well, you know, I'm from -- I live in the People's Republic of Brooklyn. I love it, I'm on the board of Brooklyn Community Services, it's a very tight community. And there's a lot of pain and fear, Chris. I think that those are isolated, meaning people that are celebrating. The neighborhood is in mourning for the officers and their family.

Another citizen was shot somewhere else who, you know, who's recovering. And there's more fear and there is compassion. I've been here -- we've been in conversations everywhere, in church, at our kitchen tables, online. And there's a lot of compassion but there's also a fear. The community is afraid that there maybe retribution by more policing. And there's also disappointment, there's a -- there was so much disappointment in the response from the Police Union president.

We are looking for our leaders to come together and say we see that this is broken, we're working together, not placing blames. So we're -- so there's a lot -- the community is even more unrest and more fear. Not so much directed towards the police, but what are our leaders doing, why are they fighting each other at a time when it really is time to get even closer together to work more in terms of strategy not blame.

CUOMO: I don't think you can see this killer as an agent of any cost, all right? The mental health issue is real. Nobody wants to have that discussion right now. We do it every time. There's a sense of act of violence, it's almost always present. We'll probably see it with him, but not today.

There is a feeling that the tone was pushed too much in the protest, that it was aimed too much at police and not police practices even. Do you think that there is blame to go there?

O'DONNELL: We should absolutely say people have legitimate right to protest. It's essential. It should not go off the radar screen. It's an important thing but the fact is that yes, people should have known better. I mean (inaudible) officers, the weeping people here. They went after those folks and criticize those folks...

CUOMO: Including the mayor?

O'DONNELL: I think it's -- there's a lot of issues that are going on here and I'm not going to -- I think this is a week for their city to come together to grieve, but when it comes to the way the police have been treated and talked down, especially in this city, this is an outstanding police department. This is a world-class police department. This is a diverse police department. It's a restrained police department. All summer, we allowed people to say things that we're not true, whether it was in the blogosphere or face to face. It turns out there's a clause when you allow people to continue to say things like, "The NYPD kills people all the time." Some that's unequivocally, provably untrue.

CUOMO: But the leaders weren't saying that. The mayor wasn't saying that.

O'DONNELL: It was set far too often. And the elected officials at all levels have a duty to step up for the police. Even in the case like the Garner case, explain how the grand jury works. Explain how police have broad power. Explain how hard it is to rate it in. Explain the mandated you give the police. Stop acting like bystanders if you're an elected official.

CUOMO: Now, the commissioner says, "Hey, we get that there are issues with policing around the country. But when you look at New York specifically," because there's been a big focus over here right after Garner, "the numbers of complaints are down, the numbers of use force is down, every indicators you want to use for progress shows progress," why isn't that reflected in the tone

DAVIS: Well, you know, I think what we need to be clear about, this is not a politician's movement. This is not the police department or the mayor's movement. This is a people's movement. We see it all over the country and we see it replicated all over the world. What they're looking for is reform. What they're looking for is in every police department, every government, every civilization, goes through reform.

So this is what people are asking for, not -- this is not lead by politicians. They are responding to what people want, right? So I think that -- and once people rise, they don't go away. So this is an unfortunate crime and everyone sees this is as an isolated crime but the issues are still on the table. People want to see communities and police departments work together. They feel across -- we've seen thousands of people talk about police brutality. We've seen thousands of people want reform...

CUOMO: Or how you talk about and whom you blame matters also, right? You can't just be an open (inaudible) with the motion...

DAVIS: Well, I don't think there's -- I mean, we have to be careful with talking about blame and really looking at what are the asks and what are the solutions. And that's why I think we responded with so much disappointment because our leaders are coming out with blame when the people want change. And that's a hard -- that's -- yes?

CUOMO: Right. Or you've been out there.

DAVIS: Yes. I have.

CUOMO: Again, you know, Eugene is right. We have to take the moment for what it is which is this is bad any way you look at it. We need to be better. We need to be closer. There's no question.

DAVIS: It's a fact.

CUOMO: But a part of that is honesty with what has been done on a leadership side and the protest side and what needs to change there as well going forward.

O'DONELL: I also don't think an elite has the right to take over this conversation. Talk to people in Bed-Stuy. Talk to people in the 79th Precinct. Listen to what they want and I was prosecutor -- again, it's a week to grieve and I don't want be too contentious here but if you get -- if you talk to folks, I was a prosecutor police officer in Queens and Brooklyn, talking to folks in a community asking what they want, they want police engagement. They want the police out there. They don't want the police to stand down. They want the police to be protective and we have to say, those of us who know how the police do their work, we have to speak clearly and emphatically and not allow disinformation to continue to pollute this conversation.

DAVIS: That's my community. I live right...

O'DONELL: I live in Brooklyn also. I also live in... DAVIS: ... on the border of Bedstock. We want community engagement with the police. The response to police problems is not always more policing. It's more community at working with the police. We need more community agents, the community leaders to work with the police.

CUOMO: Well, look, you know, it was a sad place to see but it was certainly their last night. The whole community was out there.

DAVIS: Yes.

CUOMO: And they were all one.

DAVIS: You're right.

CUOMO: Sometimes, there is a purpose in thing. Eugene O'Donnell, thank you very much. Michaela, it's always good to have you.

DAVIS: Thank you.

CUOMO: All right. Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK Chris. After the brutal slaying of those two New York City Police officers, many pointing fingers at New York City's mayor as you've heard. Has the mayor sided with protesters instead of police? And is that contributing to more demonstrations across the country, we'll debate all of that?

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CAMEROTA: Anger in New York City following the slayings of two New York City policy officers on Saturday. Now, some ugly accusations against officials including the Mayor of New York City, many police offices say he did not have their backs so they turned their backs literally on him Saturday night.

Joining us to discuss all of these is Errol Louis. He's our CNN Political Commentator and Political Anchor at New York One News. And John Avlon, CNN Political Analyst and Editor-In-Chief at The Daily Beast. Gentlemen, thank you so much for being here.

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: Errol, it seems as though all these tension between the mayor and police started when the mayor talked about how he and his wife have had to advice their biracial son about his encounters with the police. And he said, "Don't reach for your cellphone, always be very careful. Do whatever they say because it doesn't always go so well." They've gone in that paraphrasing...

LOUIS: Yes.

CAMEROTA: ... when a young black man meet with the police. Was that -- should he not have said that, should he not have talked about that.

LOUIS: It's certainly true and he has every right to say it. But what it did was aggravate, Alisyn, sort of a nerve that was already getting pressed on. Because the way the mayor won when he ran for office last year, the way he beat a very crowded Democratic primary field, was by putting his son front and center, kid -- biracial kid with a big afro, winning smile, but talking about how stop-and-frisk police practices needed to be changed.

And the police were a little uncertain about that last year and maybe a little bit myth about he seemed to be running against the police department and police practices, and then it succeeded and he won. So, to bring it up again I think sort of aggravated a problem that was really about a year old.

CAMEROTA: John, is he not allowed to talk about his own family's experience when he's running for office? Was that the wrong tone?

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No, he's absolutely allowed to. But again, the problem, as Errol said, is a lot deeper than his son, Dante, and those comments. The problem is that cops don't feel this mayor has got their back, and that's an essential quality when you're a Mayor of the City of New York with, you know, 35,000 cops and historically low crime rate.

The problem is that he -- this administration seems closer to the activists than they do the police department. And so, that drives a deepening wedge at a time when those protests have occasionally gotten off the hook. And obvious, we all know something deeper, which is that you can be pro-police reform and still back the police, that you can do both things. And when that tone, however, gets lost, there is a big pay back in politically as well as practically from there.

CAMEROTA: In fact, what the head of the police union said the mayor should've done is taught children to respect and revere the police, that that should've been his message, not be wary of the police, they might hurt you. Say, look at how I have a security detail, they protect me everyday. Let's applaud the police. And the mayor didn't take that tone.

LOUIS: Well, no, that's certainly true. But, you know, to be fair, police union leaders are not city leaders. They didn't run city wide. They don't really I think have the interest of the entire city, in the same way that the mayor must and does. So, when he see the head of the police union saying what the mayor should've said, what he should've taught, what protest he should've said, well, you know, that's really kind of overreaching.

They are a very powerful organization, the story of the NYPD. There are known, you know, informally and policy circles, sort of a nation state. Now, they've got their own helicopters, their own foreign policy, they've got people stationed overseas. They're a very important, very powerful, very large organization, full of tens of thousands of voters. So, they matter a great deal. This mayor I think has really got to try and reset that relationship if that's possible.

CAMEROTA: He sure does (inaudible) John.

AVLON: Yes, he does. Look, when the head of the police union, you know, Pat Lynch, said that the mayor, blood in his hands.

CAMEROTA: And let me just read this to you because you set this up. This wasn't just -- he wasn't alluding to this. He actually spelled it out. This was on Saturday night, the head of the police union, the blood of two executed police officers is on the hands of Mayor De Blasio. John?

AVLON: Yes, look, that's unacceptable and it's fundamentally inaccurate. The only person who has blood in his hands of these two cops is the killer, who was deranged and might even in his sick mind been doing this on -- he said on Instagram (inaudible) revenge the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, but has fundamentally nothing to do with the mayor or any other official, has to do with that individual's sickness and mental illness.

That said, the mayor's real sin, as Jake Siegel wrote in The Daily Beast today, is that he's been two hands off of these issues. When the protesters have gotten out of hand, when they have assaulted police, he hasn't gone down to that press conference set, one police at plaza. So, that is actually the real sin and that has been the root of a lot of these problems, where the cops don't feel that the mayor has got their back at a time of historically low crime and simultaneously increased tension.

CAMEROTA: In fact, his language has not been that helpful to the police as well because the mayor said, "Two police officers allegedly assaulted by protesters." In fact, it was on videotape. They were attacked.

LOUIS: Well, is it a serious misstep because, as you say, it's on videotape. We're watching them get beaten up by protesters. And these are protesters that the mayor has implicitly, in some cases, explicitly sort of endorsed, and that itself was kind of a risky move in part because it's a very decentralized, disorganized or unorganized kind of broad movement.

CAMEROTA: OK, what do they need to do now, John? 10 seconds.

AVLON: Look, he needs to try to reset the relationship. He needs to reset himself, clean activists and the cops. And the protesters themselves and their advocates in City Hall needs to really start distancing themselves aggressively when protesters start shouting things like, "Death to cops," because it's one of the things that adds to the instability of the situation.

CAMEROTA: John Avlon, Errol Louis, thank you so much for joining us this morning, great to see you on News Day. Later this morning, we will be joined for more on this story by former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani and former Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly. Both will join us in our 8:00 hour. They have a lot of thoughts on this topic as you can imagine. So, we're following a lot of news for you this morning (inaudible).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two officers assassinated. New York City Police on high alert, facing a new threat.

DE BLASIO: It is an attack on all of us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got to take back our community. This can't happen. Where's your humility?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blood on the hand starts in the Office of the Mayor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have not paid, we have not given in, we have persevered and we have not backed out.

BARRACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES: We cannot have a society in which some dictator can start imposing censorship here in the United States..

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They must be incredibly happy in Pyongyang.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An exclusive look inside ISIS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This one percent rule has the power of a nuclear tsunami.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're not afraid to die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll kill 150 million, 200 million, 500 million. We don't care about the numbers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Good morning everyone. Welcome back to NEW DAY. I'm Alisyn Camerota with Chris Cuomo. We start with breaking news this morning. The NYPD is taking no chances after two police officers were shot and killed over the weekend.