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CNN International: White Homeowner Charged in Shooting of Black Teen in U.S.; Ohio Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officers in Shooting; WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Expected to Appeal Detention; FBI: China Set Up Secret Police Operation in New York; Apple Opens First Store in India. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired April 18, 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 live from London. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You opened the door and then shoot the person on the other side, and it's a kid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell you there was a racial component to the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were using the police station to go out and harass dissidents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Chinese national police appear to have been using the station to track a U.S. resident on U.S. soil.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A retail push. This is the first physical store that has been launched in India. They're looking at making India a manufacturing powerhouse in the coming months and years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

FOSTER: Hello it is Tuesday, April the 18th 9:00 a.m. here in London, 3:00 a.m. in Kansas City, Missouri, where we're learning new details about the shooting of a Black teen who accidentally went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings and was shot twice by the homeowner

NOBILO: The 84-year-old gunmen, Andrew Lester, who was white, told the police that on the night of the shooting, he was quote scared for his life due to the teens size. He is now facing two felony counts. The prosecutor says that Lester could get a life sentence if convicted. FOSTER: The attorney also says there's a racial component to the case.

Meanwhile, teenager Ralph Yarl has now been released from the hospital and will recover at home. Our CNN's Lucy Kafanov has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZACHARY THOMPSON, CLAY COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: The defendant, Andrew D. Lester is charged with the class A felony assault in the first degree. The defendant is charged with armed criminal action.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two felony counts filed in the shooting of a Black teenager in Kansas City, Missouri, 16-year- old Ralph Yarl was struck on the left side of his head and his right arm after he went to the wrong home to pick up his younger brother's Thursday evening.

CROWD (chanting): Black Lives Matter.

KAFANOV (voice-over): He rang the doorbell at a residence just before 10 p.m. on 115th Street instead of 115th Terrace and, according to prosecutors, was shot through a glass door by Lester, an 84-year-old White man.

THOMPSON: As the prosecutor at Clay County, I can tell you there was a racial component to the case.

BENJAMIN CRUMP, FAMILY ATTORNEY: To have Black people rang the doorbell and then have a White citizen shoot him in the head first and then shoot him a second time. I mean, there is no way you can justify this.

KAFANOV (voice-over): A neighbor called 911 after Yarl showed up on her doorstep, bleeding but alert.

The suspect in the shooting was taken into custody just before midnight, placed on a 24-hour hold, then released less than two hours later. Police initially saying they were working to get a victim statement and additional forensic evidence before making a decision about referring the case for prosecution. Then today, they charged the gunmen and issued a warrant for his arrest.

THOMPSON: In Missouri, charges have to be filed within 24 hours of arrest or the defendant or suspect is released. In this case, it was clear that additional investigation needed to be done so that the case could be built on a solid foundation.

KAFANOV (voice-over): Yarl was hospitalized and released Sunday.

FAITH SPOONMORE, RALPH YARL'S AUNT: My nephew is alive and he is healing. It is not the story that that individual intended for us to tell.

KAFANOV (voice-over): Yarl's family says he's an honor student, a leader in the marching band at his high school and hopes to attend Texas A&M University, to study chemical engineering when he graduates high school. While protesters pray, march and demand justice, Yarl's family also asks for hope and healing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a lot to be thankful for. That right there is a lot of hate. There's right here is a lot of love.

KAFANOV: The prosecuting attorney said there was no evidence that Ralph Yarl ever crossed the threshold into the home behind me. He also said no words were apparently exchanged and that Andrew Lester shot the teenager through a glass door with a 32-caliber revolver. Although the teenager is lucky to have survived the shooting, relatives say that life is understandably going to look a lot different now.

[04:05:00]

The physical recovery is just one aspect. There's also the emotional and mental trauma.

Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Kansas City, Missouri.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: A 20-year-old woman is dead after she made a wrong turn in upstate New York and was shot. It happened on Saturday in the town of Hebron, near the Vermont border. The county sheriff says the victim accidentally drove her car into the wrong driveway while looking for a friend's house.

FOSTER: 65-year-old Kevin Monahan has been charged with second degree murder. The victim has been identified as Kaylin Gillis. A GoFundMe page has been set up to pay for her funeral and her expenses.

Now in Akron Ohio, where a grand jury has been -- has declined rather to bring charges against eight police officers in the shooting death of Jayland Walker who fired nearly 100 shots at him after traffic stop in June of last year. Police say he fired at them first.

NOBILO: The Congresswoman who represents Akron is calling for Justice Department investigation and the family's attorney blasted the grand jury's decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY DICELLO, WALKER FAMILY ATTORNEY: The notion that a single gunshot could have resulted or should have resulted in 96 bullets flying at my client, 46 of which striking him, as something fair and reasonable is absolutely beyond the pale and, frankly, a terrifying example of an abusive police power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Walker's family is calling for peaceful protests in the days ahead and the city of Akron is getting ready. CNN's Miguel Marquez is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is Main Street. This is hot South High Street in downtown Akron. This is the Justice Center here where all of the courts are. The road here is blocked off. The city is really bracing, not really sure what to expect. There have been some protests throughout the city. A few people down here so far, but not very much. Let me show you some of the barricades around the entire Justice Center as well down here. They -- police did make one arrest earlier in the evening.

All of this over this case that the Attorney General himself called a horrible tragedy, but that's not what those nine jurors on the grand jury were deciding. It was three men, six women, two of the jurors were Black. They need seven votes from those jurors to charge the eight officers in this instance. And they did not get charges on any of them.

What has made this such a sensitive case here is the race and the age of Mr. Walker. But also, the fact that he was shot 46 times during the shooting, dozens and dozens of shots were fired. Some of them did not hit him. But he was hit 46 times. He was cuffed after he was shot, which his lawyer said just added to the to the frustration in the misery.

The family now of Mr. Walker says that they still want justice for their son. They intend to file a civil lawsuit this summer. The city is bracing to see whatever comes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: CNN's Miguel Marquez reporting there from Akron, Ohio.

This case has been controversial since the shooting last June. CNN's Randi Kaye has details and warning that some of the video is graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OFFICER: Getting on to Eighth South of Talmadge.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): June 27th last year, police in Akron, Ohio are in pursuit of Jayland Walker after they say he fled a traffic stop and fired his gun at them from his car.

OFFICER: Don't [bleep] move.

KAYE (voice over): There are eight officers in pursuit.

OFFICER: Don't move --

KAYE (voice over): The car chase soon turned into a foot chase. Moments after the foot chase began, the officers opened fire killing 25-year-old Jayland Walker in a blaze of bullets.

OFFICER: Ceasefire. Ceasefire. Ceasefire.

OFFICER: So, he's still breathing.

OFFICER: He's not coming or what?

OFFICER: Is he still breathing?

OFFICER: No. I can't tell.

KAYE (voice over): An autopsy showed Walker sustained 46 gunshot wounds in under seven seconds according to Ohio's Assistant Attorney General, that includes entry and exit wounds. The Medical Examiner had found 15 wounds on Walker's torso, where he had internal injuries to his heart, lungs, liver, and spleen. Another 17 wounds to his pelvis and upper legs, another to his face, which resulted in a broken jaw. Walker who did not have a criminal record died at the scene.

The Bodycam video includes what one officer described as a gunshot coming from Walker's vehicle.

OFFICER: Shots fired. That vehicle just had a shot come out of his door.

CHIEF STEPHEN MYLETT, CITY OF AKRON POLICE: A half a mile from the location of the traffic stop, you hear the gunshot, that changes the whole nature of the traffic stop. It went from being a routine traffic stop, to now a public safety issue.

KAYE (voice over): Police also provided still photos from traffic cameras, as what they said was evidence of a shot fired from Walker's car prior to the foot chase and fatal shooting.

The shell casing from that shot was recovered on an entrance ramp officials say, and ballistics matched it to the weapon in Walker's vehicle.

[04:10:00]

Still, the family's attorney said Walker's car didn't have any bullet holes.

BOBBY DICELLO, JAYLAND WALKER FAMILY ATTORNEY: We had no such threats to these officers, not one time. You can't find one frame of film where my client's gun is pointed at any officer ever.

KAYE (voice over): According to the Police Chief, officers said Walker was wearing a ski mask and reached for his waistband just before they shot him. A gun was later found in Walker's car, but he was unarmed at the time he was killed.

JUDI HILL, PRESIDENT, AKRON, OHIO NAACP PRESIDENT: He was outgunned and he was contained in an area. Please help us understand why for any reason anyone would have to be shot that many times by that many officers.

KAYE (voice over): Seven of the eight officers involved in the shooting are White, one is Black. Following the shooting, the officers were placed on administrative leave pending investigation. They were later reinstated but did not respond to service calls. The Akron Police Union defended the officers' action in a statement last year saying: The decision to deploy lethal force as well as the number of shots fired is consistent with use of force protocols and officers' training.

Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Police in Alabama say the number of people injured at a teenager's birthday party over the weekend has increased to 32. Four People were killed after gunfire erupted at the party on Saturday. Authorities are asking the public for help identifying the suspect and urging patients as they pursue new leads.

NOBILO: Among the victims was the birthday girl's brother Philstavious Dowdell. He was a high school football player preparing for college later this year. His sister described their last moments together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXIS DOWDELL, BROTHER KILLED IN PARTY SHOOTING: All I remember is my brother grabbed me and pushing me down to the ground. While they shooting and I had to pick my brother and I turned them over and I was telling him I was like you fives like you're going to make it. You strong. I was like you. You're strong. Don't give up on me. And the ambulance people had arrived and I asked them could they come check my brother's pulse and they checked and they just said he was gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Police have released the names of all four people killed in the shooting. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. has already experienced 164 mass shootings this year alone.

There are less than eight hours from the deadline for parties to submit filings to the U.S. Supreme Court over the abortion pill. Drugmaker Danco Laboratories as well as the U.S. Justice Department asked the nation's top court to step in and review a lower court ban on the medication.

FOSTER: Justice Samuel Alito temporarily extended access to the drug until midnight Eastern time on Wednesday, but that move is no indication of how the court might rule on the emergency appeal. And the U.S. president has called the proposed ban outrageous.

NOBILO: In about one hour from now, the jailed "Wall Street Journal: reporter Evan Gershkovich, will be appealing his detention in Russia likely via video link. But the court is expected to uphold the decision to keep him in custody until at least May the 29th.

FOSTER: On Monday, Gershkovich was arrested -- or was granted rather -- consular visit for the first time since he was detained on espionage allegations more than two weeks ago.

NOBILO: For more on this story, we're joined now by Clare Sebastian. Clare, what do we expect to happen today?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think it's sort of a formality, honestly. We know that, as you said, he's in pre-trial detention until May 29th. It's possible that the terms of that could be discussed. Unlikely to get to the heart of the case, which is obviously espionage is what has been formally accused of. That carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

As you know, the U.S. has classified him as wrongly detained, which means that they are making it clear they believe the charges are politically motivated. And now working, they say on trying to get him out. The Russian authorities have, of course, said that you know this needs to play out in the courts before any kind of measure like a prisoner swap could be discussed.

He was visited by the U.S. ambassador herself on Monday, 19 days after he was first arrested. She said that he's in good spirits. He seems to be strong. But still obviously an immense strain to be in Lefortovo Prison, which is a notorious prison in Moscow.

So, you know, we don't know if he's going to appear in person. He could appear by video link, but we should see some sign of him today.

NOBILO: And the Russian invasion continues to rage in Ukraine, as does the Russian propaganda war machine. We've had new video of Vladimir Putin visiting Ukraine. Can we extrapolate anything from it about how he feels the invasion is going?

SEBASTIAN: So, this is the second time that we've seen him, you know, purportedly turning up in one of these illegally occupied regions. He turned up in Mariupol, you remember in mid-March. Now he is apparently in has been in the Kherson region. You can see from these videos pretty tightly shot, the little difficult to identify exactly where he is.

FOSTER: You sound cynical, Clare.

SEBASTIAN: There is I mean, you sort of have to be with this kind of video is coming on the Kremlin website, state media things like that.

[04:15:00]

He -- there's one shot what we have been able to identify a road sign for a city called Henichesk, which is in the Kherson Region, but just across the border from Crimea. It's about a half hour drive from the border. He's visiting troops there, so obviously close to where we know Russia has, you know a lot of military stronghold in Crimea.

So, look, this is one way for him to the domestic audience to show the sort of formality of having, you know, annexed these regions to formalize that status. And to sort of bank a victory, right? Henichesk is a part of Kherson that Russia has occupied since the beginning of the war pretty much. So, in the absence of major new victories, this in the lead up to Victory Day in Russia is something that he can sort of bring home to the people. NOBILO: And I also wonder if it's trying to make a statement. Given

that conscription is now nearly impossible to escape in Russia and has been digitalized. And we know that there's pressure against that from mothers and wives of men have been sent to war that he is going to war or at least purportedly doing that.

SEBASTIAN: Yes, I think that's part of it.

NOBILO: Clare Sebastian, thank you so much.

The FBI has arrested two men in New York, accused of operating an undeclared police station on behalf of the Chinese government. Prosecutors say the station in the Chinatown neighborhood was used to monitor and intimidate Chinese dissidents in the U.S. One of the suspects told the FBI, he opened the office as an overseas service center to help Chinese nationals renewed government documents.

FOSTER: U.S. Officials have charged 40 officers from China's national police. And the Justice Department says all but one of the defendants live in China and remain at large. CNN's Evan Perez has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The FBI arrested two U.S. citizens for allegedly acting as Chinese government agents by operating an illegal Chinese police station in New York's Chinatown neighborhood. The arrests are part of a sweeping set of charges against more than 40 people that federal prosecutors say we're part of a vast spy operation that targeted dissidents with physical threats and online harassment.

Now the two men arrested appeared before a judge Monday in Brooklyn and were released on bond and ordered to stay away from any contact with Chinese consulates.

Also, among those charged were a group of alleged Chinese security agents who ran an operation to disrupt Zoom calls held by dissidents. Among them was an employee of Zoom based in China, who the FBI alleges worked with other Chinese government agents to disrupt Zoom meetings where anyone said disparaging things about the Chinese government. And that includes any mention of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests.

Now the police station in Chinatown was one of several that the Chinese operated in the U.S. and around the world. It has now been shut down. Chinese agents allegedly threatened dissidents to return to China.

Charges were also filed against a group of Chinese agents who allegedly used social media accounts to promote the government's propaganda. In some cases, they posed as Americans. The FBI says to criticize the U.S. government.

Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NOBILO: And just into CNN on this very story, China's foreign ministry has dismissed these reports as political manipulation in a regular news briefing on Tuesday.

And China's economic growth is off to a strong start in 2023. Fresh numbers from Beijing show its GDP rose 4.5 percent in the first quarter. China is trying to claw its way back after a slowdown caused by strict COVID lockdowns. Analysts say production is now back to pre- pandemic levels, but demand for goods is still weak.

FOSTER: And today is the final day for most Americans have filed their taxes this year. More than 168 million individual tax returns are expected to be submitted. The government is extending the deadline for taxpayers who live in areas that had severe storms or disaster declarations.

NOBILO: That is Apple CEO Tim Cook, inaugurating the company's first retail store in Mumbai. India. It marks a milestone for the tech giant in the world's second largest smartphone market. On top of that a second store is set to open in the capital of New Delhi on Thursday.

FOSTER: For more let's bring in CNN's Vedika Sud live in New Delhi. And this is part of a, you know, much bigger focus on the country for Apple, not just for retail but also for manufacturing.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Oh absolutely, spot on there. Max. It is because they've been looking at India for a while now, ever since they had a supply chain snag with China due to the COVID lockdowns. They've been looking to India for a while now to expand manufacturing production and export of Apple products from here.

And if the figures can speak for themselves, Max, 65 percent was the rise in manufacturing year on in India, and that's the latest figure we have for you.

[04:20:00]

Now, this is really important from two aspects, the retail aspect and the retail ambitions that Apple has in India and making it more of a manufacturing hub.

I very quickly let you know and let the viewers know, that up until now to the launch of this first store in India's financial hub Mumbai. Products to Indians were sold either through online ways or through third party sellers. So now this is the first-time people can actually go into a physical store of Apple, touch those products and make those decisions. Which is a big, big, huge step for Apple and for fans of Apple products here in India.

Now, as far as the manufacturing aspect is concerned, like I said, there have been so many snags -- supply snags with China. India is becoming a growing hub, especially after the Indian government eased some restrictions for Apple and in some of their laws. After which Apple is coming in a big way into India, and they're hoping to export more and more of Apple products from here. Now Tim Cook is in Mumbai. There is going to be a second store opening

in Delhi in two days from now. We're expecting him to be there as well. But there has been no confirmation from Apple on that yet. But this is a huge step in terms of Apple, the second largest smartphones manufacturer in the world, that they're taking here in India -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Vedika, thank you for joining us from New Delhi.

NOBILO: After a last-minute delay Dominion Voting Systems $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News is set to go to trial in a matter of hours. Details coming up.

FOSTER: Also ahead, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis isn't giving up his fight with Disney. We'll tell you his latest idea to get even with the entertainment giant.

NOBILO: Plus, the fighting in Sudan is now in its fourth day with fears the growing conflict could spread throughout the region.

FOSTER: Is it? Where is it going to go?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Both sides of the conflict in Sudan have agreed to a cease fire in principle. I'll tell you why its implementation might be tricky.

[04:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: For two full minutes last hour, much of Israel stopped what it was doing and stood in silent reverence as sirens rang out across the country to honor the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust.

NOBILO: It's part of the annual observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day that takes place in Israel and in many countries around the world.

FOSTER: Now the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has spoken by phone with the rival military leaders whose forces are battling for control of Sudan. He's urging end to the fighting now in its fourth day.

NOBILO: The U.N. reports at least 180 people have been killed and close to 2,000 injured, although the actual numbers are thought to be much higher than that. Both sides are accused of targeting hospitals, which are short on blood supplies and lifesaving equipment.

FOSTER: Let's get to CNN's Larry Madowo following developments and joins us live this hour from Nairobi, Kenya. Is there any sense of which side is getting the upper hand?

MADOWO: Max, Bianca, we just can't tell because both sides claimed to have territory that later the other side claims. Now we do have that, whether it's the presidential palace or the airport or the state television and radio authorities, so we just can't tell, and it's not safe enough for any of our reporters to be out on the streets to physically verify that. But a short while ago, we're now getting confirmation that both sides

in this conflict have agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire. This initially came out with in conversations with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but also a short while ago the General Burhan who leads the military, telling our CNN's Nima Elbagir that he did agree in principle to a 24-hour ceasefire by the trio. The trio here refers to the U.N., the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

So, they seem to quite disagree on when exactly this should start and how it'll be implemented. Because in the last ceasefire at temporary three-hour ceasefire Sunday organized by the U.N., both sides accused the other of violating it by attacking the others when they had taken apart. This is the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, explaining how this came together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This morning I made calls to generals, Burhan and Hemedti. Urging them to agree to a 24-hour ceasefire. To allow Sudanese to safely reunite with their families. And to obtain desperately needed relief supplies. If implemented successfully, a ceasefire for 24 hours can create a foundation to build upon for a more sustained halt to fighting and a return to negotiations on a durable end to the hostilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: We've seen some tweets from General Dagalo. He is better known as Hemedti, and he leaves the paramilitary rapid support forces that the other half of this conflict.

He said in English: Following a conversation with the U.S. Secretary of State and outreach by other friendly nations similarly calling for a temporary ceasefire. The RSF reaffirms its approval of a 24-hour armistice to ensure the safe passage of civilians and the evacuation of the wounded.

But then here is where the details are. Unfortunately, the Sudanese armed forces has failed to honor the ceasefire, bombing densely populated areas from the air and endangering civilian lives. These actions that are flagrant violations of the foundations and principles of international humanitarian law.

And he says there are waiting discussions with U.S. Secretary of State about how exactly this would play out. So that's the problem that's going to come up even if they do agree to start at six p.m., like General Burhan is telling CNN, will both sides hold fire and will they hold fire across the nation so people can get their supplies.

FOSTER: Larry following things for us from Nairobi. Thank you so much.

NOBILO: Some famous faces from Fox News network could soon begin to file into a Delaware courtroom as Dominion Voting Systems $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network gets underway. FOSTER: Plus, House Republicans hold a hearing in New York City to

attack the district attorney prosecuting Donald Trump. Details on what they said and how Democrats have responded.

[04:30:00]