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Erin Burnett Outfront
U.S. Embassy Warns of Imminent Attack Within 48 Hours; Massive Manhunt For Suspect Continues Across Europe; Trump: Meeting With Black Pastors Was Amazing. Aired 7-8:00p ET
Aired November 30, 2015 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:11] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Next breaking news, a U.S. Embassy warning of a terror attack in the next 48 hours. Officials calling the threat credible and imminent.
Plus, more breaking news, the Chicago police officer who shot a black teen 16 times is out of jail tonight. This as cries of a cover- up get louder.
And the alleged Planned Parenthood gunman in court today. New details on who he is, and a possible motive. Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening, I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news, a stark warning from a U.S. Embassy of an attack within 48 hours. Americans in Afghanistan told of an imminent attack. The threat called very significant and active. This comes as President Obama stands defiant against terror in Paris today, visiting the memorial outside of the Bataclan Theater where 89 people were killed in the terror attacks with French President Francois Hollande by his side.
Also today, the mystery deepening over the whereabouts of one of the world's most wanted man Salah Abdeslam. A source telling CNN that French officials believe Abdeslam has already made his way to Syria. And we're learning that the terrorists had even more elaborate plans for attacks. The attacks on Jewish sides transportation targets schools. A source telling CNN these attacks were, quote, "Ready to go." Chilling words.
Alexandra Field begins our coverage OUTFRONT in Brussels on the manhunt for the Paris suspect. I want to begin though with Jim Sciutto on the imminent attack. And Jim, what can you tell us about that?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I'll tell you this, Erin. U.S. officials are taking this very seriously, they say that it is creditable, imminent, timing within the next 48 hours and they are in effect keeping Americans in Kabul on alert for that 48-hour period. It is not specific, at least they have not said it is specific. They said they don't believe it targets the U.S. Embassy. They haven't said which particular targets or when this attack is expected to strike. We do know something about who is suspected to be behind it.
They say it's the Haqqani Network, this is a well-known terrorists network, it's tied to both the Taliban and Afghanistan as well as al-Qaeda, it's been guilty as some of the most horrific attacks in Afghanistan in recent months and in particular, this has been worrisome, they've been able to carry out attacks inside the capital as they have been able to move their power base closer to the capital in Kabul. I've been there before. Security is incredible but they've been able to break through that security. And one final point, Erin, it's believed to be that this attack or this attempted attack would be in part in competition with ISIS. ISIS grabbed the world's attention with those attacks in Paris and you have other groups, we saw this at the hotel attack in Mali just last week and now this attempted attack or planned attack in Kabul. These groups are competing for attention, they want to prove their relevance and they do it by attempting to carry out attacks like this -- Erin.
BURNETT: Pretty frightening. And it's exactly what some had feared that you would start to see this competitive rush which, of course, did happened in Mali. And in Paris, we're learning now about additional planned attacks. The main suspect is still on the run tonight.
Alexandra Field is in Brussels. That is Salah Abdeslam's last known location. And Alex, what can you tell us about it?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, tonight Erin, we are learning a little bit more about what law Abdeslam's suspected role in the attacks may have been, as investigators revealing some of the purchases he made just a month before the attacks. But the question remains, where is Abdeslam tonight? Security forces and intelligent services are working various theories but so far no one can offer any definitive proof that he's left Belgium.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD (voice-over): The search for Salah Abdeslam, a global manhunt has turned up very few leads. Sources tells CNN French intelligence authorities are now working under the assumption he may be in Syria. But Belgian officials are not convinced. Still searching neighborhoods in his hometown of Brussels.
(on camera): A day after the attack, at 1:00 in the afternoon, Salah Abdeslam turns up here in a Laeken, a neighborhood in Brussels. A childhood friend of his Ali Oulkadi meets him at this metro station. Oulkadi's attorney says, the men go on to a cafe and at some point Abdeslam tells his pal about how his brother Brahim has killed people in Paris and then blown himself up.
(voice-over): The men then drive several minutes until the suspect gets out somewhere in the Brussels neighborhood of Schaarbeek.
OLIVIER MARTINS, ALI OULKADI (through a translator): My client doesn't know how long Salah stayed in Schaarbeek. Actually he doesn't know if Salah stayed in Schaarbeek. Maybe he went somewhere else afterwards. My client doesn't know.
FIELD: A source close to the investigation reveals more details about Abdeslam's alleged role. In September they say he's seen in Paris. In October, he purchases ten detonators at a fireworks store north of the French capital. Two days before the attacks, he's caught on a gas station camera on a car used to carry out the plans. Police say, Abdeslam drove the car to the soccer stadium to drop off bombers before abandoning it in a pedestrian crosswalk near the site of one of the attacks. Later, investigators trace his cell phone to the suburb of Montrouge. Days after in a same neighborhood, they find discarded suicide vests.
[19:05:22] One hundred thirty people killed by seven terrorists who shoot them and detonate bombs on the night of November 13th. By morning, the only living suspect is gone. Salah Abdeslam crosses the border from France to Belgium driven by two friends. Police stopped Abdeslam at the border but eventually let him go, not realizing they have just questioned one of the world's most wanted men.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD: And investigators are now saying that the other attacks in Paris were imminent. They say that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind of the Paris attacks was plotting to target Jewish areas, the transit system and also schools. Abaaoud, was killed in a raid along with his female cousin. Investigators are saying, it was an associate of that cousin, Erin, who approached police in the aftermath of the cousin's death and Abaaoud's death to fill them in on these plans which were apparently in motion.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Alexandra Field. As we said, the words that they had were ready to go.
OUTFRONT now, former CIA counterterrorism official, Phil Mudd, terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank and Seth Jones, director of the security firm RAND.
Seth, let me start with you. Salah Abdeslam, one of the most wanted men in the world, been on the run now for two weeks. We do know he went back to Belgium, right? Because he stopped before he went over the border, and released by French police the night of the attacks. Now they are saying he may well have escaped to Syria. How is it possible that he could have done that without anyone noticing when you have more resources dedicated to finding this guy than anyone else in the world?
SETH JONES, DIRECTOR, RAND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE POLICY CENTER: Well, Erin, this would not be the first time that this has happened this year. Hayat Boumeddiene, one of the individuals involved in the "Charlie Hebdo" attack did the same thing. Left France, made it back to Syria. What some of these operatives are doing are using much better communication security tactics, using encrypted cell phones, cell phones that the numbers haven't been used and sim cards that haven't been used. They are using pipelines that the Islamic State has developed in Europe. So, they are able to use a range of techniques and information aspects that terrorists maybe haven't used before in the past, certainly not this well.
BURNETT: And Phil, you know, you've been concerned about this for the past week or so. You've been saying, it's possible he's back to Syria. You're really the first to say it. How concerning is it if he actually accomplished that?
PHIL MUDD, FORMER CIA COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL: I think this is a significant return. We talked, Erin, before about the potential publicity that he'll gather for the organization. I'll expect to see him in publicity videos at some point if he's gone back to Syria. But the bigger issue to me is the operational sophistication he comes back with. Look, there's a big difference between practice and reality. He did two things here that ISIS is going to learn from for follow-on attacks. Number one, he operated a large cell securely for some time in the French capital with one of the best counter terrorist security services on the planet chasing him. The French are very good. Number two, he figured out how to evade European security for some period of time if he made it back after he left Belgium. So that combination of real world experience, conducting the operation securely with a large number of people.
BURNETT: Uh-hm.
MUDD: And escaping under the noses of European security, it's got to be significant for ISIS to plan the next attack.
BURNETT: Right. And we do know he was significant operationally in terms of, he was the one buying the explosives. He was the one that got a hotel room and possibly the one put those explosives together. He was not a bit player in this.
Paul, is it possible though that he's still in Europe, actually possibly even still in Belgium where every single intelligence eye in the world is now looking for him? Could he still be there and secure?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I think actually he's still in Brussels, likely still in Belgium. But the idea that he would have gotten all the way to Syria, there's a massive manhunt going on for him right now. He's the most wanted man in Europe. And he hasn't exhibited the best terrorist tradecraft. A few hours after the attack he called a couple of friends in Brussels to come and pick him up in the middle of the night. They almost got arrested by French police. They didn't know he was a suspect yet. But he gets to Brussels and gets picked up by another friend, goes and stops off in a cafe for some time. I mean, this is not a guy who is a sort of James Bond villain when it comes to terrorism tradecraft. So, I would be very surprised if he managed to get all the way to Syria given all of that and one of his potential accomplices was actually picked up on November 21 in Turkey on the way to Syria. So, they have been able to pick these people up. And with Hyatt Boumeddiene, the companion of Amedy Coulibaly with that attack back in January, she actually crossed into Syria on the same day as the first attack. So, she wasn't really that much a wanted woman at that point.
BURNETT: They weren't looking for at the time. There's also the question, I mean, of course, there's a question of where she is. But Seth, there's also the question about why he is still alive. Everybody else involved in the attacks died. They detonated their vests. Right? His either malfunctioned or he chickened out. His brother say, he believes he decided the last minute not to get through it than attack. Right? So, say he gets back to ISIS in Syria. Do they say, okay, we're going to behead you because you were weak and you woosed out or they do just say, well, he's back here so we're going to make him a hero anyway and use him for propaganda?
[19:10:28] JONES: Erin, I think Phil was right earlier. I think he has a lot of propaganda value right now. If he has evaded European intelligence agencies and made his way through turkey and it's unclear right now where he is, but if he has, this is a great propaganda value. I think ISIS will use this and they have done this in the past. They are excellent at this, they are better than, frankly, any other terrorist organization on the propaganda information side. So, that's how I think they will use him.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks to all three of you. I appreciate your time as always. And OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump's meeting with black religious leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I saw love in that room. I see love everywhere I go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus, breaking news, the Chicago police officer who shot and killed a black teen, he is out of jail tonight. Let me say that again. Out of jail tonight on the streets of Chicago.
And what we're learning about this man, being held in the shooting spree that killed three at a Planned Parenthood clinic, seeing him here for the first time since. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:14:29] BURNETT: You're looking at live pictures out of Macon, Georgia where Donald Trump is about to hold a campaign rally tonight. The Republican frontrunner meeting with dozens of black religious leaders today, some of whom are now endorsing him for president. The key word though is some. At one point, the campaign had said that it might be all.
Sara Murray is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: And I saw a love in that room. I see love everywhere I go.
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despite walking back what his campaign had originally promoted as an endorsement event with 100 black pastors, Donald Trump emerged calling today's closed door meeting a success.
TRUMP: We actually didn't think we're going to be having a press conference but we all thought it was such a good meeting we would do that and we have many, many endorsements that came out of the meeting. MURRAY: In a lead-up to today's get-together, several of the
pastors invited said they have no intention of backing the GOP front- runner or even attending the meet and greet.
BISHOP PAUL MORTON, CHANGING A GENERATION: If you talk down to women, if you talk down to documented immigrants, calling them rapists and then black lives, get them out of here. No, you can't represent me. So I don't even need to hear your platform.
MURRAY: Victor Couzens said he came to talk with Trump, nothing more.
BISHOP VICTOR COUZENS, VSC MINISTRIES: It's really incumbent upon me to take advantage of the opportunity to query him about exactly the types of things we should expect from a potential Trump administration. I'm not here to endorse Mr. Trump, I am here to have a dialogue.
MURRAY: The pastor's caution an outright criticism come to Trump faces scrutiny for retweeting a racially charge method.
TRUMP: I'm going to protect him.
MURRAY: And suggesting a Black Lives Matter protester deserves to be roughed out at a Trump campaign rally. Hundreds attending today's meeting said they would attempt to convince their colleagues to support Trump.
PASTOR STEPHEN PARSON, RICHMOND CHRISTIAN CENTER: Anybody that knows Donald Trump personally knows that he's not a racist, he's provided more jobs for minorities, for Mexicans, for African- Americans, he's exactly what not only the African-American community needs but what America needs.
MURRAY: Today, Trump seemed undeterred by the change in plan.
TRUMP: The beautiful thing about the meeting is they really didn't ask to change the tone. I think they want to see victory because ultimately it is about, want to win, we want to win together.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MURRAY: Now Trump may not have picked up 100 endorsements today but he picked up at least a couple and tonight he got some support from another prominent booster, 2012 presidential candidate Herman Cain was just out here on stage behind me in Macon, Georgia revving up the crowd ahead of Trump's speech -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Sara.
And OUTFRONT now, from the New Spirit Revival Center in Akron, Ohio, Pastor James Davis, he attended today's meeting with Donald Trump and with the empowerment temple in Baltimore, Reverend Jamal Bryant who did not attends the meeting.
All right. Good to have both of you with us. I'm glad you're both here in person. This is a really important topic. Pastor Davis, you have made the decision to endorse Donald Trump, right?
PASTOR JAMES DAVIS, ENDORSING TRUMP AFTER CLERGY MET WITH THE CANDIDATE: Well, endorse in the sense of James Davis, not as the pastor but as the individual because there's a fine line legally that pastors cannot endorse political candidates with the title "Pastor" in front of it.
BURNETT: OK.
DAVIS: But as James Davis the man I stand and support of Donald Trump.
BURNETT: All right. So, your community, your flock will hear you say this.
DAVIS: Yes. That's correct.
BURNETT: So, I understand whatever the technical line may be.
DAVIS: Sure.
BURNETT: Why do you believe though that he is going to be good for the African-American community? When we just heard some of the things that he said and he did of course retweet that many believed to be very --
DAVIS: Well, I think much of what's going on right now, I use even some of the words that the previous guests in the segment that I just saw used, the school yard chatter, win a very serious time here in this country, where our community is on fire basically no one is talking about sending a fire truck. Basically, what is going on now was a bunch of rhetoric about sound blurbs. And what's the media is putting out in respect to pinning a picture of Mr. Trump. And so in that case, those of us that have enough sense or intelligent enough, we can get past some of these sound blips or retweets, whatever they are, and here the substance. That was the point of the meeting. The meeting was never about endorsing. We made history today. We put better than 100 black preachers in a room with the GOP candidate. That's never been done before.
BURNETT: Did he listen?
DAVIS: He absolutely listened to us. This wasn't the first time. This was our third meeting with him. And in previous times, we didn't have the time to get into our issues but as the more we got into the issues, we determined that it was necessary for us to come back again today.
[19:19:12] BURNETT: So you don't think he's a racist?
DAVIS: I don't believe that. Again, I believe that his ego and his gravitas is so big that he doesn't have to pander to anyone and I don't believe that I was being pandered to or, you know, as some say, that we are his token sort of speak in order to go out and grab votes for him. That's not the case. BURNETT: All right. So, Reverend, let me ask you, you were
invited in the meeting. You chose not to attend. You are here in New York today but you did chose not to attend.
REV. JAMAL BRYANT, EMPOWERMENT TEMPLE OF BALTIMORE: Yes.
BURNETT: You just heard Pastor Davis say, he doesn't feel he's being pandered to.
BRYANT: Yes.
BURNETT: He doesn't feel Donald Trump is a racist.
BRYANT: Yes. I think that he's a pawn. I think it's regrettable. I'm here as a preacher and as a black man to say that I vehemently oppose the candidacy of somebody who has been outlandishly offensive to every minority group in the country. From the Latino community, African-Americans, women physically challenge. And all the more Pastor James and Bishop Scott who are the -- Bishop Scott who was the chair of this meeting come from Cleveland. For a year, the Cleveland community has been an outcry looking for justice for Tamir Rice. And Donald Trump hasn't spoken to any of that.
We have not heard anything about mass incarceration, nothing about economic and equity, nothing about militarization of police and in reality is, this meeting was pulled together because of a rally that took place in Alabama where a protester from Black Lives Matter was roughed up and Donald Trump said to the press, that he believed he deserved to be roughed up. Now, to that end, if you will not meet with Black Lives Matter protesters, let me find 100 black preachers who are not civically and socially engaged who will in fact find a connection to the Black Lives Matter protesters who are engaged with this conversation. It is a very --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: All right. So, yes, let's have a conversation here.
DAVIS: -- Because we're talking about Black Lives Matter.
BURNETT: Yes.
DAVIS: And at the end of the day, that discussion doesn't need to be held on Fifth Avenue. That discussion needs to be held at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue underneath our current administration. All of these things that are going on right now in our communities is because of the people that are in charge right now and not necessarily those that are coming down the pipeline with respect to Black Lives Matter, with respect to our issues. All of these things that were addressed in this meeting. And if Dr. Bryant would let, see, I can't cut off someone because of something they said. We're not going to always like what each person says. So, I'm not throwing it away. And so, even with Dr. Bryant. Dr. Bryant so far to go out on Twitter and called the people that were in that room prostitutes. And I'm wondering --
BURNETT: He just called, let's just say, right here at this table, you just called Davis a pawn.
DAVIS: He called me a pawn.
(CROSSTALK)
DAVIS: He's called them a prostitute and said that we're using our pool pits as poles.
BRYANT: Poles. Yes.
DAVIS: I'm wondering, the women in that room, the female pastors in that room, they appreciate being called prostitutes and I'm wondering if their husbands in fact agree with being called prostitutes.
BRYANT: And I want to apologize because prostitutes get money and the 100 that went in there walked away with nothing. They did it for free. So there's another word for that and I would not use that language on the family channel. What I would suggest is that you couldn't find 100 white pastors to do the endorsement, not 100 rabbis. Not 100 imams.
DAVIS: Find whatever it is that --
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: Whenever there is poverty, you can always find a capitalist who will always explore poor people who are privileged just to be in the room. He's going to be in the room with no policy and no promise.
DAVIS: This is from the guy who is a brother in town.
BRYANT: Yes. Yes.
DAVIS: OK. And so in that regard, we're not there for relevance.
BRYANT: No.
DAVIS: The first couple of meetings were in private but then someone inadvertently put a flyer out and then Dr. Bryant takes because, that's what he does, he grabs the flyer and takes it out into Twitter verse. And so, he even used the term that Donald Trump is a devil and we're meeting with the devil.
BRYANT: I never said that.
DAVIS: Of course, you probably set the tweet down. But here's what I'm saying that if he's the devil, I'm wondering when did he come the devil?
BURNETT: So, let me ask you --
DAVIS: He was actually all his spin-off show, the ultimate, whatever it was -- with Omarosa. So I'm wondering when you were cashing down with Trump's checks, was he the devil or did he evolve to become the devil in 2015?
BRYANT: He's full of sound and fury. I'm talking about policy. What is the policy?
DAVIS: Exactly.
BRYANT: What is the policy that African-Americans are marginalized and manipulated and not part of the economic structure? What is the economic structure that you go back to Cleveland --
DAVIS: It was the purpose of the meeting. We talked about tax incentives.
BRYANT: OK. Check with us. You've given the endorsement.
[19:24:12] BURNETT: OK. So what did he say specifically on this issue?
DAVIS: Probably two of the three hours --
BRYANT: One policy.
DAVIS: -- were on economics. It was with respect to tax incentives to bring businesses into the inner city because poverty is our issue. OK? And so, if we deal with poverty, at that level as far as inspiring entrepreneurship and getting businesses back going right now under this administration, black folks are worse off than we've ever been. 2009. We're about 24 percent with respect to the poverty level. Now it's increased. Our wealth gap has increased. Eighteen thousand to a 142,000 for whites. And so this is all under the current administration. And so, anytime he go to listen to someone other than the normal democrat rhetoric that we're fed, here comes the minions to chase after us to say, get back on the plan --
BURNETT: Would you ever vote to anyone republican?
BRYANT: I'm looking not on personality but on principle and while we're in the middle of transition --
BURNETT: Right.
BRYANT: I am open --
BURNETT: My point is, would you ever vote for a republican?
BRYANT: I would vote for who I thought had the best blueprint for black America and at this point I do not believe, based off of what we've seen and what we have heard and my dear colleagues still has not pointed out one policy that talks about economic development, African trade, nothing --
DAVIS: I just did.
BURNETT: He just specifically talked about bringing businesses back into the inner city.
BRYANT: How do you do that? How do you do that?
BURNETT: OK. So, did he talk about that specifically? Tax incentives?
DAVIS: Absolutely. He's talked about that. So that if you reduce the taxes in the inner city --
BRYANT: Yes.
DAVIS: So that now you can draw a business or a corporation into that area, they have the incentive to put jobs in that area.
BURNETT: So, that's what Donald Trump said he would do?
DAVIS: Yes. He said under his administration and beyond that there were other things that were talked about with respect to police and police brutality and that how he would look through it with a different lens versus what's going on right now under our current administration with Barack Obama in the White House and with black folks as the attorney general. And so, he is saying that all of these things will be looked at. With respect to the Black Lives Matter guide, yes, if someone walks in my church or someone walks in Dr. Bryant's church and disrupts the place, he's going to be asked to leave. Now, he didn't endorse the guy. He didn't command his minion, so to speak, to beat him up. That was the --
BURNETT: Are you okay with what Donald Trump said that that guy deserved to be roughed up?
DAVIS: I'm not OK with that. That's ridiculous of course.
BURNETT: OK.
DAVIS: But I'm with a two -- speed up the bones with anyone. That's just like, I wouldn't throw Dr. Bryant away because he told us prostitutes. But he should be thrown away, perhaps he had this ministerial credential revoked. Because I wouldn't stand. I wouldn't call any of my brothers out of that day.
BURNETT: The word you were using, you didn't say it, and I will say it, was rape. That's the word you were saying.
BRYANT: Well, I think, again, what it is really disheartening that these preachers walked away with private promises while we're in the middle of an open presidential election, the policies that were discussed behind closed doors need to, in fact, be open, when he gets to Macon this evening to talk about what he wants to do for urban renewal and inner city development. It can't just be behind closed doors. When that next debate comes, I would love to hear what we're going to do on the inequity of our public schools, on how it is that African-Americans, even with degrees, are at a lower pace than --
(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)
DAVIS: He would have heard about the inequities.
BURNETT: OK.
DAVIS: He would have heard about all of these -- everything that he said was talked about in that room.
BURNETT: Let me give you a chance to answer.
DAVIS: And would be echoed in the public as time progresses.
BURNETT: Go ahead.
BRYANT: Because I honor and appreciate the young people who are on the front line in Chicago, Minneapolis, and the young people he doesn't know in Cleveland who are part of the Black Lives Matter Movement. And if he would say, as Governor Chris Christie is saying, he would never meet with the young people of Black Lives Matter, the black preachers to go behind their back and go meet with them, I think is a slap in the face and all the more, these are preachers who are not connected to the movement and have not been on the front line of what these young people are trying to accomplish. So, I've stood in allegiance with the young people who are in fact trying to effectuate change. If it's just about a conversation, then have a conversation with these young activists who are fighting night and day to see America live up to what they are supposed to do.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you both very much. And this is a conversation very much to be continued. Thank you for your time.
DAVIS: Thank you very much.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, breaking news, a white police officer charged in the shooting death of a black teen, he just posted bond. He's leaving jail tonight. This is as many charge city officials try to cover the whole incident up.
And we're learning much more about the alleged gunman in the Planned Parenthood shooting tonight. What is he telling investigators at this hour? That's coming up, OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:32:56] BURNETT: Breaking news: Jason Van Dyke, that's the Chicago police officer who shot and killed a black teen, is out of jail tonight, posting bail.
Lots of questions about this, including this one -- why did it take more than a year to charge him with murder?
Kyung Lah is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The night of October 20th, 2014, Chicago police respond to calls of an erratic man with a knife. Six seconds after exiting a police car, Officer Jason Van Dyke fires, striking Laquan McDonald 16 times. But this is not the story officers tell that night. The police
union spokesman gives the first police account. Seventeen-year-old McDonald was shot once in the chest after lunging at police.
PAT CAMDEN, CHICAGO POLICE UNION SPOKESMAN: Going at one of the officers, at that point, the officer defends himself.
LAH: An autopsy the following day shows of the 16 shots, nine entered McDonald's back. Officer Van Dyke, the only cop who fired, goes on paid desk duty. Van Dyke has 20 complaints against him, ten of them use of force complaints.
But all of this goes unreported as the public accepts the Chicago police explanation and the dash cam video is sealed.
All this, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel is in the middle of the most contentious Chicago mayoral race since the 1980s. He wins.
Eight days later, he's there as the city council voters without any debate to award Laquan McDonald's family $5 million. The city pays the McDonald family, even before the investigation is complete and even though the family had not filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Chicago alderman Howard Brookings voted for the settlement and now says the council was misled.
ALD. HOWARD B. BROOKINS JR. CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL: I think that there was a cover-up and I think that people were looking out for their own skin.
LAH: Mayor Emanuel and the prosecutor, Cook County State Attorney Anita Alvarez battle for months to keep the dash cam under wraps. They lose when the judge orders the release of the video.
[19:35:00] Just hours before the video release, the prosecutor charges Officer Van Dyke with first-degree murder, a full 13 months after the shooting. The prosecutor says she had intended to charge the cop for months but moved up her decision because of the timing of the video release.
ANITA ALVAREZ, COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY: I felt compelled, in the interest of public safety, to announce these state charges today.
BROOKINS: How ludicrous is that? Clear she was trying to jump the charge, get ahead of the release. It does make me angry that people who are charged with the public trust in protecting the people and dissing out equal justice under the law are playing petty politics with an issue that is so serious.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAH: Now, that alderman is among a growing chorus of voices urging that the police superintendent step down, as well as the Cook County state attorney. As far as the mayor, Mayor Rahm Emanuel -- well, Erin, he says he
has got to take him on his word for now and that he's been honest with the public -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Kyung Lah, thank you very much.
I want to go straight now to Paul Callan, our legal analyst and former criminal defense attorney, along with Alderman Roderick Sawyer. He also serves as chairman of the City Council of Black Caucus in Chicago.
Alderman, sir, let me start with you. You just heard Kyung Lah. Thirteen months after this happened, that's what it took for the charges to happen and, of course, they were announced on the same day that the video actually came out, the video was only released because a reporter had filed a Freedom of Information Act request and demanded its release.
Do you think there's a cover-up?
ALDERMAN RODERICK SAWYER, CHAIRMAN, CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL BLACK CAUCUS: I certainly believe there was some sort of cover-up in this instance. It took them 396 days before filing charges when they had videotaped evidence of a man executing a child. I don't think it takes that long for felony review to review those charges and bring back a murder indictment against that officer. I think there's a cover-up there, certainly.
BURNETT: Paul, I mean, it sure sounds like there could be. I mean, you know, you're looking at all of this video when I haven't heard anybody, including people who usually try come to the defense of cops, who has come to this guy's defense, in terms of this case -- why would it take 13 months?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It's really very, very hard to understand why it would, because if you look at the tape, it's clear excessive force or so it would appear. But here's what is going on with Chicago at the time. The mayor is running for re-election and there's been a runoff election and the mayor didn't get elected. They had to do another election. He finally gets elected.
The Baltimore riots had occurred. Ferguson was in the rearview mirror. So, I'm just wondering if there was this sense in Chicago that we've got to be slow, we've got to make sure we got this right before we indict. Now, it's wrong to do that. They should have moved more quickly. But that's the only explanation --
BURNETT: But you're saying it's shy of trying to get him off?
CALLAN: Yes, I don't -- as a matter of fact, I was looking at the stats. This is the first police officer charged with first-degree murder in Chicago in 35 years. So this is a big deal.
BURNETT: And now, let me ask you, Alderman, about the video. There's this report that the manager of Burger King that was next to where this happened that police came in after the shooting and the video of the entire shooting was gone. So, the implication, of course, being that they erased it. The dashcam video has no audio on it.
Is that anything that you think is suspicious that would lead you to a cover-up or, no, given that the video obviously is damning in and of itself?
SAWYER: The amalgamation of all these things are all troubling. The fact that there was a tape in Burger King that could have clarified some things and all of a sudden, 86 minutes are missing. Dashcam video supposed to have audio and video, somehow the audio comes up missing in some portions. In some tapes, you can hear the shots.
So, I'm confused as to how these things could have occurred in perfectly functioning equipment. There were no details of any malfunctions of this equipment. These things should have occurred. There are more officers that need to be charged in this incident, not just the officer that shot the shots, but the ones that provided the additional cover-up with this officer also need to be investigation.
CALLAN: And just following on the alderman statements, I'd like to hear from the FBI on this. You know, law enforcement authorities in Chicago have said they were delayed because of the FBI's involvement. Anita Alvarez, the state's attorney, said that.
We have heard statements that the FBI look at all those Burger King tapes and said that there was no tampering with the tapes. Why haven't we heard from the Department of Justice and the FBI on this if they were involved in the investigation?
BURNETT: You agree with alderman other than the other police officers should have been charged?
CALLAN: If anybody tampered with the Burger King tapes, that's a crime relating to a murder investigation. Very, very serious crime. Why haven't we heard from the Department of Justice and the FBI if they were involved in the investigation?
[19:40:00] BURNETT: And, Alderman, what do you make of the fact that the police officer is out tonight, out on bail?
SAWYER: I watched that on TV before I came down here. I was sick to my stomach to watch him walked out of there after he posted bond today.
There was no way that gentleman should have walked out of jail today. He executed a child. I can't say over -- enough times. He executed a child on video. He should not be leaving jail, ever.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you both very much.
SAWYER: Thank you.
BURNETT: OUTFRONT next, in court today, the man accused of killing three at a Planned Parenthood clinic, seeing him for the first time since obviously a pretty bizarre picture you're seeing here. We're going to have more on exactly what you are seeing in just a moment.
And Russia deploying missiles to Syria that could shoot down a U.S. plane. Our report ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, the man accused of killing three people at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado being held without bond after facing a judge. Robert Lewis Dear is facing first-degree murder charges and that could mean life behind bars or death. What allegedly motivated him to carry out such carnage?
[19:45:02] Dan Simon is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDGE: The first right that you have is your right to remain silent.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wearing a protective vest and handcuffs, 57-year-old Robert Dear appeared by video in a Colorado Springs courtroom today.
JUDGE: Do you have any questions about these rights, sir?
ROBERT LEWIS DEAR, SUSPECT: No questions.
JUDGE: OK.
SIMON: Dear looked like he was struggling to stay awake, slowly blinking his eyes as the judge advised him of his rights.
OFFICER: Shots! I'm under fire. I'm shot! I'm hit!
SIMON: Friday's mass shooting and six-hour standoff left three people dead. Forty-four-year-old Police Officer Garrett Swasey, 29- year-old Iraq war veteran Ke'Arre Stewart, and Jennifer Markovsky, a 35-year-old mother of two. Nine others were wounded, survivors hid in offices as gunshots rang throughout the building.
KENTANYA CRAION, SHOOTING WITNESS: We had a bullet that came through our wall and went through the other and you could see the gunpowder and smell it. It was just frightening at that point.
SIMON: Dear's appearance comes as investigators try to determine a motive behind the Planned Parenthood attack. A law enforcement source tells CNN Dear mentioned something about, quote, "baby parts" and expressed anti-abortion views.
The comments come just days after a series of videos produced by anti-abortion activists accused Planned Parenthood of engaging in fetal tissue sales for research. The organization has vehemently that, saying the videos were heavily edited. The issue has become a topic of debate on the campaign trail. CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is no excuse,
Planned Parenthood must be defunded.
SIMON: GOP candidate Carly Fiorina who has been one of the most outspoken critics of Planned Parenthood said it's irresponsible to link anti-abortion rhetoric to Friday's attack.
FIORINA: This is so typical of the left to immediately begin demonizing the messenger because they don't agree with the message.
SIMON: And former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who's known for his social conservatism, said the attacks should not be linked to the anti-abortion movement.
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What he did is absolutely abominable, especially those of us in the pro-life movement, because there's nothing about any of us that would condone or in any way look the other way at something like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: Well, a law enforcement source tells CNN that investigators are continuing to look over the evidence, Erin, evidence that apparently includes a multitude of weapons, handguns and rifles that the suspect brought to the scene in a duffel bag. It's believed that he acted alone. His next court date will be a week from Wednesday. And at this point, they are still trying to figure out why he targeted that Planned Parenthood -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Dan, thank you very much.
And next, U.S. officials confirming the Russian warplane shot down by Turkey did invade Turkish air space as Russia moves anti- aircraft missiles to Syria. Our report on the escalation, next.
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[19:52:04] BURNETT: Tonight, the State Department siding with Turkey saying the Russian fighter jet entered Turkish air spice before it was shot down. Earlier today, President Obama met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to deescalate tensions with Turkey. But that's not happening, right? The United States is blaming this on Russia not helping and Russia going ahead and moving missiles, surface-to-air missiles into Syria. Obviously, that is increasing tensions significantly.
OUTFRONT now, the former CIA operative Bob Baer.
And, Bob, I mean, and the big question, if you're talking about surface-to-air missiles inside Syria, I mean, the question is, who is flying in the air that Russia could be shutting down?
BOB BAER, FORMER CIA OPERATIVE: Well, exactly, Erin. The only airplanes in the air -- American, French and Turkish basically. So, you know, what the Russians are doing is staking out their claims in Syria. They're going to take control of the air there effectively. And, you know, the question is what will they do if a Turkish
airplane strays to their positions, if it doesn't cross the border? You know, anything can happen. Let's don't forget that Russia invaded Crimea and shutdown an airliner, a Malay airliner. We still don't have the answers to that shooting down.
BURNETT: So, what happens if something goes wrong here, horribly wrong and Russia does shoot down a Turkish plane, a U.S. plane, a French plane?
BAER: They're going to call on NATO, Erin, they're going to call and say, you guys, we're at war now with Russia and you have to come in. I mean, the chances of this escalating into something that we can't control are getting better by the day.
As we talked about last week, the Russians aren't backing down. They have an embargo on Turkish goods coming in, pipelines and the rest of it. So, where does it go from here? The Russians are moving strongly into both Syria and Iraq, and they're filling the vacuum there and the Turks -- I don't think they're going to back down, either.
BURNETT: And that would be a significant development, what you just said there. Obviously, we know the Russians are in Syria. Iraq, the place, though, the United States very much considers to be -- you still have an American field for lack of a better word. The Russians are going in there, too?
BAER: Yes, they're going in and they are putting out feelers to the Sunni tribes. I've just heard this today. They are starting to send more weapons into Iraq. They intend to stake out their positions in the Middle East.
And Putin is very serious about this stuff. How far he'll go, I don't know but I don't think Washington knows, either.
BURNETT: Could it happen by mistake they should shoot down a U.S. plane? Is there any way something like that could happen by mistake or no?
BAER: I think, you remember with the BUK that shot down the Malay airliner, that was by mistake. They misidentified it as a military aircraft. It's possible to do it with that radar.
The Russians have proven to be trigger happy. I don't trust their military, and there is always a chance for an accident. I don't think they would do it intentionally, but they might mistake an F-16 for -- you know, a Turkish one for one of ours.
[19:55:05] You know, anything could happen. This is the kind of thing we've been talking for a whole year. The longer the violence in the Middle East continues, the closer we'll get into some sort of very large war.
BURNETT: Bob Baer, thank you.
And we'll be right back.
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BURNETT: All right. Thank you so much for joining us on this Monday night. Be sure to set your DVR, you can record OUTFRONT, and watch the program at any time. I'll be back here tomorrow night same time.
"AC360" starts right now.
