Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Police Raid Goes Wrong
Aired May 17, 2003 - 18:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Outrage tonight: In a Harlem neighborhood back here in the United States, in New York, over a police raid that turned deadly. A raid that should not have happened, say police. Here's CNN Jamie Colby on a raid gone wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police entered this Harlem high-rise just after 6 a.m. Friday with a warrant. A heavily armed team of officers, acting on a tip, headed to apartment 6F in search of an expected cache of drugs and firearms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The warrant was a no-knock warrant.
COLBY: Authorizing officers to enter the premises unannounced.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They apparently opened the door with a device that they use to open doors, and then a flash grenade was thrown into the middle of the apartment.
COLBY: Inside, 57-year-old Alberta Ferrell (ph) was getting dressed for her job as a city employee. She was in handcuffs before police realized they'd made a mistake. Police confirms Ferrell (ph) went into cardiac arrest, was transported to a Harlem hospital and died just over an hour later.
BERTHA WASHINGTON, NEIGHBOR: They got up around 10 after six, I heard a bang, and than the alarm went off.
COLBY: Bertha Washington was Ferrell's (ph) neighbor and close friend.
WASHINGTON: It hurts. Because she was like a sister. She's going to be deeply missed.
COLBY (on camera): Here in the building, where she lived for more than 20 years, she was knows as Miss Alberta, a neighbor who kept an eye on things. She was even a hall monitor.
WASHINGTON: If she would see that something not right, especially the kids, you know that's not right, you know, don't play in the hallways.
COLBY (voice-over): Police admit, they made a mistake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I also want to offer my apology. This is indeed a profound tragedy.
COLBY: A tragedy Sergeant Rob Gonzales says could have been avoided.
SGT. ROB GONZALES, LATINO OFCS ORGANIZATION: They had an inaccurate information from an unreliable source, which ultimately led in the death of this poor lady.
COLBY: Ferrell's (ph) friends, who say they will deeply missed her in church, are demanding an explanation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now she is dead. Sorry will not bring her back, all of these "sorry, we made a mistake" will not bring no one back.
COLBY: Cherishing the memories like this scarf, the friend left behind.
WASHINGTON: This is the scarf that I'll always remember. Oh, I'm going to miss her, I'm really going to miss her.
COLBY: Jamie Colby, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 17, 2003 - 18:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Outrage tonight: In a Harlem neighborhood back here in the United States, in New York, over a police raid that turned deadly. A raid that should not have happened, say police. Here's CNN Jamie Colby on a raid gone wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police entered this Harlem high-rise just after 6 a.m. Friday with a warrant. A heavily armed team of officers, acting on a tip, headed to apartment 6F in search of an expected cache of drugs and firearms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The warrant was a no-knock warrant.
COLBY: Authorizing officers to enter the premises unannounced.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They apparently opened the door with a device that they use to open doors, and then a flash grenade was thrown into the middle of the apartment.
COLBY: Inside, 57-year-old Alberta Ferrell (ph) was getting dressed for her job as a city employee. She was in handcuffs before police realized they'd made a mistake. Police confirms Ferrell (ph) went into cardiac arrest, was transported to a Harlem hospital and died just over an hour later.
BERTHA WASHINGTON, NEIGHBOR: They got up around 10 after six, I heard a bang, and than the alarm went off.
COLBY: Bertha Washington was Ferrell's (ph) neighbor and close friend.
WASHINGTON: It hurts. Because she was like a sister. She's going to be deeply missed.
COLBY (on camera): Here in the building, where she lived for more than 20 years, she was knows as Miss Alberta, a neighbor who kept an eye on things. She was even a hall monitor.
WASHINGTON: If she would see that something not right, especially the kids, you know that's not right, you know, don't play in the hallways.
COLBY (voice-over): Police admit, they made a mistake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I also want to offer my apology. This is indeed a profound tragedy.
COLBY: A tragedy Sergeant Rob Gonzales says could have been avoided.
SGT. ROB GONZALES, LATINO OFCS ORGANIZATION: They had an inaccurate information from an unreliable source, which ultimately led in the death of this poor lady.
COLBY: Ferrell's (ph) friends, who say they will deeply missed her in church, are demanding an explanation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now she is dead. Sorry will not bring her back, all of these "sorry, we made a mistake" will not bring no one back.
COLBY: Cherishing the memories like this scarf, the friend left behind.
WASHINGTON: This is the scarf that I'll always remember. Oh, I'm going to miss her, I'm really going to miss her.
COLBY: Jamie Colby, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
