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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Police Search House For Shooter; Holder Calls Suspect A "Damn Punk"; DHS Investigating Drunk Crash Claims; Brown Family: Violence Cannot and Will Not Be Tolerated

Aired March 12, 2015 - 16:30   ET

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

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From this perspective, we know that after midnight, there were still police officers in front of the station. We marked it there in blue. Across the street there were still about 100 protesters according to eyewitnesses. We marked that in yellow.

And as you point out, Jake, some shots came in from up Tiffen Avenue and struck the police there. Now let's take this and move down to street level so you get another point of view on all of this which I think helps us understand more of what's happened here.

When we say up Tiffen Avenue, remember, Tiffen Avenua is a hill so yes, a shot could be fired here, could essentially come in over the heads of the protesters and land among the police officers here, or series of shots could be.

Let's twist this shot around and look straight up Tiffen Avenue. You understand why the police are at least somewhat skeptical. A shot like that would have to originate almost at the limit of what you can see there, 100 to 125 yards away. That's what's been described here.

For a pistol to make that shot with accuracy is very, very difficult. A pistol can certainly be lethal at that range, but to place a shot from there is unbelievably hard to do. Even skilled marksmen would say they are much more accurate at a range of something like this, less than a quarter of that distance.

And where would that have the shot originating or the shots originating? Somewhere in the general vicinity of where the protesters were. Doesn't mean the protesters did it, Jake, but that's why police officers have to look at this very carefully.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Yes, Tom, in November after the grand jury declined to indict Officer Wilson, shots were also fired up at Tiffen Avenue when a bunch of us were here. We still don't know what kind of gun, weapon, was used to fire.

Jeff Rohrda was just telling us that they can't take out the bullet from the one officer, it's behind his ear, and then the other officer they haven't recovered the bullet that went through him.

But let's talk about some other action in this neighborhood this morning at a house, it was at a bungalow on Dade Avenue, witnesses say police took away some people. They may have been handcuffed as well. Show us that location in relation to all of this.

FOREMAN: That is again related to Tiffen Avenue. Again, look at our main streets. Here's Tiffen Avenue coming up here. If you fly up Tiffen Avenue about a half mile or so, Jake, that's where you come to the very house that they were doing all this searching in.

Again, this does not tell us that anybody connected to this house necessarily had anything to do with this shooting, but you see how it sort of fits into the narrative of concern about that direction, that road, and this investigation -- Jake.

TAPPER: Tom Foreman, thank you so much.

Breaking news just in to CNN right now, police hunting right now for the suspect or suspects who shot two Ferguson police officers early this morning shortly after midnight and now, two congressmen say they will pay for information that leads to his or her or their capture.

Congressman Lacy Clay and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver just offered $1,000 for any clues leading to an arrest. Do I have that number right, $1,000? I'm sorry, $3,000.

Attorney General Eric Holder did not mince words today when just hours ago, he addressed the shooting of those two police officers in Ferguson, calling the incident repugnant saying it was carried out by a quote, "damn punk."

He also offered assistance in finding the shooter. Will police on the ground here really want the help? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to THE LEAD live from Ferguson, Missouri. I'm Jake Tapper. Right behind me is where two police officers were shot. They are miraculously recovering at home right now. They were shot right after a protest in this community, which is still very much a community that has been torn up.

Moments ago the nation's top law enforcement official came out strongly against the shooter calling him or her a, quote, "damn punk." U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder also offered to assist the very department that he condemned just a week ago in a scathing Department of Justice report.

Let's go live now to CNN's Joe Johns in Washington. Joe, Attorney General Holder said the Department of Justice is willing to help find whoever is responsible for shooting these officers, but is that help going to be welcome here, given his history with the Ferguson Police Department?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's just so hard to say with DOJ striking a completely different tone, one of the wait and see questions, I think, Jake. Attorney General Eric Holder issuing a harsh condemnation of the shooting today, calling it a heinous and cowardly attack, and saying it turned his stomach. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS (voice-over): The shootings of two police officers in Ferguson drawing angry reaction today from Attorney General Eric Holder, calling the incident repugnant.

ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: What happened last night was a pure ambush. This was not someone trying to bring healing to Ferguson. This was a damn punk.

JOHNS: The officers shot just one week after the Department of Justice issued a blistering report on the Ferguson Police Department, citing widespread and systematic discrimination against African- Americans by officers and the court system there.

The report found Ferguson police targeted black people in vehicle stops, citations and arrests. Every instance in which a police k-9 bit someone, it was an African-American and racist e-mails between police and court officials were uncovered including one depicting President Obama as a chimpanzee.

MATT MILLER, FORMER DOJ SPOKESMAN: The Justice Department was really laying out a case of how bad this department is and they did that to tell the department you need to come to the table and reform.

JOHNS: Six top Ferguson officials have resigned in the wake of the damning report, including the police chief and the city manager, but that has not been enough to quiet the powder keg atmosphere in Ferguson.

HOLDER: Seeing this attack last night really kind of turned my stomach because I thought we had begun to see really important signs of progress.

JOHNS: Holder said last Friday the federal government will dismantle the Ferguson Police Department if necessary.

HOLDER: We are prepared to use all the power that we have, all the power that we have to ensure that the situation changes there. And that means everything from working with them to coming up with an entirely new structure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: Federal authorities are already assisting in the investigation of the shooting of the two officers overnight including agents from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, who are already on the scene -- Jake.

TAPPER: Joe Johns, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Another huge national story today, President Obama is reacting to yet another, another high profile embarrassment and claims of misconduct by the U.S. Secret Service. This now makes four major Secret Service scandals in three years. This time it is two top level agents, one of them second in

command of the president's security detail. These two are being accused of getting drunk at someone else's retirement party and crashing a government car into a White House barricade.

The White House says the president was disappointed to hear the allegations. I should hope so. The Department of Homeland Security is looking into the claims.

CNN's Michelle Kosinski joins me live from the White House. Michelle, what are you learning about any possible punishment of these two?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Jake, as these details keep coming out seemingly making the situation just worse and worse and worse, as more is learned by the day. These two agents have been moved into non-operational roles. It doesn't look like that's temporary, either.

So far, there has been no change for this supervisor or others who allegedly let the agents go home even though other officers at the scene wanted to do sobriety tests.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOSINSKI (voice-over): The newly appointed Secret Service director, Joe Clancy, has lots of explaining to do. Agent Mark Connolly is second in command, protecting the president here in Tucson and Ireland a few years ago. Another top agent, George Ogilvie is a supervisor, both now reassigned.

Their responsibility was to safeguard the first family, the White House, but on March 4th, returning in a government vehicle to the White House grounds, after allegedly drinking at a retirement party for the Secret Service spokesman about 2 miles away, law enforcement officials say the two came up on a barricade.

An active investigation by the Secret Service just outside the White House about a suspicious package, but with their lights flashing showing their badges officials say, they drove right through security tape and crashed into temporary barriers.

Yet there is more, officials says that while officers there wanted to test the agents and see if they were drunk, possibly even arrest them, a supervisor on duty prevented that from happening, ordering that the two top agents be allowed to go home. It took a week for this story to come to light. Congress has plenty of questions.

REPRESENTATIVE ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D), OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE, RANKING MEMBER: Crashing a crime scene while an investigation is going on, that's problem enough. But then a supervisor on the scene that says to the rank and file protective agents, look, don't give them a sobriety test, let them go home, that's just as bad. KOSINSKI: It was a long, ugly string of embarrassments in the Secret Service. The Cartagena prostitution scandal, officers drunk and sent home, one passed out in a hotel hallway in Amsterdam, the fence jumper that got inside the White House in September that lost the director her job.

Long time Secret Service Agent Joe Clancy was named permanently to that position less than a month ago. It raised questions as to why an outsider wasn't brought in, especially since one of the deep-rooted problems identified within the service was that officers didn't trust and respect their supervisors.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSINSKI: So the White House today says the president is disappointed, but still has full confidence in the new director of the Secret Service. But an administration official told us that even the White House still doesn't know what all happened that night -- Jake.

TAPPER: Michelle Kosinski live at the White House. I'm sure that if any of our viewers crashed into a White House barrier, they would be allowed to go home without a sobriety test. Michelle, thank you so much.

TAPPER: When we come back, Michael Brown's family speaking out about last night's shooting. My interview with their attorney coming up.

Plus, this city still very much on edge that tense atmosphere is sure to continue tonight. Are protesters already planning to be on the streets? We will talk to one of them ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper. We are once again live from Ferguson, Missouri. Tensions have been high in this community ever since last summer, when Michael Brown, an unarmed 18- year-old, was shot and killed by a white police officer.

While Brown's family has maintained their call for justice for their son, which they do not think they got, they were also quick to condemn last night's attack on two police officers here right behind me.

The Brown family releasing a statement saying quote, "We reject any kind of violence directed toward members of law enforcement. It cannot and will not be tolerated."

Joining me now live from Memphis is Daryl Parks, an attorney for the Brown family. Mr. Parks, good to see you as always. I know that Michael Brown's parents oppose this kind of violence. Do they also think that it hurts their cause?

DARYL PARKS, CO-COUNSEL, MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY: Without question, Jake, it hurts their cause and the cause of so many others who have joined with them. When you have this type of violence that's unexplainable and random, obviously we are still trying to learn the source.

But you hate to see officers get hurt who are doing their duty, who are out there for the safety of all of us for this to happen. It totally undermines all the things that they continue to work for and as you know, since Michael's death on August 9th, they have really been at the forefront of calling for calm and trying to bring a greater awareness that every life matters, especially black life.

So we don't need these types of setbacks. If anything, it distracts from the message when we have these types of shootings. We are grateful that the officers are improving. We pray for them and are glad they are doing better.

TAPPER: This community obviously has been on edge for months, if not longer. Given what happened last night, do you think it might be a good idea to put any protests, peaceful protests, put them on hold even just for a few nights over safety concerns?

PARKS: No, I don't think that's a good idea. I think in our country, we have allowed protesters' voices to be heard in very extreme situations. There is no reason ever that anyone's voices should be calm for any reason. I feel strongly about that, especially when they are just protesting.

I think things can certainly happen to make the situation safer. For example, I hope although I'm not in St. Louis right now, but I was there last week, right in the area when protesters are present would do a lot to make the area safer.

I think that the authorities there should be able to do some things that will ensure the safety of all and that the protesters should be heard. I think that for one thing we have seen from this movement is that people having a lot they want to say and they should be allowed to say it.

I believe that the authorities and the powers that be should be able to maintain safe situations in doing so. They have the authority, they have the equipment. They have the resources. But the protesters are -- it's a constitutional right. That's something that's above all.

TAPPER: The protests followed the resignation of the chief of police here in Ferguson. What was the Brown family's response to his resignation?

PARKS: Well, you know, that decision was his decision. The Brown family has continued to ask for systematic change at the core of the Ferguson Police Department. The things that we saw within that report last week went to the core of that department and obviously, change was need, is need, and continued change should come in the future. So those things are happening, they're the right things to happen given the severity of what happened.

TAPPER: Daryl Parks, thank you so much. Appreciate it. When we come back, looking ahead to this evening. What are protesters planning? What are the police planning? How are the protesters expecting the police to respond? We'll talk to one organizer of the protest, who witnessed last night's shooting next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper once again live in Ferguson, Missouri, the scene of our National Lead today. It's a community demanding change as you know after months of violence, months of racial tension.

Just minutes ago we learned that St. Louis police and the State Highway Patrol will take over security for Ferguson going forward. People here have been protesting daily for some today is the 216th day of straight protesting since the deadly shooting of Michael Brown back last August.

We saw outrage when the officer responsible, Darren Wilson, was cleared by a grand jury of any wrongdoing. Just last week, of course, the Department of justice report slamming the Ferguson police and local municipality for repeated discrimination against African- Americans.

People across the country have joined in solidarity with protesters in Ferguson. Joining me now to discuss where they go from here, the protesters, is Kayla Reed with the Organization for Black Struggle. Kayla, thank you so much for joining me.

In a couple hours, protesters are going to meet and decide whether or not to protest this evening?

KAYLA REED, ORGANIZATION FOR BLACK STRUGGLE: Yes, so the most important thing is the safety of the protesters. We are meeting to organize what tonight will look like, if we are coming out because we know tensions are high within the police department after the incident that occurred last night. We want to make sure people are safe.

TAPPER: I know there's a lot of anger towards the police, but obviously these two individuals who were shot, thankfully they're OK, the protesters feel the need to express concern for them or any thoughts or prayers for them?

REED: We fight for preservation of life as a protesting community. We are not anti-police. We are pro-accountability. We want officers who have misconduct on their records to be held accountable for their actions. We want no one to be harmed during this process.

TAPPER: Would it make any sense just to take a night off just because it obviously got so potentially deadly? It's been 216 days and thankfully, no one else has died since Michael Brown, since that horrible incident.

REED: Six more people were killed by police since Michael Brown.

TAPPER: I'm talking about specifically related to the Ferguson protests. Your point is well taken. You know what I mean. These protests have gotten very heated at times. We are all thankful there hasn't been any other loss of life. Would it be a good idea just to take a night off? Given what happened? REED: Again, the meeting is to look at those options, to see what is best for the protesters because we want people to stay safe and be able to practice our constitutional right in an atmosphere that won't provoke any violence upon them.

TAPPER: Seven people have been fired or resigned from leadership here in Ferguson, including the chief of police yesterday. What more do the protesters want? Obviously there are greater ideas and institutional change but more specifically, do you want the Ferguson Police Department disbanded?

REED: Absolutely. With that, we also want the resignation of the mayor in Ferguson and we need to look at what happened in August and September with the National Guard coming into the city and citizens with tear gas and being shot at and people who made those decisions to be held accountable.

TAPPER: Kayla Reed, thank you so much. Praying for peace as always. That's for THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper live from Ferguson, Missouri.