Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Five Officers Charged with Murder in Death of Tyre Nichols; Biden's Good Economic Report; Massive Missile Attacks in Ukraine; Israeli-Palestinian Violence Flaring; Targeting ISIS in Somalia. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired January 27, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world, I'm Bianca Nobilo.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Max Foster joining you from London. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When that tape comes out tomorrow, it's going to be horrific.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This evil is Russian aggression, can and should be stopped only with adequate weapons. The terrorist state will not understand anything else.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not sure -- I mean this sincerely -- the news couldn't have been any better. Economic growth is up, stronger than expert expected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

FOSTER: It is Friday, January 27th, 9 a.m. here in London, 3 a.m. in Memphis, Tennessee.

NOBILO: And that's where a vigil was held last night for 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. He died almost 3 weeks ago after a violent altercation with five Memphis police officers.

FOSTER: Tyre Nichols, being a lifelong skateboarder and last night's vigil was held at one of his favorite skate parks. His mother issued this caution about the graphic nature of the graphic nature of the police video that we are expecting to be made public later today. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROWVAUGHN WELLS, TYRE NICHOLS MOTHER: I'd like to say -- to thank each and every one of you for being here to support my son. Our family is grief stricken right now and this is very hard to swallow. I don't speak very well in front of people. I don't even like talking in front of people, but I just want to say this, when that tape comes out tomorrow, it's going to be horrific.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: All five officers who were involved were fired and on Thursday were indicted for second degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping among other charges.

FOSTER: The family's legal team warns that the police footage shows a brutal, non-stop beating that lasted three minutes. Law enforcement professionals who have seen it say they're appalled.

NOBILO: Authorities say Nichols was pulled over on January 7th for reckless driving, was pepper sprayed and then fled on foot. A warning now the image you're about to see is disturbing.

FOSTER: Prosecutors say that when police finally caught up to Nichols, that's when he suffered serious injuries. This is how he looked afterwards in the hospital. He died three days later.

NOBILO: Sources tell CNN that law enforcement agencies across the United States are bracing for protests and potential violence once that footage is released to the public. CNN's Sara Sidner has the latest from Memphis and a caution that some of the images in her report may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In Memphis, candles burn for a life snuffed out, the life of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols being remembered where friends say he felt the most free, a skate park.

Twelve years ago, Nichols seen here doing what he loved, 12 years later, he ended up dead. Officials say beaten by five men sworn to protect and serve.

STEVE MULROY, SHELBY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The grand jury returned indictments against all five with the same charges. While each of the five individuals played a different role in the incident in question, the actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols and they are all responsible.

SIDNER (voice over): Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, and Emmitt Martin III were all fired from the Memphis Police Department and now stand charged with seven crimes -- second degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.

And there is police bodycam and sky camera video showing it all, something police will soon release to the public. DAVID RAUSCH, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION DIRECTOR: I am aggrieved. Frankly, I'm shocked. I'm sickened by what I saw. What happened here does not at all reflect proper policing. This was wrong. This was criminal.

SIDNER (voice over): Attorneys for two of the former officers responded to the TBI's damning statement.

[04:05:00]

SIDNER: When you heard that, what did you think and have your clients heard all of the charges against them?

WILLIAM MASSEY, ATTORNEY FOR E EMMITT MARTIN, III: I thought, I wish I'd seen that video so I could evaluate what he said.

BLAKE BALLIN, ATTORNEY FOR DESMOND MILLS: To say to say things like that, when you have a tinderbox that we're all concerned about, I have questions about whether those were the right words to use. Whether this was the right timing and whether the government should be saying those things about people who are innocent until proven guilty, when you know that's going to be broadcast to potential jurors.

SIDNER (voice over): But Nichols' family wants people to know more about Tyre Nichols than how he died.

ROWVAUGHN WELLS, TYRE NICHOLS' MOTHER: Nobody is perfect, OK, nobody, but he was damn near. My son was a beautiful soul and he touched everyone.

SIDNER (voice over): Nichols' had his Mama's name tattooed on his arm. He wasn't just her beautiful boy. He was also a father who loved having fun.

His friend who knew him in Sacramento told a local a newspaper: He had such a free spirit and skating gave him his wings.

He worked at FedEx but had other dreams, photography.

In his own words he posted: People have a story to tell, why not capture it, instead of doing the norm and writing it down, I am speaking it.

It turns out what led to his death was captured on camera.

SIDNER: Bail has been set for the officers as high as $350,000. Some of them have already bailed out of jail.

Sara Sidner, CNN, Memphis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: The Shelby County district attorney spoke earlier with CNN's Erin Burnett about the police footage of the incident.

FOSTER: Erin asked if something had happened at the initial traffic stop that escalated into this violent confrontation. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE MULROY, SHELBY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I wish I could give a definitive answer to that. I don't think I do know. From the video that we have the officers were already highly charged up from the very beginning of the video in the first incident, the first altercation. And then it just escalated further from there.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: So, to that point when you're saying they were highly charged up from the beginning, I understand these officers were part of a so-called Scorpion Unit that tackles organized crime. Do you have any evidence at this point to suggest that when they pulled him over or perhaps a reason that they pulled him over or when they pulled him over, they found out -- I don't know which it could be if either -- that they knew who he was?

MULROY: We don't have any evidence to that effect right now.

BURNETT: No evidence to that effect. But you're saying they appeared this way from the very beginning of the video. One other question to you on the time line then, I know you've talked about that the injuries being sustained were in the second altercation. How much time passed generally, or do you know the specifics, between when the encounter started and that second altercation?

MULROY: It was only a few minutes. Mr. Nichols fled on foot, and then there was a 10 to 20 minute -- I forget the exact amount of time -- chase before they eventually found him and tackled him. And then the second incident occurred.

And I should just clarify with the video we have doesn't start from the very beginning of the altercation. It kind of cuts in as the first encounter is in progress. And so, that's what I mean when I say they were already highly charged. I think when anyone watches the video tomorrow night when it's released everyone will see what we mean.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy speaking with CNN earlier. And we'll have more on this story later on in this hour.

FOSTER: A new trading day gets underway in the U.S. in about five hours from now. Here's how the futures stand right now. The Nasdaq at potentially the lowest set point, 0 percent down. Meanwhile, the European markets up and running. A bit more positive here initially starting up, as was the case across Asia as those markets closed. A pretty positive day around the world.

NOBILO: Investors in the U.S. markets were bullied by positive economic news on Thursday. Stocks on Wall Street rose after the government reported the economy grew at a pace of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter. The number of Americans filing jobless claims continued to fall. The Dow gained .6 of a percent on the day. The Nasdaq surged finishing 1 3/4 percent higher. And the S&P 500 added more than 1 percent. FOSTER: President Biden is taking credit for the positive economic

report. And he's warning that the proposal being floated by MAGA Republicans in the House would cause chaos. CNN's Phil Mattingly reports from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: White House officials scheduled President Biden's travels Thursday to Virginia knowing they wanted to give a speech on the economy, a speech that would draw sharp economic contrast from the House Republicans who had just taken the majority.

[04:10:00]

But also knowing that pretty important economic data would be coming out the same day. Data they didn't know how it was going to land. Well, it landed and for their sake it landed quite well. Actually, quite perfectly timed for an economic speech.

Fourth quarter GDP coming in at 2.9 percent. Higher than most estimates had things. Unemployment numbers, unemployment claims coming in lower than the expectation was coming in by economists. Another point of good news. And when you talk to White House officials who have maintained that not only have, they had a rapid recovery from the post pandemic time line, but also a rather resilient economy up to this point. They've made clear they believe not only will that continue, but that it is one heck of a political message, one the president rolled out at their Virginia event. Take a listen.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Economic growth is up, stronger than expert expected at 2.9 percent we're going. Jobs -- Jobs are the highest in -- number in the highest in American history, and wages are up and they're growing faster than inflation. And I don't think it's unfair to say that this is all evidence that the Biden economic plan, because you all, is actually working.

MATTINGLY: Now there are still obvious concerns when it comes to the economy. Certain sectors of the economy, particularly on the technology side of things showing significant layoffs. But overall despite global fragility, despite no shortage of potential geopolitical issues, very real geopolitical issues, the U.S. economy has continued to grow. And has continued to create jobs and has continued to underscore to some degree what President Biden has laid out. That evidence he points to.

And but evidence will be rolled out day after day in the weeks ahead by the president himself. He'll be traveling, having multiple events, talking about the economy. And the days ahead all leading up to the State of the Union on February 7 where the economy, but contrast with Republicans and certainly the agenda that he's passed and will be implementing in the year ahead, will be a critical focus.

Also, probably a critical focus of another big announcement coming, reelection. Something officials say he could do as soon as next month.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: The U.S. Justice Department will have to decide whether to appoint yet another special counsel to investigate the mishandling of classified documents. This time once belonging to former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

FOSTER: His lawyer discovered about a dozen documents at Pence's home in Indiana last week -- which has since been turned over to the FBI. The review is underway into how they got there.

Pence has repeatedly said that he had no classified documents in his possession. He has not yet announced whether he plans to run for U.S. president in 2024 and that could be a factor in how his case is handled.

FOSTER: Meanwhile, Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted that he met with Republican house Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies on Thursday to make sure the platform is fair to both parties.

NOBILO: McCarthy, who just turned 58, wouldn't comment on what was just discussed other than to say Musk came by to wish him a happy birthday. The meeting comes ahead of a committee hearing focused on Twitter and how it handled a story about a laptop belonging to the U.S. president's son, Hunter Biden. House Republicans have accused social media giants of conservative censorship.

And in the coming hours, California authorities will release recordings related to the attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of the former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Materials to be released include 911 audio, police body camera footage and home surveillance video.

FOSTER: A coalition of news organizations, including CNN, went to court to secure the release of the recordings. Paul Pelosi was attacked at the couple's home in October by a man with a hammer. The suspect has pleaded not guilty to multiple state and federal charges.

NOBILO: Ukraine is pressing the West for more weapons despite a promise to get advanced tanks. Still ahead, we look at whether Russian strikes have bolstered his argument for more military muscle.

FOSTER: Plus, airstrikes from Israel rocking parts of Gaza on a deadly raid in the West Bank and fears of further violence are growing there.

NOBILO: Plus, the Pentagon announces a U.S. military operation targeting a senior ISIS in Somalia. We are life from Johannesburg with those details.

[04:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Ukraine making the case for more Western weapons following the latest barrage of Russian missile strikes. NOBILO: Kyiv says dozens of drones and missiles were fired at targets

across Ukraine on Thursday killing at least 11 people and leaving 11 others wounded. Ukraine says most of the missiles were shot down but dozens of buildings and power facilities still took heavy damage from the strikes.

FOSTER: The Russian attacks came hours after Western allies agreed to send their advanced tanks to Ukraine. Their response, the Kremlin now accuses the West of direct involvement in the war. But the Ukrainian president says Kyiv needs even more fire power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This evil, this Russian aggression can and should be stopped only with adequate weapons. The Federalist state will not understand anything else. Weapons on the battlefield, weapons that protect our skies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Salma Abdelaziz joins us now for more on these developments. Salma, we know that Zelenskyy is always pushing for as much procurement as he can get to try and bolster Ukraine's defenses. We're expecting this offensive in the spring, this renewed push from Russia. What are his procurement priorities now that he has the commitment on tanks.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now that he has this commitment on tanks, I think President Zelenskyy senses that the door has opened a little bit, that there is greater political will, that NATO is more confident in standing up against the Kremlin and less afraid of the consequences potentially as they were earlier in this war. When you heard threats as far as using nuclear weapons coming from Russia.

Everything is on the wish list. Actually, everything. From fighter jets to longer range missiles, to ammunition, everything is on President Zelenskyy's wish list. Why is that? Well, he has an army that a lot of times is dependent on Soviet era equipment. It's simply not up to the standards of NATO and he wants to modernize it. And he's facing a much larger fighting force in Russia. So while he can't have a quantitative advantage, what he can have is a qualitative advantage.

[04:20:04]

But these tanks heading to Ukraine, we have to remember, it's not a magic bullet here. Zelenskyy had requested some 300 tanks. He's going to get just over 100. And there's quite a long lag time here. You have Leopard 2 tanks coming from over a dozen countries. You have lot of logistical questions there. How are you going to get them there? How long is the training going to take? What is the compensation for these countries? How do they replenish their stock?

All of that now being handled in Berlin where German officials say we could see these tanks on the battlefield as early as March ahead of that counteroffensive. And President Zelenskyy has described these tanks potentially as the iron fist. The thing that will spearhead the ground offensive. And you have to remember this is absolutely an infantry war. It is about gaining inch by inch ground. That's why these tanks are so important. But for President Zelenskyy, this is just the beginning. He's already moved onto the next thing on the wish list. And for him to skies the limit. He's not going to stop asking.

FOSTER: And he gets what he wants generally. Salma, thank you.

Israel, meanwhile, unleashing new airstrikes on Gaza saying it targeted a rocket-making site belonging to Hamas. That after Gaza militants fired several missiles at Israel. And that was in response to a lethal raid by Israeli forces on a Jenin refugee camp that turned into a deadly day for Palestinians in the West Bank, one of the deadliest in more than a year.

NOBILO: Israel border police released this helmet video from the raid. An IDF spokesperson told CNN the military was responding to intelligence about an imminent attack and moved into to apprehend a quote, terror squad. CNN's Hadas Gold has been tracking all of this from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At least nine Palestinians were killed during an unusual daytime Israeli military raid in Jenin in the West Bank. The Israeli say they were targeting Islamist jihad militants there who they say were preparing for what they called an imminent attack.

But at least one civilian a woman in her 60s was killed during the firefights between the militants in the Israeli military. The deadliest single day for Palestinians in the West Bank in over a year and what's already been an incredibly violent and deadly period for both Palestinians and Israelis.

In response, militants in Gaza fired rockets into Israel. No reported injuries yet. In the Palestinian Authority leadership announced in a dramatic move that they are ceasing security cooperation with Israel.

NABIL ABU RUDINEH, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In light of the continuous hostilities on the sons of our people, and the complete disregard to the signed agreement, including the Security Agreement, we consider the security coordination with the government of occupying Israel as nonexistent starting now.

GOLD: It's not the first time the security coordination has been cut in 2020. The Palestinian Authority cut off coordination in response to Israeli plans to annex part of the West Bank, as part of former President Donald Trump's peace plan. But coordination resumed six months later when annexation came off the table.

It's not clear how long this cutoff will last, but the U.S. State Department is warning it's not the right step at this moment. A tense time in this region as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepares for a visit here in the coming days.

Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: The U.S. military has killed a senior ISIS leader and 10 members of the terror group in an operation in Somalia. The Biden administration says Bilal al-Sudani helped fund the network of ISIS affiliates around the world including in Afghanistan.

FOSTER: He was hit with sanctions in 2012 for training terrorists. Officials say the operation provided valuable information to the intelligence community. CNN's Dave McKenzie following things from Johannesburg. What do you think that information was -- David?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, what they're looking I'm sure to find is the details of an expanding network of influence of ISIS in Africa and the funding streams.

It is interesting and notable that this commando raid was obviously long planned, authorized by the president -- I am sure -- and executed on Thursday in a very northern part of Somalia. And, Max, this kind of intelligence would be extremely helpful to the U.S. which seems to be focusing some of their efforts, of course, in targeting ISIS in this continent and beyond when it comes to those financial links.

The last time I saw the name of Bilal al-Sudani, the terror leader who was killed, was in association with an alleged ISIS cell here in South Africa that the U.S. Treasury announced late last year in terms of funding for the terror group.

Now it is a name that hasn't been bandied about all that much but you look at the comment from the Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin saying: Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and funding the group's operations worldwide.

[04:25:00]

He went on to say that it will make the U.S. safer by targeting him. There were no casualties in the civilian population according to U.S. officials. One commander was injured by a service dog in that operation. But it speaks to this tactic, I think, of trying to squeeze ISIS where it hurts, where it is the money, follow the money as they say. And in this case, it seems they have successfully taken out at least one particularly important their mind, a financial go between it seems of the ISIS group here in Africa. And according to U.S. officials extending as far afield as Afghanistan -- Max, Bianca.

FOSTER: David in Johannesburg, thank you.

NOBILO: A Manhattan jury has convicted a man on all counts for the deadly terror attack on a New York bike path five years ago. Sayfullo Saipov a native of Uzbekistan was found guilty on all charges. Now a jury must decide whether to impose the death penalty.

FOSTER: Saipov stuck cyclists and pedestrians when he drove a rented truck into a Westside bike path in 2017 killing eight. Prosecutors say he was inspired by ISIS. It's New York City deadliest terror attack since 9/11.

Haiti's capital is reeling from violent protests in a string of recent police killings.

NOBILO: Protesters attacked the country's main airport and the Prime Minister's residence in Port-au-Prince on Thursday. At least 10 police officers have been killed by armed gangs just over the past week. Reuters reports the Prime Minister was flying back from Argentina and was stuck at the airport for a while before returning be to his home.

FOSTER: The killing of black motorist Tyre Nichols has already touched a nerve in parts of America. And the police video of the incident is said to be extremely graphic. Now that footage is set to be released to the public. Details coming up.

NOBILO: And as many communities across the U.S. preparing for protests and bracing for possible unrests. Details on that and much more coming up ahead.

FOSTER: And new testimony in the trial of a South Carolina man accused of murdering his wife and son. The first responders described a grisly scene to the court. That story when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)