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UNICEF: Nearly 2/3 of Ukrainian Children Have Been Displaced by War; Independent Autopsy: Patrick Lyoya Shot in Back of His Head; Florida Governor Proposes Congressional Map that Expands GOP's Grip on State. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired April 19, 2022 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
DR. JOHNATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: This is no seasonal virus. Seasonal virus doesn't kill the people who care -- for people who are admitted to the hospital with it.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Dr. Jonathan Reiner, Kim Wehle, thank you both.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: So today, Russia firing on a factory where dozens of children are sheltering in the basement. What's happening to the Ukrainian children? That's next.
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[15:35:00]
CAMEROTA: The international organization Save the Children says the more than 400,000 children who are still in Ukraine are now living in a conflict zone. UNICEF estimates that two-thirds of Ukrainian children have fled their homes and been displaced by this war.
Joining us now from Lviv is a global media manager for Save the Children, Emily Wight. Emily, thank you so much for being here. Just to put a final point on those numbers. That means that five million children are displaced from their homes. They've had to flee. Two million have fled to other countries. You have been sharing some of the photos with us and their stories about what that's been like for these kids.
And I want to start with this picture. This is a distribution center and the street kids and their parents -- these kids are seven, six and three. They made it to northern Romania. That's where they are here after 15 hours in the cold. I mean, just look at these conditions and they made it to one of the distribution centers with the clothes on their backs. And so, Emily, how do they find these distribution centers and what do they get there?
EMILY WIGHT, GLOBAL MEDIA MANAGER, SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL: Hi, well thank you for having me. Families like this are arriving still constantly across the border and on some reception centers across Ukraine as well. And what Save the Children is doing when we're there is providing them with food, warm clothes, blankets. Still very cold here. It snowed here yesterday in Lviv. You know, things like diapers for children, hygiene items. And then what we're now doing is really doing our part to support local authorities and authorities in the neighboring countries with things like child protection. Making sure that children are protected.
We have seen unaccompanied children turning up on their own. I mean, can you imagine, a child walking or traveling by bus on their own across the country at war. You know, you just can't think about it. Some children as young as, you know, eight, nine years old showing signs of distress. So yeah, you gave those figures. Two-thirds of the children of Ukraine have now been displaced. And actually, the latest U.N. figures also show that there have been more than 400 children killed and injured as well. It got to be a huge underestimate.
CAMEROTA: Yes, absolutely. And so, I want to talk about those children that you're saying are showing up who are unaccompanied some eight and nine years old. We don't know if their parents have been killed, I assume, unless you do know. And what happens to them if their parents have been killed?
WIGHT: Well, the situation is quite complex. And I think it depends. Some will inevitably have lost family tragically. Some have had their families just send them on their way because to them they think that their child will be safer traveling away from the country and away from aerial bombardment and staying and having the horrific risk of grave physical harm. So, it really just depends. And actually, a lot of children are trying to get to other families members who are in other -- either other parts of Ukraine or other countries. So, one thing that Save the Children is doing is working with other agency and authorities to try and support these children to get to where they need to get to in a safe way. And also make sure that the child protection and safe procedures are in place.
CAMEROTA: Yes. We're just looking at these pictures right now and you'd think that you're looking at maybe a nursery room -- classroom. But in fact, these are the safe centers that have been set up. Some of these are in train stations. These are just sort of way stations where kids get to be kids again for a little while. And I know that they're getting toys. I mean, part of what you're handing out at the distribution centers are toy, warm socks for them. And the kids, you know, we see them drawing with crayons and magic markers. I know these kids are traumatized obviously. Whether or not they have the language to talk about that. What do the counselors say they are drawing? What are the things the kids are saying to them?
WIGHT: Well, I mean, that is a very good question. My colleague on the Romanian border the other day told me that one child, an 8-year-old boy in a child friendly space like the one you're showing, he drew a picture of a tank mowing down two women and a house on fire behind him. You think, if you ask a child to draw a picture, they will draw the most sort of visceral thing that comes to their head. The thing they immediately think of and the thought that an 8-year-old boy that's the thing he immediately thinks of is just -- it's just shocking.
[15:40:00] And that's just one child out of millions who are now caught up in this war who have fled their home and seen some unimaginable things that no child should have to see or experience. But you know, you imagine that these places, these child friendly spaces are is a place for children. And you're absolutely right, there a place for children to be children again. Just a brief respite from what they've been through. And also, for mothers to rest as well and just to sort of recharge before they go on the next step of their journey.
CAMEROTA: Yes, and so many don't know where they're going after that. Emily Wight, thank you so much and thank you for the work that Save the Children does there and around the world.
WIGHT: Thank you very much.
BLACKWELL: There's new disturbing details in the fatal shooting of the unarmed black man during a traffic stop. The family's attorney says that the autopsy indicates he was shot in the back of the head. More on that, next.
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BLACKWELL: There are some disturbing new details coming out today about the death of Patrick Lyoya. He's the unarmed black man who was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan earlier this month.
CAMEROTA: Attorneys for his family say an independent autopsy shows the 26-year-old was shot in the back of his head. CNN Jason Carroll joins us now. Jason, what have you learned?
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Again, this was an autopsy, as you know, that was commissioned by the family's attorney. The autopsy results from the medical examiner are still pending and will not be made available until the Michigan State Police completes its investigation. But as for this autopsy, Patrick Lyoya's family says it basically confirms what they have been saying all along about the shooting.
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BEN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR PATRICK LYOYA'S FAMILY: Today, based on scientific evidence, we can confirm that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of his head. That is now scientific evidence of this tragic killing and what his family believes was an execution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Even before the results were released, Ben Crump, the family's attorney, who we just heard from there, called the shooting an unjustifiable use of deadly force. Questioning whether the office's life was in enough jeopardy do draw his gun. The incident happened on April 4th. A grand rapids police officer had pulled Lyoya's car over for having improper registration. The officer's body cam picked up some of what happened next.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay in the car. Get in the car. Dude, I'm stopping you. Do you have a license?
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CARROLL: There was a short chase. There was a struggle for the officer's taser. The officer's body cam turns off sometime during the struggle. Police say that was unintentional. A passenger who just happened to be in Lyoya's car used a cell phone to record the final moment.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let go of the taser.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many cars you got going?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the taser.
(GUN SHOT)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Lyoya was a 26-year-old Congolese refugee. Crump says there may have been some sort of a language barrier and that Lyoya was confused by the encounter. They want the officer prosecuted and fired. Police are urging for people to wait for the outcome of their investigation. The officer will not be identified publicly by police unless there are criminal charges. That officer is on paid leave. His police powers have been suspended.
And we've seen the protests that have happened out there in the interim. But again, waiting for more video to come in. That's expected to come in from police officials maybe by this Friday.
CAMEROTA: OK, keep us posted. Jason Carroll, thank you very much.
So, right now, Florida legislature is meeting on Governor DeSantis's proposed Congressional remapping. If approved, it would be major victory for Republicans. We're live in Tallahassee, next.
[15:50:00]
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CAMEROTA: Right now, in Florida, a special session is under way that could have an impact on this year's midterm elections. This is about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's proposed partisan redrawing of the state's congressional boundaries.
BLACKWELL: If approved, Republicans could pick up as many as four House seats this November. Dianne Gallagher is covering this for us. So, Dianne, what are the chances of this new map becoming law? DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, look, the
chances of it passing this week from a special session and then being signed by the Governor are pretty certain. Whether or not they will actually be enacted is probably up to the courts as many redistricting fights have ended up this year so far.
But what makes Florida unique is that the Republican controlled House actually passed their own set of maps, that The Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, vetoed and then he drew his own maps. And it's those maps that are considered right here. And in addition to the fact that you said it would net more Republican seats, what has frustrated members of the Democratic Party here in Florida, is that this would likely eliminate two of the four black Democratic member of Congress's seats, Val Demings and Al Lawson. And Ron DeSantis says he drew this as a race neutral map, relying on the federal constitution. But black Democrats here in Florida say that his idea of neutral is simply neutralizing the vote of black and brown Floridians.
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GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): It will, though, have a north Florida drawn in a race neutral manner. I mean, we are not going to have a 200-mile gerrymander that divvies up people based on the color of their skin. That is wrong. That is not the way we've governed in the state of Florida.
SHEVRIN JONES (D) FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: Race neutral is the same like someone saying, I don't see color when I want you to see color. I want you to know what black representation looks like. I want you to know what Hispanic representation looks like and why it's important. Everyone deserved to have a seat at the table. And race neutrality means nothing. What it is on the surface is Governor DeSantis continuation of his racist tactics that he's been on the last four years.
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GALLAGHER: And Democrats argue that this map does not meet the standard of the Florida constitution which requires the protection of minority districts or of course the Voting Rights Act -- Victor, Alisyn.
CAMEROTA: Dianne Gallagher, thank you very much for that reporting. OK, so in an attempt to disqualify Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green from running for re-election, will move forward.
[15:55:00]
BLACKWELL: A federal judge appointed by then President Obama cleared the way for the case against the Georgia Republican, brought by a coalition of liberal groups. Now, the groups claim that Green violated the Constitution's disqualification clause by aiding the January 6th insurrection. A hearing is scheduled for Friday.
CAMEROTA: We will obviously continue to follow that.
BLACKWELL: And "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts after a short break.
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