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Tyre Nichols' Family Urges Peace As Arrest Video Releases Tonight; Israel: 8 Dead, 10 Injured After Shooting In Jerusalem; Audio, Video Of Attack On Paul Pelosi Released To Public. Aired 2- 2:30p ET

Aired January 27, 2023 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Hello everyone. I'm Alisyn Camerota. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. Victor is off today.

The family of Tyre Nichols is urging peace today when the body cam video of their son's beating is released to the public. Five ex- Memphis police officers now charged with second-degree murder and other major felonies. They've all been released on roughly a quarter- million-dollar bond each. This afternoon, Tyre Nichols' mother had this message for them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROWVAUGHN WELL, MOTHER OF TYRE NICHOLS: I just want to ask for prayer for my family and for this whole community. And I want to say to the five police officers that murdered my son, you also disgraced your own families when you did this. But you know what I'm going to pray for you and your families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Nichols was pulled over on January 7 allegedly for reckless driving. But this morning, the Memphis police chief says she does not see evidence of that yet. A warning now. This picture you're about to see is graphic. The chief also does not yet know what sparked this brutal beating of Nichols that followed the police chase and was caught on several cameras.

Nichols' mother tells CNN that she could not bear to watch the video, but she did see the aftermath of what her son looked like in the hospital. Nichols' stepfather described what he saw in the video and how Tyre had to be propped up at one point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RODNEY WELLS, TYRE NICHOLS' STEPFATHER: An officer walked over to him and said sit back up. I'm up. I'm out, you know, and while he's handcuffed so he had a popping back up and he's slumped over again. And they pop him back up again. But no one was rendering aid. I saw some fire department people come out there and they just walked around and nobody showed him the aid and they were supposed to be trained to first aid. By the time that --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: CNN senior crime and justice correspondent Shimon Prokupecz is in Memphis for us. So, Shimon, tell us what's happening on the ground right now.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Right. So, on the ground, basically, it's just a regular day here right now. Folks around, it's fairly a nice day here in Memphis, and it's just a regular course of business here in Downtown Memphis. But we're hearing a lot from community leaders and we're hearing -- obviously just heard from the family members of Tyre Nichols and the lawyer.

And significant in that, yes, they are happy. They are happy to see the district attorney move ahead with charges. And that they are happy with the way the police chief here has been handling this. But they are calling for more changes. And they are specifically calling for reform within the police department.

They say they need to disband -- get rid of this unit that these officers were part of called the Scorpion Unit. And they say, the lawyers, that they have evidence of other people who've had horrific interactions with the Scorpion Unit. And as a result of that, they are calling on the Memphis Police Department to disband this unit now.

We heard from the police chief this morning. In her first interview, our Don Lemon interviewed her, she explained how they are looking. They've been trying to figure out why the police in the first place even stopped Tyre Nichols. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CERELYN "CJ" DAVIS, CHIEF, MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: We've looked at cameras, we've looked at body-worn cameras. And even if something occurred prior to this stop, we've been unable to substantiate that at this time. Not --

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: So, you haven't been able to substantiate a reckless --

DAVIS: The reckless driving.

LEMON: The reckless driving at all?

DAVIS: No, we have not been able to substantiate the reckless driving.

LEMON: And that was while he was supposedly stopped?

DAVIS: We've taken a pretty extensive look to determine you know what that probable cause was, and we have not been able to substantiate that. It doesn't mean that something didn't happen --

LEMON: That the cameras --

DAVIS: But there's no proof.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PROKUPECZ: Right. And that's the big question. There is no proof of this claim that somehow Tyre Nichols was reckless to drive -- recklessly driving and that's why police pulled him over.

[14:05:00]

What we've been hearing from people here in the community about this Scorpion Unit and what we've heard about -- from the lawyers is that they take a pretty aggressive posture and that they're here to fight crime, to stop crime before it's committed. And certainly, for some of the community members, this has been an issue that they have raised previously according to Tyre Nichols' family. And that is why they are calling for this unit to now be disbanded.

The other thing that I think is important to point out in what everyone who has seen this video which we are all going to see later to -- this evening is that the way the police approached Tyre Nichols, how aggressive they were. And no one can understand why that is. Instead of de-escalating, they escalated. And now we know what happened, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Shimon, that press conference that we all just heard with Tyre Nichols' family was so gutting.

PROKUPECZ: I know.

CAMEROTA: I mean, just watching his parents, you know, have to speak to reporters while they're in the middle of all this grief. And his mother talked about how she felt learning that in the middle of this beating, he was calling out for her.

PROKUPECZ: Yes, a very reminiscent from what we know about George Floyd in what we saw that. That is something that has stayed with so many people also who have watched this video. From the police chief to other community leaders to the district attorney, other law enforcement officials who have seen this video, hearing him just yards -- feet from his mother's home, calling out for her. Listen to his mother talked about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROWVAUGHN WELLS: For a mother to know that their child was calling them in their knee and I wasn't there for him, do you how -- do you know how I feel right now? Because I wasn't there for my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PROKUPECZ: Yes, Alisyn. So, that is something like I said, has really resonated and has really stayed with everyone who has heard this tape, among many other things, obviously. And if -- obviously, by now, by all accounts, this city in the way they are trying to prepare the country for what they're about to see is very telling you just how horrific this entire situation was and how concerned they are for people in what they are about to see later tonight.

And as for the city, Alisyn, I think it's important to point out, you know, things here are calm. It's just the normal course of business here. Everything is open and people are going about their business. And the community and family members are all urging for peace for calm. And so that is the goal right now for everyone here. Certainly, we'll see what happens later on as some of the police here. We'll see if anything changes, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: We pray that it stays calm. Shimon Prokupecz, thank you.

Let's bring in Areva Martin. She's an attorney and a legal affairs commentator. And Bennie Cobb is a former Shelby County Sheriff's captain. Thank you both for being here.

Captain, I want to start with you because you know very well one of these ex-police officers who was involved in this beating. You have known Emmitt Martin since he was, I think nine or 10 years old. You were a coach on his youth basketball team and you were one of his mentors. And in the days after this happened, he came to see you, to talk to you and I think you told us that you've spent -- you spent like two hours with him. Can you -- I know that you said that he was very remorseful Why did he do this? Did he tell you why he did this?

BENNIE COBB, RETIRED CAPTAIN, SHELBY COUNTY POLICE OFFICE: Good afternoon. So, the answer to the question is absolutely not. He came in and -- (AUDIO GAP)

CAMEROTA: OK, we're going to go to Areva for a second because we're losing the captain's audio. For a second, Areva, will get back to him in a moment. Areva, what about what we were just talking about with Shimon, that press conference where Tyre's mom, has -- you know, talk to the microphone and talked about -- she won't see the video, of course, for her -- the sake of her own mental health. But she knows enough about what happened and she saw him in the hospital afterwards. And she knows that he was calling out her name. And it's just all so devastating.

AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY & LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: It is, Alisyn. It's just beyond belief. I'm a mother of a young African American man and I can't imagine the pain that she is going through. And I know lots of other people have been posting online that they won't watch this video. Some are calling it racial trauma porn. They're liking it to you know, just watching something for entertainment that is not entertainment. But the bigger question Alisyn, I have is, you and I and so many of us have been here before.

[14:10:01]

These stories are not new to what happened in that community, although unique to that community and unique to Mr. Nichols and his family, we've seen so many other unarmed African American men who die in police custody because of routine traffic stops. And no one should die because of a routine traffic stop. And we've had conversations about police reform. We thought after George Floyd, there was going to be wholesale changes to police departments. But yet we find ourselves back here again, grieving with the family, trying to make sense of how five -- in this case, five officers can be charged with murder.

And I heard one of the officers' attorneys yesterday, Alisyn, say that he didn't understand how he is being charged for murder. He didn't understand how this happened. And I'm just wondering, is he or those five officers that tone deaf, that they could all engage in the conduct that we are learning about this on that videotape and not realize that they were engaged in excessive force, that they were violating his constitutional rights? Something is terribly wrong with policing in this country.

CAMEROTA: And that is -- I mean, those are some of the questions that we're asking. It's incomprehensible. And we have the Captain back. Sorry for our technical problems, Captain. But that's the question. Why did he do this? What did it tell you -- Emmitt Martin tell you about that?

COBB: Well, first, let me start off with saying that is a because of father, grandfather and uncle because -- (AUDIO GAP)

CAMEROTA: Yes. I'm so sorry, everyone. I don't know why we keep losing his audio. We'll keep working on it.

Areva, one of the things that they were also talking about was this Scorpion Unit. And that's kind of -- I mean, now it feels like this unit of, frankly, sort of cowboys that -- I don't know. I mean, you know, we kept hearing the attorney saying that they were operating with impunity, but he's calling for them to be disbanded around the country. I don't know if that is going to happen. But certainly, police chiefs today are looking at some of these units.

MARTIN: Yes, that big question, Alisyn, about this unit, some have said it's been very effective that they've gotten violent criminals off the street, that they've gotten guns and drugs off the street but we are hearing this counter-narrative. This narrative that they have been using a level of force that's beyond that, which is allowed by that police department and allowed by the constitution. So, we're hearing two sides to whether this unit is effectively -- one either helping protect and serve in that Memphis community or if they are engaging in the kind of conduct that we are going to see in this video.

But I think, again, Alisyn, the bigger issue is, police don't solve crimes -- police don't stop crimes, they solve crimes, I should say. What we have refused to do in this country is really look at the systemic issues of crime and invest in those things that we know can prevent crime, such as education and mental health, and other things. So, we keep finding ourselves right back here asking the questions about how do we change policing, particularly when we know that so many of the individuals that die in the hands of police are young African American men.

I saw a statistic that the police killed more people in 2022 and -- than any recent decade and that 26 percent of those people killed by police who are African American, even though we only represent 13 percent of the population in this country. So, we not only have a crisis in policing, we have a crisis in the policing of African Americans in this country.

CAMEROTA: Yes, something is wrong. And we keep seeing it in this stark Technicolor. Areva Martin, thank you. Our apologies to Bennie Cobb.

All right, joining me now is Vickie Terry, the executive director of the NAACP in Memphis. Ms. Terry, thanks so much for being here. You know, Ben Crump just made this very compelling case for how this should be the blueprint.

VICKIE TERRY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NAACP MEMPHIS: Yes.

CAMEROTA: You know, we keep seeing this happen again, but this time is different and this should be the blueprint that these officers who had never this happened should be swiftly brought to justice or at least justice should be begun. And it shouldn't just be because these are black officers. What did you think about that press conference?

TERRY: I thought he did an awesome job. I was there. I was there with the family as well. And I agree totally with Attorney Crump that this should be the blueprint. This has happened too often here in the city of Memphis as well.

You know, being the executive director of the NAACP, I get lots of complaints about internal affairs not responding to their complaint about being harassed by the police. So, what we do -- need to do is have a reform you know, some sap -- sort of inaction between the internal affairs in the Memphis Police Department and other organizations as well when they receive these complaints. These complaints need to be off -- answered as quickly as possible.

[14:15:01]

CAMEROTA: And, Ms. Terry, did you know about this Scorpion unit in the Memphis Police Department before all of this? I mean, what was their reputation?

TERRY: Well, you know what? I had just recently heard about this Scorpion unit. There was an incident where they said someone was robbed at a hotel and the police, they said that they identified themselves as policemen. But I'm sure it wasn't the same people, but they said they had on some of the similar clothing that these, you know, offices were wearing that same night.

CAMEROTA: And --

TERRY: But this really was my first time, really.

CAMEROTA: Yes, it's your first time really hearing about them. I just can't tell if they were effective --

TERRY: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Or if they were a force that was kind of lawless.

TERRY: Yes. It would seem like that to me. But you know, it is very disheartening, you know, just to even think that the police would do anything like this.

CAMEROTA: Yes. So, what's your plan tonight, Ms. Terry, for the community when this video comes out?

TERRY: Well, you know what? I even went back this morning. And I tried to review the Rodney King video so that I could kind of prepare myself for this because they said that this is worse than the Rodney King video. And in the process, I look back.

And 50 years ago, there was an incident that happened right here in Memphis, Tennessee, a young teenager, Elton Hayes, he was also stopped -- traffic stop. He was beaten to death by the Memphis Police Department. And that was over 50 years ago. And those officers did not -- they were not charged, well, maybe they would charge but they were not prosecuted. So, this is going to make a difference right here.

And I am a little worried about what might happen tonight after viewing the video, but I really just would like to encourage our community to please do a peaceful protest. If you're going to do it, be peaceful about it. And I encouraged them to do a peaceful protest because I don't want things to keep going as they have in the past.

You know, we said we're going to change, we're going to do this, we're going to do that but nothing seems to happen. But I want to make sure that this time, as I told Miss Wells at the press conference, I said, you know, I am a mother. And as a mother, I stand with you. You're not alone. And I promise to do anything that I can to help this family get justice for Tyre.

CAMEROTA: Vickie Terry, thank you for being here.

TERRY: Thank you so much for having me.

CAMEROTA: We have some breaking news just into CNN. Israeli officials report that eight people are dead and several injured in a shooting in Jerusalem. So, let's get right to CNN's Hadas Gold. Hadas, what are you learning?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Alisyn, we're learning that this shooting actually took place at a synagogue in northern Jerusalem in a neighborhood called Neve Yaakov. Israeli policing that around 8:15 is when the shooting began. I should also note it's Shabbat. It's the Sabbath here, so many people would be at the synagogue praying on a Friday night. So, the shooting began around 8:15. All we know so far is that eight were dead, there several more injured in critical condition. This is a quickly developing situation, obviously.

But this shooting comes at what has been an incredibly violent and tense 36 hours or so for this region. So, while it's definitely a shock that this is happening, and such an attack is happening on a synagogue, the air has been tense here, I can say, for 36 hours or so after a deadly Israeli military raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank yesterday. That killed at least nine Palestinians. And while militants were among those killed, at least one civilian a woman in her 60s was killed in that ensuing firefight. There were sort of a cascading amount of events that happened after that, including in the evening rockets that were fired from Gaza into Israel by militants. Israel responding with airstrikes in Gaza. And now tonight, we're getting this, this shooting attack.

And I have to say, Alisyn, this is the biggest attack targeting Israelis in recent years, definitely in Jerusalem. I'm thinking back to 2008 when eight students were shot and killed. So, this is reaching quite big proportions. And this is a big question for this brand-new Israeli Government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was just reelected. He has the most right-wing government in Israeli history. There will be a big question to them about how they will respond to this. Because there will be a response but the question is, what will that response look like under this new government and under Benjamin Netanyahu?

CAMEROTA: OK. Hadas, thank you very much for helping us understand that breaking news.

All right. Now, to another police body cam video that has just been released. This is the video of the gruesome attack on Paul Pelosi. We can now show you the terrifying moments inside the former House speaker's home. So, that's next.

Also, Republican National Committee members are deciding at this hour on a leader as the current chair, Ronna McDaniel, fights for her political life.

[14:20:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: The San Francisco court just released the audio and video recording from the attack on Paul Pelosi in October, the husband of the former House Speaker. The body cam video shows the moment that the attacker strikes Paul Pelosi with the hammer just moments after police responded to the Pelosi home. Paul Pelosi was asleep in bed when the suspect broke in. And we warn you this video is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you sure this one?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 2629?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, 2640.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, just let me send that.

PAUL PELOSI, HUSBAND OF FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: Hi, guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. How are you doing?

PELOSI: How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's going on, man? DAVID DEPAPE, ACCUSED OF ATTACKING PAUL PELOSI: Everything's good.

PELOSI: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the hammer.

DEPAPE: No.

PELOSI: Hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is going on around here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got him -- I got him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:25:16]

CAMEROTA: Now, before the attack, Paul Pelosi had called 911. And that audio was also just released. CNN's Veronica Miracle is live in San Francisco for us. So, tell us what you've learned.

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Alisyn, so many disturbing details now that we're finally seeing. And hearing exactly what played out that we heard about all of this in a motion detained. It is entirely different to watch it for yourself.

In an interview with investigators, David DePape walks through every single step of what he did and what his intent was. And it reveals that after he had woken Paul Pelosi up and they had a brief conversation about what he was there to do, which David DePape admits to wanting to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage, Paul is able to get into the bathroom. And that's where he's able to make a 911 call in which he's trying to convey to the dispatcher that something is wrong without the kind of giving it away. So, take a listen for yourself.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

PELOSI: I guess I don't understand what to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is San Francisco police. Do you need help?

PELOSI: Oh, what are the gentlemen here just waiting for my wife to come back? (INAUDIBLE) He's just waiting for her to come back because she's not going to be here for days so I just have to wait.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Do you need police, fire, or a medical for anything?

PELOSI: I don't think so. I don't think so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No?

PELOSI: There's the -- a -- is there Capitol police around?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. this is San Francisco --

PELOSI: Say that you just check my wife. They're usually here -- they're usually here at the house protecting my wife. (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, this is San Francisco police.

PELOSI: I -- no, I understand. And -- what do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

PELOSI: He thinks everything's good. I got a problem but he says everything is good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Call us back if you change your mind.

PELOSI: No. This gentleman just came into the house. And he wants to wait here for my wife to come home. And so -- anyway he told me to put my phone down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know -- do you know who the person is?

PELOSI: No, I don't know who he is. He has just been telling me -- he's telling me don't -- not -- he told me not to do anything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is your address, sir? What is your name?

PELOSI: My name is Paul Pelosi. Anyway, this gentleman says that (INAUDIBLE) you know. He is telling me to put the phone down and that to do what he says. OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What's the gentleman's name?

DEPAPE: I don't think it's happening.

PELOSI: Well, then?

DEPAPE: My name's David.

PELOSI: The name is David.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. And who is David?

PELOSI: I don't know. I'm -- what's that?

DEPAPE: I'm a friend of theirs.

PELOSI: Yes, I -- he says he's a friend, but as I said I don't --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But you don't -- you don't know who he is?

PELOSI: No. It's -- no, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

PELOSI: He is telling me I'm being there leaving, so I got to stop talking to you. OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Be you sure I can stay on the phone with you just to make sure everything's OK.

PELOSI: No, he want -- he wants me to get that off the phone. OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

PELOSI: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, bye.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MIRACLE: Alisyn, in an interview with investigators after his arrest, David DePape was asked why he hit Paul Pelosi with a hammer eventually, at the end of that, you know, encounter. And he said he didn't want to surrender and that he needed to go through him because he was there to fight evil. Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: The video is incredible, hearing that call to 911 and Paul Pelosi speaking in code and not knowing exactly if the police are coming or what to do, it's all just jaw-dropping. Veronica Miracle, thank you very much for the reporting.

Joining us now is Jesse Weber. He's an attorney and host at the Law & Crime Network. Oh my gosh, Jesse. I mean, first of all, that 911 call is astonishing. But then the video -- I just want to play this for everyone again because it has just been released. And this is the moment that police show up at the Pelosi home. They opened the door to a strange scene of Paul Pelosi in his pajamas basically, and a strange man next to him and they're both holding a hammer. So, let me just play this moment.

Oh, we don't have it but we're going to -- we're going to work on reracking that. That is incredible.