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Pittsburgh Bridge Collapses on Day Biden Plans to Visit City; Funeral for Rookie NYPD Officer Killed in Ambush; Three Houston Police Officers Wounded in Shootout with Suspect. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired January 28, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:23]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Very good Friday morning to you. Quite a busy Friday. I'm Jim Sciutto.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. We begin this morning with breaking news.

A major bridge collapse in the city of Pittsburgh. Officials say there are no fatalities, thankfully, and three people were taken to the hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. This after the collapse which severed what's being described as a major artery in the city. Several vehicles crossing over that bridge at the time.

SCIUTTO: Notably this came hours before President Biden was expected to visit the city in part to discuss the nation's crumbling infrastructure and the key infrastructure legislation passed through Congress last year. How it can help avoid things like this going forward.

CNN's Jean Casarez has been following this story this morning.

So, Jean, when we look at the pictures earlier --

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Jim and Bianna. Here is what we know is the latest. There were actually three to four vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed. And authorities are saying that it could have been much, much worse, but school was actually detained two hours today because of the weather. But one of those was a public bus that was on that bridge when the entire bridge collapsed.

Now, there were 10 injuries, they are saying, and it is amazing that they are minor. Three were transported to area hospitals. And those were the three that were in the bus, they are saying. Actually some first responders were injured. But we want to let you listen to a lady that lives in the area, she is in Pittsburgh, and she heard the bridge as it collapsed. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WENDY STROH, HEARD BRIDGE COLLAPSE: It's very frightening. My goodness, all these ambulances and fire trucks and whatnot, just the thought of the bridge collapsing is a very scary prospect. I cross that bridge all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And just describe that sound that it made again.

STROH: But it wasn't one noise, it was persistent. The police officer down the road, I did ask him and he said that was the sound of the gas. The infrastructure in Pittsburgh is known to be poor with bridges. Happens to be happening at the same time President Biden was arriving today to talk about infrastructure, which is an amazing coincidence.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: Now what officials are saying is that actually to help get to these people they had to form what they called a daisy chain, linked together to get to them in the very snowy and icy conditions as you can see right there. We can confirm also that there was a gas leak in the area, that has been taken care of. People's Gas tells CNN that the distribution line was on the bridge, it was actually under the roadway, it goes under the bridge.

There was no evidence, they say, of a gas explosion at all prior to the bridge collapse. But I think the headline here is no fatalities because when you look at these pictures, and you see that bridge collapse, and it is just hours away from when our President Biden is coming to the area, it is really a miracle -- Jim.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. I mean, talk about an SOS in terms of infrastructure reform needed desperately in that city.

And, Jim, just looking at that bus teetering on the bridge.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Once again this just a reminder of how fortunate and miraculous it is that there weren't any fatalities that we know of at least yet from this collapse.

I want to bring in Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman who's joining us by phone. He lives nearby.

And Lieutenant Governor, you were on CNN earlier this hour, you were standing not too far away from this collapse. You said that you --

LT. GOV. JOHN FETTERMAN (D), PENNSYLVANIA: I'm standing at the precipice of the bridge collapse, yes. That's where I'm at now.

GOLODRYGA: So, describe for us, I mean, we're showing more video and photos, but clearly I would imagine it's even more stark and startling in person. Describe for us what you see and we should note to viewers that this is a bridge you say that you have traveled over thousands of times.

FETTERMAN: Correct, yes. It's a major artery here in the Pittsburgh area, into really large and vibrant neighborhoods like Squirrel Hill. And the bridge collapsed on both ends of the span. And it came down into Frick Park, which is Pittsburgh's largest park below. And it is just surreal to see a bridge that you've driven over countless times collapse down.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

FETTERMAN: So it's quite a dramatic scene for certain.

SCIUTTO: Lieutenant Governor, Jim Sciutto here. Were there any concerns about this bridge prior to it and do we know if this is one of the many thousands of pieces of infrastructure around the country that is due or was due to get funding under the infrastructure bill?

[09:05:10]

FETTERMAN: Yes, I heard from the local councilman and the mayor's office this bridge was I believe inspected last year. And, but, I mean, Pittsburgh is the city of bridges. That's one of our nicknames. So there's, of course, you know, tons of bridges in and around Pittsburgh that are going to, you know, need to be checked and from an infrastructure perspective, again, it can't be overstated the president's visit to talk about infrastructure when we have this situation here.

And as you said, right now there is no fatalities. And let's just hope that there isn't anyone that was perhaps on the walking trail below the bridge when it collapsed. That's the way it stands right now.

GOLODRYGA: And really miraculous that there are no fatalities that we know of yet. One of the reasons is because of weather delays had kept schools closed for a couple of hours.

FETTERMAN: Yes. There is a two-hour delay for Pittsburgh public schools, and, of course, the traffic would have been much more pronounced if it weren't for that case, absolutely.

SCIUTTO: Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, thanks so much for taking the time this morning. We know you got a lot on your plate. Our thoughts with you and the folks in the neighborhood this morning.

FETTERMAN: OK. Thank you, Thank you. OK. Bye-bye.

SCIUTTO: Well, as we mentioned, President Biden scheduled to visit Pittsburgh today notably as it happens to talk about infrastructure. The mayor of Pittsburgh asked about that visit a short time ago. Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: This bridge collapse happened on the day that the president is headed here to talk about infrastructure. I mean, what does that say about some of the improvements that need to be done?

MAYOR ED GAINEY (D), PITTSBURGH: We need it. You know, I said it before. This bipartisan infrastructure law is critical to southwest Pennsylvania in the city of Pittsburgh. We know we have bridges that we need to take care of. We're finding out when the last inspection was and everything. But with him coming today to talk about this infrastructure bill, to discuss why this funding is so important, today is significant of that. You know, at the end of the day, we could have had some serious injuries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just two years ago --

GAINEY: This is right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just two years that we had Route 30 collapse just a couple of years ago.

GAINEY: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another major artery.

GAINEY: So at the end of the day this is critical that we get this funding.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: CNN's Jeremy Diamond, he's at the White House this morning.

So, Jeremy, president's plans still in place? And I wonder will he plan to visit the site of this collapse?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, not clear if he will visit the site of the bridge collapse. But the president is indeed going forward with his plans to visit Pittsburgh today. He has been briefed on the bridge collapse. Let me read you a statement from the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. She says that the president has been told of the bridge collapse in Pittsburgh, she says our team is in touch with state and local officials on the ground as they continue to gather information about the cause of the collapse.

The president is grateful to the first responders who rushed to assist the drivers who were on the bridge at the time. The president will proceed with the trip planned for today and will stay in touch with officials on the ground about additional assistance we can provide.

And as you just heard from local officials there, the president's not only set to visit Pittsburgh as this bridge collapse happened, but he was also set to talk about infrastructure, talk about that bipartisan infrastructure law and what it can do for Pittsburgh and other cities like it in America. There is going to be renewed emphasis and renewed focus on that part of his remarks today.

Pennsylvania is set to receive about $1.63 billion over the next five years just to repair bridges over the next five years as part of that bipartisan infrastructure law funding and that's because Pennsylvania as a whole has the second most bridges listed in poor condition, that's over 3,000 bridges. We don't know whether this is one of those bridges and officials in Pennsylvania have yet to do the work of identifying which bridges will receive parts of that $1.63 billion in funding. But clearly added importance and emphasis to the president's remarks

today on infrastructure, particularly as it relates to bridges in that state, and particularly in the city of Pittsburgh.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And as we heard, this is not first, it's actually the second bridge collapse that they've seen in Pittsburgh the last two years. Of course we'll be following the president and his comments later today.

Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much.

Well, this weekend, a winter storm is expected to slam the northeast with heavy snow and hurricane force winds. The nor'easter could dump up to two feet of snow on some cities such as Boston.

Meteorologist Chad Myers joins us now. And Chad, the winter threat stretches a huge swath of the country, from the southeast coast of the U.S. to New England. Thankfully this is happening during the weekend and not during the busy week, but what's the latest that we're hearing?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the watches and the advisories that we have down to the south, they're really for today, and then the rest kick in for tonight. And even blizzard warnings are in effect for more than 4,000 people right along the coast where that heavy snow will be. It'll be snowing in Hampton Roads, the tide water of Virginia.

[09:10:04]

Blizzard conditions along the coast, all the way from Maine, all the way down even toward Delaware. And for the Delmarva to see this much snow really hasn't happened in a long time. We call this the bomb cyclone. The bomb is part of the low pressure and how quickly that low pressure is going down, like a rapidly intensifying hurricane, although this warm water here is about five or six degrees warmer than it should be, it wouldn't support a hurricane.

But with the cold air being above it, that's what is creating this intense area of low pressure, the pressure itself will be equal to a category 2 hurricane when it is just south of Nova Scotia. There is the low pressure, there is the snow getting pushed back on to the shore. Very little sleet with this because the storm is at least for now just far enough out to make all snow and no really freezing rain mixing in.

It's gone by Sunday. But this is not a storm to get stuck in. I mean, mass turnpike, 95, they all could look like Virginia looked two weeks ago if you don't stay off the roads. Snow will be coming down at two to three inches per hour. And unless you got a plow going by every hour, you're not going to get that cleared away and you're going to be stuck in this.

This is a day and a weekend to just stay inside, let the crews do their thing because there is a number back here that I really have to talk about, but a little scary, some of the models, 36 inches of snow around Boston.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Bomb cyclone, Chad Myers, thanks very much.

Another major story we are watching this hour at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, thousands of people gathered to say farewell to NYPD Officer Jason Rivera, just 22 years old, killed in the line of duty. His widow and the mayor expected to speak. We will listen to that when it happens. These are live pictures from inside the cathedral now.

GOLODRYGA: And we're also following fast moving developments on the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. ambassador to Moscow saying that threat is still real and imminent. But the Russian Foreign minister claims this morning they don't want a war.

I'll speak to a congresswoman who says the free world must unite to stop Putin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:16:36]

GOLODRYGA: Right now we are watching live pictures of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City as thousands gather to pay their respects and say good-bye to NYPD Officer Jason Rivera. The 22-year-old rookie killed while trying to protect the city he loved so much.

SCIUTTO: Rivera and his partner Wilbert Mora were fatally shot during a domestic disturbance call in Harlem one week ago today.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is outside St. Patrick's Cathedral this morning.

This officer, young, hadn't been on the force long, but he clearly touched so many lives in that short time. Tell us who we're going to hear from today.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Yes, just over a year on the job, so young, 22 years old. You can hear some of the service being piped throughout out here on to the streets of 5th Avenue outside the cathedral. That's because there are thousands and thousands of police officers out here, waiting to say good-bye.

What will happen here is after the services, his coffin will be brought down the stairs here outside those brass doors, and then a procession will begin down 5th Avenue. About 20 blocks or so where many of the officers here, the thousands and thousands of them will get their opportunities to say good-bye. Expected to speak shortly will be the mayor, for his eulogy, it will be the mayor, the police commissioner and then his wife, his wife of only three months.

She has described him as being high school sweethearts. We have heard from her in posts on Instagram, but she has not spoken out. She's been emotional on Instagram, calling her angel, saying that he was her high school sweetheart and we will hear from her for the first time. Abd certainly that is going to be an emotional moment. She will be the last person to speak. His brother is expected to speak as well.

And the commanding officer of the 32nd Precinct. And then we will of course also hear from the mayor. But it's certainly going to be an emotional morning here, as this stretches into the afternoon, with the procession and the families and there will be that moment when his coffin, which is now flagged, which is draped with the American flag, will be handed to his wife and to his family and then the procession down 5th Avenue will begin where these thousands and thousands of officers were now gathered here will be able to say good-bye.

SCIUTTO: Incredible show of force there from around the country. Shimon Prokupecz, thanks so much.

Turning now to Texas where another attack on police led to an hours long standoff there with a man suspected of shooting three Houston officers in the line of duty. Surveillance video captured just the intense moments after the suspect crashed a car, and then traded gunfire with police. You'll want to watch this, but be aware. It is difficult.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Unbelievable. After this rapid exchange of fire, the suspect barricaded himself in a home for hours before surrendering. He is now in the hospital with an apparent gunshot wound to the neck.

CNN correspondent Rosa Flores is in Houston.

Rosa, it is miraculous that these police officers somehow survived this shooting. What more do we know about the gun that was used?

[09:20:09]

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that's a very good question, Bianna, because we have very preliminary information about the gun. But anyone who listens to that video that you just showed is definitely raising questions about it. What we know from police is that law enforcement on the scene, who listened, who witnessed that gunfire, they described it as a fully automatic weapon.

We asked police about this. And they say that they can't confirm this because all of this is under investigation, but, again, it is law enforcement, experts in this arena who say that to them that's what that sounded like.

Now the police chief did address the firepower that was used in this particular exchange. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What went through your mind when you saw that firepower against your cops?

CHIEF TROY FINNER, HOUSTON POLICE: Just how dangerous it is out here for the police officers and also general citizens, and we got to get really intentional on addressing that. Everybody. Everybody in the criminal justice system and even citizens. When you seeing some that you think is modified or a gun, call somebody and let us know.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, I want to take you through this video very quickly so you understand exactly what happened. These officers were responding to a scene and this suspect immediately went on the run in a vehicle. In that dramatic video, what you see is the suspect crashing, opening his door, and then firing at police officers. That fire exchange that we were talking about, he was later barricaded for hours.

And Bianna and Jim, I should add that police say that when this man barricaded into this home, there is, quote, "people inside the home," according to police, those individuals ran out of their house and the suspect barricaded himself in that house for hours. Later, of course, turning himself in.

We have got video of that, him turning himself in to authorities. The good news here is that these police officers are OK -- Bianna, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Seeing that exchange of fire, it's amazing they're OK.

Rosa Flores, thanks so much.

Joining us now CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey, he's also former Philadelphia police commissioner and Washington, D.C. police chief.

Commissioner, good to have you on this morning. You look at the numbers there, definitely an uptick, 71, 73, rather, officers died in felonious killings in 2021 up from 46 the year before, 48 the year before that. What do you see as behind this? Is this part of a broader national increase in violent crime, in gun crime?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I think it is just the national trend in general. It's very unfortunate and certainly something of great concern to see the number of police officers being injured and killed in the line of duty. But when you look nationally, there has been a serious uptick in violent crime across the country. And obviously police who are the ones that go after the individuals who are committing those crimes, and so the odds of having a higher number of officers being injured would pretty much fall in line with that, unfortunately.

GOLODRYGA: And Commissioner, what's notable is that in both cases, in the New York City shooting that killed two New York City police officers, and in Houston, officers were responding to domestic disturbance calls.

RAMSEY: Right.

GOLODRYGA: About 8.5 percent of shooting deaths of police officers nationwide last year relate to domestic disturbance calls. Why are they so dangerous?

RAMSEY: Well, they are some of the most dangerous calls that you can respond to. And when you think about it, you know, when you go into these calls, someone has called the police on -- oftentimes a family member. Emotions are already running very, very high. And now you're stepping right into the middle of it.

And so there is normally some conflict and that's where de-escalation really comes in, trying to calm things down. But, of course, that's not always successful. Sometimes, you know, enough has happened where the emotions are so high, there is a weapon involved, and you wind up with police officers unfortunately being right in the middle and oftentimes sometimes getting shot or seriously injured as a result of that.

SCIUTTO: When I speak to cops on the beat, they bring up a couple of things. One, they talk about repeat offenders ending up back on the street, often very quickly, as soon as they pick them up. But they also talk about the prevalence of guns. That there's just a pipeline of guns and particularly when you look at the guns used in these New York cop killings, right, I mean, it was a high capacity magazine off a Tommy gun and from your perspective, does any solution involve an approach from multiple angles, right?

RAMSEY: Well, as far as guns go, and gun laws go, don't look for anything to happen at that level. I mean, our Congress can't get out of its own way and I think after Sandy Hook we all learned that they're not going to do anything about guns at all.

[09:25:03]

If that didn't move the needle. I don't see anything else really moving it. The country is awash in guns. And the fact that you have individuals that aren't afraid to use the guns and when they are arrested in many instances very little happens to them unless it's a homicide or something like that. We've had some DA's including the one here in Philadelphia really has made statements that, you know, illegally carrying a gun doesn't seem to be a major offense.

And that's not true. I mean, who do you think is committing these crimes and doing the shootings? People carrying illegal guns. And so we have to really focus on that, but it takes more than police. Prosecutors, courts, everyone has to be involved.

GOLODRYGA: Thankfully especially after you saw video of that shootout, it is just incredible that those three officers in Houston survived.

RAMSEY: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: The Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said that they were in good spirits this morning. But he also said that we are, quote, "living in an inherently dangerous time," and he's speaking as a mayor of the fourth largest city in the country, and I would imagine that mayors across large cities throughout the country are feeling similarly.

What can be done to change the direction that we are headed in as a country? RAMSEY: Well, there is a great deal of concern on the part of mayors.

I'm an adviser to the U.S. Conference of Mayors and I was at a meeting just last week and that's one of the topics, violent crime, in many of the cities across America. And there is a great deal of concern about that. And, again, it's going to really take a comprehensive strategy and what I hear most often are more longer term solutions to the problem.

But you have to be able to deal with what's happening right now, in addition to working on some of the more longer term solutions dealing with some of the drivers of crime and so forth. But right now it seems like we're headed in the wrong direction and I'm afraid that 2022 could be even worse than 2021 when it comes to violent crime. At least it is starting off that way.

GOLODRYGA: Really frightening warning and once again I'm just reminded of the funeral taking place today and the service in New York City, Jim, as you mentioned earlier, just the show of solidarity and force of all those police officers gathering in New York, but in spirit, I would imagine, throughout the country.

Charles Ramsey, thank you as always.

RAMSEY: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, congressional lawmakers speak out as Russia warns there is no room for compromise on some of President Putin's demands.

Coming up, my colleague is going to speak live with Congresswoman Marcy Captor, next.

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