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Shooter Stopped in LAX Rampage; Boston Celebrates Red Sox World Series Victory; Suspension of New York City Stop And Frisk Law Overturned; Singer Chris Brown Enters Rehab

Aired November 02, 2013 - 14:30   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Fredericka Whitfield. Here are the top stories we're following right now in the CNN Newsroom.

One TSA agent dead, two others hurt in a shooting at LAX. Now new information about the suspected gunman and a potential motive for the rampage.

A controversial NYPD program remains in place. Officers can stop and frisk anyone they think looks suspicious. But does the program unfairly target African-Americans?

And Chris Brown is in rehab, but not for drugs or alcohol. The singer is getting treatment for anger issues. Are celebs using rehab to avoid bigger legal problems? All that coming up.

A major investigation is under way at the Los Angeles international airport a day after a gunman burst in and killed a TSA officer. Here's what we know today. TSA administrator John Pistole is on his way to Los Angeles today. He is expected to meet with the family of killed TSA officer Gerardo Hernandez and others. Right now LAX is open but no flights are leaving from terminal three where the shooting happened yesterday. A tweet from the airport says people who left things in that terminal yesterday can now get them at the ticket counter.

We're also learning more about the suspected shooter, Paul Ciancia. According to a federal law enforcement official, he was carrying materials including an anti-TSA rant and a reference to a New World Order. Ciancia lived in Los Angeles, but he is from New Jersey. Police have been at his family's home in Pennsville, New Jersey. According to the police chief, the suspect sent text messages to his family yesterday, ranting about the government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF PATRICK GANNON, LOS ANGELES AIRPORT POLICE: Basically, the text message was just a message to the little brother, and the way it was written, they had some concern about it, and that's when they brought it to our attention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The chief says officers informed police in Los Angeles, but then it was too late.

From the moment the first shots rang out, it was chaos at LAX. CNN's Dan Simon reports on how it all happened and the personal stories of the people who had to run for their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be a major, major incident, working here at LAX.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Los Angeles international airport, 9:20 a.m. local time. The FBI says 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia enters terminal three, pulls a rifle from a bag and opens fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He proceeded up into the screening area where TSA screeners are, and continues shooting and went past the screeners back into the airport itself.

SIMON: At the security checkpoint, TSA officers who are not armed are shot. One, 39-year-old Gerardo Hernandez, is killed. He is the first TSA officer to die in the line of duty since the agency was established in 2001. Authorities say after shooting his way through this security checkpoint, Ciancia manages to make it all the way down this hallway. They say he is stopped by police in the food court area. Hundreds run for their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was complete panic. People were screaming, you know, I saw children crying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pure and utter mayhem. People were tripping over each other on the floor, bags everywhere, crying, screaming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody started, like, flying down the hallway. They were just, like, jumping over chairs, jumping over people. And we were kind of trapped at the terminal.

SIMON: Trapped with nowhere else to escape. Some passengers run onto the airport tarmac. Others use anything they can to protect themselves.

LINO LINARES, EYEWITNESS: The first shot just, like, caught us off guard. The second shots went in. And then I just grabbed luggage, and I started making walls and walls out of luggage. And then I could see the guy walking towards the escalator and he's just pointing down.

SIMON: After making it hundreds of feet into the terminal, the gunman is shot by police, multiple times in the chest and lives. Though the motive is still unclear, a federal law enforcement official says investigators found information on the suspect expressing anti-federal government sentiment and also anger at the TSA specifically. But what is clear, the gunman was intent on causing much more destruction. Authorities say he had additional ammunition.

MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI, LOS ANGELES: There were more than 100 more rounds that could have literally killed everybody in that terminal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Dan Simon reporting. The investigation still intensifying.

Meantime on the east coast, victory, a victory parade. Well, it's over now in Boston, but the pride is eternal. Today the city celebrated the Red Sox World Series win and Boston's resilience following the marathon bombings. Alexandra Field joining me now live from Boston. So Alexandra, what was it like for everyone to be in that crowd, including yourself?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, you put it the right way, eternal pride. You could see that expression filling the faces of people who filled these streets, just a tremendous celebration, a beautiful morning here in Boston. The streets were full of people. The people were filled with emotion.

It's been six months since the city was attacked during the Boston marathon, but today people lined these streets. They lined Boylston Street where the marathon finish line is because they had something to celebrate, World Series champions. A million fans came out for the big parade. They tell us that their safety was not the thing that they felt worried about this morning. They had a sense of security even in a big crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really didn't have that much of a concern. And I just knew, we're all -- there was so much excitement in the air. It couldn't have been any danger. It was too excited, too excited for danger. Too excited, right? Right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: A lot of excitement in the air, yes, but there were poignant moments, too. There were tributes to the people who survived in those attacks on marathon Monday. At one point red sox outfielder Jonny Gomes put the Sox statue right on the finish line. He took his cap off in a tribute to the victims who lost their lives and the people who survived in the attacks. We also saw some of the marathon survivors riding in the parade on Boston's iconic duck boats, just a moment that people in the city really won't forget, Fred.

WHITFIELD: A really great time. Thank you so much, Alexandra Field, for bringing that to us.

All right, tomorrow in another big city, tens of thousands of runners will be pounding the pavement in the annual New York City marathon. We'll have that a bit later on.

All right, we're headed back to L.A. Coming up next, you're going to hear from people who were in that terminal when the shooting started. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard a couple of popping noises, and I just turned to look. It just sounded like somebody banging on something. But there was a stampede of people coming my way, and I realized that something was very wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The investigation is ongoing into the shooting at Los Angeles International Airport. Officers say 23-year-old Paul Ciancia shot three TSA officers Friday, killing one of them. The shooting caused thousands of passengers inside terminal three at LAX to run for cover. Wolf Blitzer talked to some of the people who were there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": This incident apparently started with the shots fired. There are injuries. We've seen people evacuated, and we've seen people who have been injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard a couple of popping noises. And I just turned to look. It just sounded like somebody banging on something. But there was a stampede of people coming my way, and I realized that something was very wrong. At the beginning, it was complete panic. People were screaming. You know, I saw children crying. You know, I mean, people here are still very shaky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden I heard a shot, but it didn't really register until everybody started, like, flying down the hallway, and they were just, like, jumping over chairs, jumping over people, hiding. And we were kind of trapped at the end of the terminal.

It seemed like an eternity, but finally the security came, opened up the door, and we all piled out onto the tarmac and just kind of hid underneath the plane. It is probably the worst experience I've ever been in in my life. I mean, it was most terrifying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were telling us to run different directions. People ran into a bathroom to hide. And then they pulled us out to the sidewalk and said we were going to get bussed out, but then they pulled us back into the interpret terminal. And then we were told we were not allowed to leave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was actually in a very bad place. I was leaning against the wall right outside where the shots were fired. I only found that out after we were evacuated and we were standing probably 20 feet from a high-powered rifle, an AR-15 rifle on the ground with three clips nearby. And I saw a pair of black shoes and some people's shopping bags and other people's car carry-on luggage strewn about. Police were taking pictures of that rifle.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: The investigation is ongoing.

All right, he was known as the subway vigilante after he shot four black teenagers in 1984 on a New York subway. But now Bernhard Goetz is under arrest for allegedly selling drugs to a cop. Police say Goetz met a female undercover officer Friday and agreed to sell her marijuana for $30. He remains in custody. In the 1984 shooting, Goetz was acquitted but did serve nine months for illegal possession of a weapon.

All right, the controversial stop and frisk policy ongoing in New York City. Next, why a judge overturned a ruling, saying it was unconstitutional. But that doesn't stop the policy from carrying on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: New York's controversial stop-and-frisk program resumes despite a new court ruling this week. An appellate court overturned a federal court ruling this week saying that the policy was unconstitutional. It allowed the officers to stop and frisk people they believe are suspicious under this policy even if they committed no crime. Critics say officers unfairly target minorities.

Let's talk to Ellis Henican. He lives in New York and he is a columnist for "Newsday," and Michael Balboni. He is a former director of Homeland Security for New York State. Good to see you as well. So just so people aren't confused, we're talking about a federal court judge who said this policy is unconstitutional, but an appellate court said we have a problem with this judge. So essentially the stop-and- frisk policy continues in New York City, and that's would we're going to talk about right now, the future of it, how it is executed, et cetera.

So, Michael, you first. You know, you say it is -- we were in a post- 9/11 day, and so having this stop and frisk policy is necessary. Of course, critics are saying that unfairly African-Americans and Hispanics are profiled, are targeted the most. Why do you think this policy needs to continue to be in place in New York?

MICHAEL BALBONI, FORMER NY STATE HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: The criminal procedure law of New York state is very clear. It requires reasonable suspicion that an individual is either -- has committed, is committing, or will commit a misdemeanor or felony under New York state law. And that gives the officer the ability to inquire.

Now, what's happened is that this whole debate has been around the stop and frisk. But actually, that's not the law. The law is really to stop and inquire. If the officer believes that there's something on the person that could pose a threat, then they have the ability to frisk. Now, of course, that's the law. It's the law across the entire state, not just New York City. And the legislature has revisited and basically supported it throughout the years. How it is implemented, that's really the challenge for law enforcement officials.

WHITFIELD: OK, but when we talk particularly about a post-9/11 world, many folks would advocate that, OK, if it appears as though somebody is involved in some suspicious or potential terroristic activity, that that argument might apply. But many legal minds will say the majority of people who are being stopped and frisked, their activity, their quote, unquote, "suspicious activity" has nothing to do with terrorism.

BALBONI: Well, for the police department, it's always a challenge. And by the way, the New York City police department is one of the most diverse police departments in the world. So it has the building blocks to be able to develop the kind of relationship with the community.

And you know, the courts have always said about policing it, it has to evolve. It has to get better both in terms of equipment, tactics, and procedures. So that's what's going to be happening now.

We have a new election just in a couple of days. And it's going to give the new administration the opportunity to take another look at how this is implemented. But the law itself is pretty clear.

WHITFIELD: And it could go either way. The Republican contender Lhota is for this stop and frisk. The Democrat De Blasio is very much against it. Is there a way in which to determine or ascertain what the majority of New Yorkers are looking for?

BALBONI: I think, again, one side you have the argument that look at the statistics. Several years ago New York City had 2,300 murders a year. It's now one of the safest big cities in America, now the safest. That's one argument.

The other argument is, we just had LAX and the shooting there yesterday as well as the Navy yard shooting. If an officer found somebody who looked suspicious and had a bulge and went and intercepted them and talked to them, and maybe they could have stopped this. So the question is if you didn't use this, what would you replace it with?

WHITFIELD: OK, let me bring in Ellis Henican here. Ellis, the argument made, even Mayor Bloomberg has been arguing that the murder rate, the rate of other crimes has been lowered in large part is his argument and others because of the stop and frisk ruling. But then when you have others who are complaining that they are unfairly being targeted, how do you strike a balance here? What are you finding, Ellis?

ELLIS HENICAN, "NEWSDAY" COLUMNIST: This is a well-meaning police tactic that has lost its legitimacy, right? Every year hundreds of thousands of innocent people, most of them, you're right, young Hispanic and black males, are stopped. These are kids who are going to school and are going to their work and are out with their family. And they are put through a humiliating and unpleasant and frankly sometimes quite intimidating search by police.

And we know -- this is police statistics -- we know that 90 percent of those people are not doing anything wrong at all. The whole purpose of this really has nothing to do with terrorism. The idea was that it was about getting guns off of the street. One in 500 of these searches, Fred, has produced a gun. And you know what, the cost of it is just too high. It's produced huge amount of resentment and a gigantic number of New Yorkers at this point are saying, whoa, hold on a second. Even if the intention was good, the social costs of this thing are just too high.

WHITFIELD: So if only one in 500, as you say, results in someone being in possession of a gun, then why is this a policy that continues to be used? It doesn't seem like that is bringing the kinds of results that were intended from this policy. It would seem that the makers of this policy might be embarrassed that the numbers are as you reflect, Ellis.

HENICAN: Well, listen, there's no evidence, firm data, that actually says that it's working. On the other hand, you know what? It's popular. People -- and some people -- and Michael would be an example of this -- like the ideas of police sticking their hands in the pockets of young males on the street. Maybe once in a while you do get a bad guy off the street.

But in our society, we have to balance people's constitutional rights and the relationship of the police and the community. The cops are not an occupying army. This is the era of community policing. The police have to get along with the people out there. And sadly, this tactic has undermined that over many years of hundreds of thousands of innocent people being stopped. It's run out of gas. We've got to stop it.

WHITFIELD: All right, we're going to leave it there. Ellis Henican and Michael Balboni, thanks so much gentlemen, for your time. Appreciate it.

HENICAN: Good to be with you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: We're going to talk more straight ahead about an entertainer in legal trouble, singer Chris Brown. And guess what. As a result he has checked himself into rehab. Is that a PR strategy? We're going to dig a little deeper on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Singer Chris Brown was back in the headlines this week. The singer was accused of punching a man outside of a D.C. hotel. The altercation reportedly began after a man tried to get into a photo that was being taken of Brown and another person. Shortly after Brown was released on bail. He checked himself into rehab to seek insight into his behavior.

Joining me now, Howard Bragman, the vice chairman of Reputation.com. So Howard, you know, it seems to happen, does it not? We hear the word "rehab," and I think it's understandable when people hear drug, alcohol problem, rehab. But then if it's a sex scandal and there's rehab or bad behavior or anger management rehab, help us understand how that helps.

HOWARD BRAGMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, REPUTATION.COM: Well, I think rehab is a real and genuine thing that has helped many, many people. It's helped them with addictions. It's helped them, whether those be drugs, alcohol, sexual addictions.

WHITFIELD: And I think people understand that when you talk about the addictions.

BRAGMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: But now you talk about blowing a fuse, anger management, you know, perhaps some people describe your behavior as to be inappropriate. What happens with rehab? What does this mean for Chris Brown to get rehab for kind of blowing a fuse?

BRAGMAN: Well, I think it's clear and legitimate that Chris Brown has some psychological issues. This isn't the first time he's lost his temper. We've seen it after the Rihanna beating. We've seen it multiple times and numerous times. This is the most serious. This is the one that truly puts him in jeopardy of going to jail for four years.

And I think what's sad is the timing of this just breeds cynicism because there's real genuine help that can come to people, whatever their issues, from getting psychological help. But this one, I'm not buying, just like I doubt that you're buying, I doubt like most people are buying.

WHITFIELD: So it can be misplaced which really undermines, I guess, the benefits that come from rehab. And in your view, this might be more about a public relations strategy than it is real intervention? Is that what I'm hearing from you?

BRAGMAN: Well, you know, we don't know. I'm not part of this team. I don't know. He has a very good attorney in Mark Geragos. And I think Geragos sees the writing on the wall. And he says I want to get ahead of this. I want to show that my client understands he made a mistake, and he's trying to resolve this problem. And I'm not confident -- and frankly, I hope the judge doesn't buy it, revokes his probation.

I think this guy should spend some time behind bars and really, really look at what he did. From everything I've understood about the story of this young man, he tried to get in a picture, Chris made a homophobic slur, punched him in the face, broke his nose. I mean, that's animalistic behavior. That's unacceptable. And it's happened again and again. And Chris Brown needs to get this message finally.

WHITFIELD: It still might be potentially --

BRAGMAN: And rehab is not the answer.

WHITFIELD: And it still might potentially impact the probation for the assault case involving Rihanna. In your view, when something like this happens, bad things happen that involves a celebrity, do you feel as though they are not being treated just like anybody else would if they were to find themselves, you know, in the legal system, or do you believe, you know, he is being treated like everybody else in this case?

BRAGMAN: You know, I'm not a lawyer. I can tell you if he does not end up in jail for this, there's going to be a lot of unhappy people and it's going to be perceived as celebrity justice. So I think, you know, I can't tell you. Historically, I think people get away with a lot of things before they go to jail. I think it's time for this man to be put in jail.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. All right, Howard Bragman, thanks so much. Harsh, a lot of tough love. All right, Howard, appreciate it, your insight. Thank you.