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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Police Officers Shot in Ferguson; Secret Service Crash Investigated; War on ISIS: Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

Aired March 12, 2015 - 04:30   ET

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

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning. Protests turned violent in Ferguson, Missouri. Two police officers shot. Two officers shot. What we're learning about the search for the shooter and the condition of the officers.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman. Thirty-one minutes past the hour right now.

ROMANS: All right. The breaking news this morning from Ferguson. Two police officers have been shot amid these protests outside the Ferguson Police Department.

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ROMANS: Multiple gunshots there. St. Louis County Police Chief John Belmar says these officers came from neighboring police departments. They have been helping Ferguson's officers.

After you hear from Chief Belmar, then you're going to hear from witness Markus Loehrer who is among the protesters when the officers were shot. He will tell you what he saw. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BELMAR, ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE CHIEF: And the night was fairly uneventful up until about midnight. At midnight, the crowd was starting to break up. In fact, several of the officers have left the area.

And to the immediate north/northwest of the Ferguson police department, several shots were fired, at least three and two officers were struck. St. Louis County officers struck in the shoulder and Webster Grove police officer was struck in the face.

Both those officers are here right now. They are being treated. I don't have an official status on what their condition is right now. They are conscious.

MARKUS LOEHRER, WITNESS: Probably 30 feet away from the crowd. All of a sudden, I heard four to five shots rang out. I mean, I know the area and I know the shots came from at least over by the grassy area beyond the subway. So, nowhere near the protesters.

I mean, I'm thinking about -- I'm trying to rebuild what happened. It took me at least 30 seconds of watching before I realized there is an officer down. When I figured that out, I think everybody figured it out at the same point. We just began to run. That was probably the fastest I ever run in my life before I got to my car.

As I was driving away, all of the cops were down on their knees down with guns drawn. I could see several of them standing over at what I think was the cop that was shot and they were lifting him away and pulling him away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: And again, two police officers shot, one in the shoulder, one in the face. As Chief Belmar remarked, the shooting marked a violent end to a peaceful protest earlier in the evening.

A few scuffles -- a few scuffles did break out. Police arrested two people for those scuffles. But again, there is a shooter on the loose here. The shooter and protest came just hours after the announcement that embattled Police Chief Tom Jackson is resigning, the police chief resigning effective one week from today. Jackson is the latest in the series of local officials stepped down after the Justice Department released a blistering report that faulted police tactics and city policies.

Chief Jackson's resignation letter says, "I will continue to assist the city in any way I can as a citizen." A more candid reaction came in a terse text messages to CNN, quote, "It's a really hard pill to swallow." As a severance, Jackson will get one year's pay and health benefits. Again, two police officers down and a shooter, presumably, John, on the loose.

BERMAN: Yes. Again, the two officers, one of them, a 32-year-old officer from Webster Grove which is nearby, he was shot in the face. He is a five-year veteran on the force there. The other officer shot was a 41-year-old from St. Louis County, shot in the shoulder, a 14- year veteran of law enforcement. They are both conscious right now. They are with family in the hospital right now as they recover.

I just want do bring you another bit of information. We'll be showing video of that scuffle among protesters overnight. That wasn't between protesters and police. That was between protesters and protesters. In fact, what is remarkable is police did not get involved. They sort of standing back watching as that went on. ROMANS: That is, we're told, our Sara Sidner reported, that was a social media dispute. That was a dispute between two groups of protesters who are arguing about something that someone said on social media. That is what that dispute was about.

You're right, the police not engaging. They have been careful to engage because this has been something -- the police presence has been something that can enflame the crowd. And that's been going on for months.

BERMAN: You know, and, in fact, this night, other than the scuffle here, we are told by Chief Belmar, was largely uneventful. Though, he has been concerned, he says, for months since the death of Michael Brown about the safety of police officers because there had been gunshots overnight and there have also been a lot of weapons in the area.

Listen to what Chief Belmar had to say about the safety of his officers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELMAR: And I think we have been very fortunate as we have moved forward not to have similar instances like this happen to us. So, I have said all along that we cannot sustain this forever without problems. That's not an indictment on everybody that's out there certainly expressing their First Amendment rights.

But we have seen in law enforcement that this is a very, very, very dangerous environment for the officers to work in regarding the amount of gunfire we have experienced up there. Now, this evening, the only shots we were aware of were the shots taken from across the street. In other words, these police officers were standing there and they were shot just because they were police officers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: He said the reason he thinks they were shot is just because they were police officers. They were standing in a group of just cops. Shots were parallel to the ground, which indicates they were sort of aimed. They were not ricocheted off anything else. They were intentional, he believes.

ROMANS: There has been other gunfire in recent protests of firing into the air and firing randomly. This, he said, he looks to him, as though this was a targeting of police officers. He said they don't know what kind of a gun it was. They're still doing that investigation. They don't know how many shooters.

They are talking to witnesses. They just begun the investigation. But those two police officers are in the hospital. They are conscious and this investigation just beginning. That means there is a shooter on the loose in Ferguson, Missouri.

BERMAN: We will bring you the latest as we get it on that investigation and the condition of the two officers as it develops. ROMANS: The other top story this morning. The Secret Service with an

embarrassing incident. Another embarrassing incident: two senior agents, one of them in the president's security detail, crashing a government car into the White House barricade. The agents were reportedly drinking at a retirement party for a colleague. They've been reassigned while the Department of Homeland Security investigates.

Our White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski has the latest.

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MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John and Christine.

Yes. Well, Secret Service officials aren't confirming any of those details that are in "The Washington Post" story, they broke the story. But then, again, they're not disputing any of the details either.

So, what this article alleges is that these two top Secret Service agents, I mean, one is the number two person in the president's protective detail and the other one is a supervisor. They were allegedly coming home from a party, a retirement party for the spokesperson of Secret Service. There was an allegation that they were drinking at the party, and as they got near the White House, they encountered this barricade that had been set up because there was an investigation going on over a suspicious package.

Well, according to the article, they showed their badges and were trying to get through this barricade, but inexplicably drove right through the tape and then crashed their government vehicle into some temporary barriers that had been set up.

To add to the strangeness of this, it is also being alleged that the officers at the scene wanted to not only arrest the Secret Service agents, but also test them to see if they were sober or not. But then, a superior on duty ordered that these two agents be allowed to go on.

What the Secret Service is doing about this now is that the new director has ordered that the investigation being handled by the inspector general within the Department of Homeland Security, and they both actually have been reassigned.

Now, officials said, not to say this is a temporary reassignment pending the outcome of the investigation, but they're not confirming it is a permanent reassignment. We only know that these are non- supervisory, non-operational roles.

What this looks like yet another embarrassment, potentially another scandal for the Secret Service -- John and Christine.

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BERMAN: What is stunning to me is with the spotlight on the agency, senior officials or senior agents within the Secret Service could still let this happen allegedly. It's just sort of stunning.

ROMANS: "The Washington Post" breaking that story overnight.

BERMAN: All right. We are following the breaking news from Ferguson, Missouri. Two police officers were shot overnight.

Before we get to that, new video of the Boston marathon bombing trial. You will see what it is right after the break.

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ROMANS: Breaking news at this hour: Two police officers being treated for their injuries, gunshot injuries, shot during protests in Ferguson, Missouri. The shootings marked a violent end to a largely peaceful protest that erupted overnight. Those protests after the Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson announced his resignation. Jackson is the recent of the officials to step down after the scathing report by the U.S. Justice Department on police and court practices in that city.

Again, you have two police officers conscious, but shot, in the hospital. An investigation underway to find and apprehend the shooter or shooters in Ferguson.

BERMAN: Meanwhile, new developments on the trial of accused Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. On Wednesday, jurors were shown the pressure cooker bomb that was detonated near the marathon finish line. Testimony also focused on the shooting death of MIT police officer Sean Collier. Prosecutors showing surveillance video and a witness placing the defendant at the scene.

Let's get more now from CNN's Deborah Feyerick.

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DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, Christine, dramatic 911 calls by an MIT sergeant saying, "Officer down, officer down, all units, officer down." The officer was MIT Police Officer Sean Collier. He was executed as he sat in his vehicle on the MIT campus.

Now, prosecutors showed video of two men who they identify Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev walking to the cruiser and then leaning in. You can see the brake lights on the car getting incredibly bright. The two brothers for a full minute standing there before bolting, taking off in the opposite direction.

Well, 911 calls begin coming into dispatch. One person on campus said he heard loud noises. As soon as if somebody was banging on a trashcan, but there appeared to be a cruiser in the vicinity. Sean Collier did not respond to radio calls or cell phone calls. He had been shot multiple times. Now, a biker who's passing by at that time had no idea what was going on. But he said he saw a young man all of a sudden startled and kind of jumped up. He looked the man in the eye and in court he identified that individual as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev -- John, Christine. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Deborah Feyerick, thank you for that, Deb.

We are following breaking news in Ferguson, Missouri. Two police officers shot. A witness tells us what he saw right after the break.

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BERMAN: Our breaking news this morning, two police officers shot in Ferguson, Missouri. Those officers, both of them, from neighboring towns. A 41-year-old from St. Louis County, shot in the shoulder. A 32-year-old from Webster Grove shot in the face.

They are conscious right now and recovering we are told in the hospital surrounded by their families. This happened after a night of protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

Joining us now by phone is protester Deray McKesson. He was there when the shots were fired.

Deray, are you with us?

DERAY MCKESSON, PROTESTER (via telephone): I am.

BERMAN: Can you describe to me what happened?

MCKESSON: You know, we were the protesters dispersing. It was a long night. It was around midnight. We were there since 8:00.

You know, we heard some shots. At least four shots, they were in a quick succession. Then I saw an officer fall. I didn't see the other one fall. Then all of the police officers took their rifles out, and then, momentarily very tense.

ROMANS: Momentarily very tense. We are looking at video right now. There was a live stream. Someone live streaming the protest, Deray. You see the moment and people and protesters just scattered.

It looked as though the police were standing together. It looked a peaceful protest. Police standing together. The St. Louis police chief says he thinks the police officers were targeted because there were not really protesters standing near them.

Is that what you saw?

MCKESSON: You know, by this time of the night, the police had pushed us and made it clear not to cross the street. So, that's why there were no protesters near the police. They were arresting people all night on their side of the street. That's what that was.

You know, the shots came from nowhere near protesters, in a very different direction. When the shots did happen, they were in a straight line, horizontal line. When the shots came out, they all went behind them, like behind the brick column or the trucks or behind the car. BERMAN: Again, so from your perspective, the shots did not come from

where the protests were coming from. Most witnesses concur on that. People pointing to a hill nearby across the police station where they believe those shots, at least three, Chief Belmar said. You said you heard four. We heard as many as five as well.

Chief Belmar says it was his impression these police officers were targeted for being police officers. The question by whom still remains to be seen.

Deray, the chief said he has been concerned about the safety of the officers in Ferguson, both the Ferguson police officers themselves and the officers from St. Louis County and neighboring communities going to help police.

Now, you go out to protests. You are a peaceful protester exercising your First Amendment rights. Have you seen a reason to be concerned about the level of tension and violence on the streets there in Ferguson in these last few weeks and months?

: You know, I'm concerned about the seven people that have been killed by St. Louis police officers since August, right? They have killed seven people. Averaging one a month since Mike Brown got killed.

You know, people are afraid for their lives out here. That is the only thing I can say. Police officers have never been hurt by protesters.

Tonight, whoever shot was not near the protesters. Not embedded with the protesters as Belmar suggested. Not standing near the protesters. That just didn't happen.

If Mike Brown was alive, none of us would be out there anyway. It's like we could all be home right now.

ROMANS: Let me ask you, Deray, we are looking at video of a fight that broke out during the protests. A lot of people telling us the protests were mostly peaceful. I don't know if you can see your TV screen. We are looking at this fight breaking out.

What is the tension among the different groups protesting? Can you tell us anything about this incident?

MCKESSON: You know, I think today was -- it has been a long time. You know, there are some issues that people need to work out among themselves. We have not always had the space to do that.

Tonight was interesting, it was one of the single biggest groupings of protesters in a long time. You know, I think there are people who have tension today among the protest group will work it out. I think they need space to do it. Tonight is not how it should have happened. I hope it will happen better in the future.

BERMAN: Deray, yesterday, we saw the resignation of Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson. A lot of people have been calling for that for a number of months. Are you satisfied with that development? What would you like to see happen next with the Ferguson Police Department?

MCKESSON: Good question. The resignation of Tom Jackson is necessary, but not justice. Justice would be a living, breathing Mike Brown or definitely an arrest of Darren Wilson. Neither of which we have. The Ferguson police department has proven that they are no longer fit to police.

So, many of us would see it to be some sort of justice for the police department to be disbanded and all officers fired. Also, Mayor Knowles has proven that he isn't capable of leading. Protesters are looking forward to his resignation.

But again, none of this is justice. Justice would be accountability for lives lost or never experiencing the trauma in the first place.

BERMAN: Deray McKesson, thanks for being with us. Deray McKesson, a witness to the shooting of the police officers in Ferguson, Missouri, overnight.

Deray tells us he doesn't believe it was the protesters themselves in the shooting, but the shots came from nearby the protest.

ROMANS: It sounds that is what law enforcement is saying. It came from somewhere near there targeting those police officers.

All right. We're going to be following this breaking news from Ferguson all morning long. Two police officers shot in Ferguson, Missouri. The very latest, next.

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