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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Thousands Protest Freddie Gray's Death; 100+ Arrested in Riot Released Without Charges; Report: Prisoner Claims Gray Tried to Hurt Himself; Pope Calls for Equal Pay. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 30, 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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[04:30:17] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands protests from coast to coast. Demonstrators demand answers in the death of Freddie Gray. The man mysteriously injured during his arrest. This morning, explosive new allegations about how Gray may have become injured in police custody. We are live.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans in New York this morning.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm John Berman live in Baltimore. About 30 minutes past the hour. Standing in front of city hall where there are National Guard and Maryland state troopers, Baltimore police all on watch in this park, which is empty this morning, but was filled with demonstrators, peaceful demonstrators at dusk overnight.

Now, the story here this morning is calm. The crowds dispersed quickly as the curfew set in at 10:00 p.m. overnight, as quiet as it was here last night, it was very busy on streets across the country. Thousands of protesters were out, calling for justice in the death of Freddie Gray.

This all coming as we learn more, new information about what may have caused Gray's fatal spinal injury while he was in police custody. We're going to get to that, potentially explosive new report in "The Washington Post."

First, though, I want to bring in CNN's Athena Jones to talk about the now here in Baltimore, the curfew.

We still have a half hour left on the curfew this morning -- a curfew that went well and peaceful demonstrations that went very well.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, if it is positive news, another night of calm for the city. We didn't see the tense standoffs that we saw the first night of the curfew. We didn't see that. Peaceful protests as you mentioned, very diverse crowds and chanting and wearing shirts that say "black lives matter."

But there were arrests, there were about 18 arrests, two of them juvenile arrests as of 8:00 p.m., but overall, a much, much more calmer situation few nights ago and that's positive news.

Now, Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings who represents about half of the city of Baltimore, we've seen a lot of him over the last several days. And we saw him out last night as well right at curfew time in West Baltimore, in that intersection that saw strive and destruction. He was on a bull horn telling folks to go home, making sure that people respected the curfew. Now, some of that message was directed at us, the media.

BERMAN: Yes, it's really interesting to see him out there. This guy is in his 60s. And, by the way, he was here with us yesterday morning, as of 11:00 he was here. He went to D.C. for the day, came back from D.C. to be on the streets last night.

He said he will be on the streets every night until this all settles down for sure here. So, he is really trying to make a difference.

Athena, we also got news about the people arrested, those 200-plus people arrested in the first wave of the riots Monday into Tuesday.

JONES: That's right. This is an interesting side bar, 101 people were released as of yesterday.

The police captain said that they may still face charges as the police continue to investigate what happened on Monday night. They are using surveillance video to figure out what did what on Monday night.

But it's too complicated right now to put together the proper and necessary documentation to file charges against so many so people very quickly. And they can't hold them forever. The governor allowed them to being held for usual 24 hours, made it 48 hours.

But it could also be a sign of the fact that the police are spending so much time patrolling the streets, keeping the city calm. They don't have time to file the paper work. That is an interesting detail. The overall picture is a much more positive night as the city tries to move forward.

BERMAN: You know, one other note, we are expecting rain here today. So, it may be a much different type of day. Not the peaceful demonstrations if it rains really hard. Athena Jones, thanks.

JONES: Thanks.

BERMAN: There a new report to tell you about which provides new information about how Freddie Gray may have sustained that fatal injury in custody.

"The Washington Post" reporting that a prisoner riding along with the van with Freddie Gray. This prisoner told investigators he could hear Gray, quote, "banging on the walls of the van." The prisoner believes Freddie Gray was intentionally trying to injury himself.

Now, it is important to note that this prisoner was separated by Gray from a metal partition. He could not see Freddie Gray. So, we don't know exactly why he came to the conclusion he did. "The Post" information comes from a search warrant application.

Now, Gray's family doesn't believe it. They deny the claim that Gray tried to injury himself.

[04:35:00] 998Their attorney told "The Washington Post", we disagree with any implication that Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord. We question the accuracy of the police reports that we've seen thus far, including the police report that says Mr. Gray was arrested without force or incident."

We are hearing from the Baltimore officers. A family member of the one officers involved sat down with Don Lemon she says to give the officers side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: What did he say happened?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He believes that whatever happened to Mr. Gray happened before he was transported.

LEMON: According to your loved one, what took so long to get medical help?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They don't know. They have not discussed that. We didn't ask what took so long.

I think the officers that chased him and handcuffed him and had him on the ground and he said he was hurting, I think they should know that he needed medical attention. Shouldn't that be their call to make?

LEMON: Is the department racist? Do you think this was racist?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's a fair question. Do -- are there some bad apples? Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Interesting.

Now, we are hearing two versions of the story right now, right? That one right there from the family member of the officer saying that Freddie Gray was injured before he was put in the police van. This new report from "The Washington Post" saying the prisoner believed Freddie Gray was trying to inflict injuries on himself. How do these reports conflict? Is it possible both are true? That somehow Freddie Gray was hurt before he got in the van and hurt himself further in the van? Unclear at this point.

The Baltimore Police Department says that tomorrow, though, it will deliver findings from the investigation to state prosecutors. The state prosecutors then take over the case and decide in the coming days and weeks whether to press charges. A lot of people in the city see tomorrow as a key day. People on the streets here think they will find out all new information tomorrow as police turnover their investigation.

Officials, lawmakers and the clergy here, they want to downplay expectations that anyone is going to find out anything new. They're going to be any big revelations. That people are going to press charges tomorrow. There is a lot of working done to set reasonable expectations for what new information will come out. So, watch this space for more on that.

Protesters are calling for justice around the country in the case of Freddie Gray. And they took to the streets overnight. In New York, at least 60 people were arrested in protests. More people arrested in New York, it seems overnight, than here in Baltimore. Those protests organized by social media. They marched for miles, they snarled traffic in Manhattan and they were chanting "New York is Baltimore. Baltimore is New York."

CNN's Alexandra Field was right in the middle of those protests.

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ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, protesters followed by police officers for a lot of the night. It started in Union Square, hundreds of demonstrators coming together. They said they were there to express sadness and their outrage over the events in Baltimore.

Police were prepared for a large group to gather there, but they started the evening warning people over a loudspeaker that if they obstructed the sidewalks or got into the streets, arrests would be made for disorderly conduct. Once the people started to move out of Union Square into 17th Street, police cut them off, intercepting them, making a number of arrests. The crowds moved uptown, moving on to the West Side Highway, walking into traffic on 8th Avenue, where more people were arrested and into Times Square where police made arrests.

Tensions running high as the crowds chanted, saying that they were showing support for Baltimore, calling for justice for Freddie Gray. A long line of NYPD offices following them throughout the city, oftentimes on foot, and a lot of the times, following in a line of mopeds and motorcycles -- John.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Alexandra Field on the streets of New York overnight. Now, the nation's new attorney general, Loretta Lynch, she made her first television appearance after since being confirmed. She is pledging support of the Justice Department to help diffuse the tensions here in Baltimore and across the country. She is urging everyone to stay calm.

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LORETTA LYNCH, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: These senseless acts of violence are not only a grave danger to the community and they must stop, but they are also counter-productive to the goal here, which is developing a respectful conversation within the Baltimore community and across the nation about the way our law enforcement officers interact with the residents that we are charged to serve and to protect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Loretta Lynch right there.

All right. Never before has so much attention been paid to a baseball game for how few people actually saw it in person. Baltimore's Camden Yards, this was yesterday. That's a game being made in front of zero people.

[04:40:00] Fans were barred from that game. Orioles won, 8-2. They were barred for security purposes. Baseball wanted to play it. Now the Orioles are out of town. You know, you could hear reporters typing in the press box because nothing else making noise. Some people were complaining you could hear the players in the dugout spitting in the dugout.

I was outside the stadium as the game ended. There were people peering in the fences trying to get a view a collection of 20, 30 people still.

You know, it's a type of thing I hope that we never have to see that again. To see an empty stadium like that, it was sad, Christine. I thought they could have let kids in to watch the game. There had to be some way to not have that happen.

ROMANS: You know, bar owners and restaurant owners are also talking how sad it is because the curfew means people are not out. You know, there's an economic impact to that, too.

Also, think about the people who would have been working around Camden Yards deprived a day of wages basically. So, you know, they would have been criticized if they let people in and criticized for not letting people in.

BERMAN: That's a great point. They made the decision for safety reasons. They said they want police to be deployed at a baseball game when there was a need for them elsewhere. Still, let's hope it doesn't happen again.

ROMANS: Too bad they only have 16 games a year. Oh, wait. They have like 180 games a year. So, you'll be able to catch them in person if you (INAUDIBLE).

Let's talk a little bit about the cost of the protests and the riots on Monday night in Baltimore. Economists said if the protests are contained and end this week, the overall impact will be easily absorbed in the broader Baltimore economy. A big economy that would not be affected too much if all of this is temporary.

The same cannot be said for paycheck to paycheck workers like John and I were talking about. When businesses close down or close early because of the curfew, major conferences and several of them have been canceled. That means low wage workers who may have been services hotel rooms or serving customers, they probably won't get paid. That can be devastating. Yesterday, the president stressed how much the recent destruction is hurting the community. The family that needs their prescription filled, they're now wondering, how far do I have to drive and how much do I have to spend to get a prescription for grandma.

So, the hope is in the near term hit on the Baltimore economy and not something that lasts longer. We're going to follow the latest from Baltimore.

But, first, presidential candidates going on the record about race relations. What Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz had to say, that's next.

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[04:46:18] ROMANS: All right. Officially, a second Democrat running for president, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. The 73-year-old independently will formally announce his candidacy today. Sanders is considered the most liberal member of Congress.

Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is also expected to enter the Democratic race.

Hillary Clinton addressing the unrest in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. She gave a speech Wednesday, in Columbia University in New York, she called for an overhaul of America's criminal justice system.

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HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My heart breaks for these young men and their families. We have to come to terms with some hard truths about race and justice in America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: She endorsed the use of body cameras in police departments nationwide and she called for an end of mass incarceration in the country.

Texas senator and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz fixing blame for the Baltimore riots and growing racial tension across the country, fixing that blame on President Obama. Cruz says the president missed an opportunity to be a unifying leader.

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SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's made decisions that I think have enflamed racial tensions and divided us rather than bringing us together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Pressed for a specific example of the president enflaming racial tensions, Cruz pointed to the 2009 so-called beer summit. That's when the president brought together a black Harvard professor and white police officer who arrested him. A Baltimore mother caught on camera pulling her son out of a protest.

She speaks to CNN. That's next.

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[04:51:48] BERMAN: The Baltimore mother who pulled her son from the middle of Monday's riots, that is putting it euphemistically, pulled her son out of those riots, she is now speaking to CNN's Anderson Cooper. Toya Graham, a mother of six, says that when she did what you're seeing right now, she was not worried about embarrassing her son Michael. And she explains the moment that led up to this.

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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Why did you go down there?

MICHAEL SINGLETON, PULLED FROM RIOTING BY MOTHER: It was like, I felt just, my friends down there, a couple of my friends were beaten by the police, killed by the police.

So, I felt I needed to go down and show my respect.

COOPER: So, when you saw your mom, when you first made eye contact, what went through your mind?

SINGLETON: I was like, oh, man, like --

COOPER: You're like, oh man?

SINGLETON: Yes, like, my mother? What my mother doing down here? Why she'll be down here? Like --

COOPER: Did you know instantly that she recognized you?

SINGLETON: When I saw her, I didn't really see her. When I heard, "Put that brick down", I was like, oh, that's my mother.

COOPER: What did you think when you heard that voice?

SINGLETON: I know that's my mother. I know it's my mother. Ain't nobody else talk like that but my mother.

COOPER: And then what happened?

SINGLETON: It was World War III from right there.

COOPER: World War III?

SINGLETON: Yes. It was just like --

COOPER: What did you think? Were you embarrassed?

SINGLETON: I was embarrassed a little bit until she started talking to me, when we got home. She's telling basically like she did it because she cared about me. It was not to just embarrassed, just because she cared. COOPER: She was worried about you.

SINGLETON: Right. She didn't want me to get in trouble by the law. She didn't want me to be another Freddie Gray or anybody else that got killed by the police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: You know, the most important part of what happened may not be the famous video that people are watching again and again, but what the son said. They had a conversation when they got home. It is what they talked about at home that may be more important and where the real parenting, Christine, that comes into play. When the parent explains why I don't want you out on the streets and the implication.

ROMANS: I saw a headline yesterday. It said, forget the National Guard, send in the moms. Thanks, John, for that.

Pope Francis coming out in support of women. What about the Catholic Church? That's next.

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[04:57:41] ROMANS: Welcome back. I'm Christine Romans. Let's get an early start on your money.

Stocks down around the world. U.S. stock futures after news the U.S. economy faltered in the first quarter. Economic growth just 0.2 percent, folks. That's even worse than expected.

The Federal Reserve lowered its outlook for the American economy. The question there is it a temporary cold weather slow down or is it something bigger? It doesn't look like an interest rate hike will happen this summer.

The pope calling for equal pay for men and women. Pope Francis says the current pay gap around the world is, quote, "pure scandal". He says Christians have to change that. "Why is it taken for granted that women should earn less than men? Know they have the same rights."

Of course, women cannot be priests in the Catholic Church. But this is a pope who has made economic justice a big part of his platform for the church.

EARLY START continues right now.

Thousands protest from coast to coast. Demonstrators demand answers after the mysterious death of Freddie Gray, mysteriously injured during an arrest. This morning, the streets of Baltimore calm. But there are new explosive allegations about how Freddie Gray may have been injured. And still a lot of questions.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman. It is Thursday, April 30th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East here in Baltimore this morning.

Where this morning, the investigation, Christine, is really the story -- what new details are they finding out about that night that Freddie Gray was taken into police custody. So, the investigation is the story.

Also, the calm -- it is calm here this morning in the park in front of city hall where there were peaceful demonstrators in the evening. You can see the National Guard and Maryland state troopers out guarding the city hall here. They will be here for some time, I suspect.

Also last night, the curfew went into place at 10:00 p.m. really without incident. As quiet as it was here, it has been here for the last day or so, thousands of people were out on the streets across the country. Protests in many, many cities calling for justice in the death of Freddie Gray. These protests all coming as people want answers.

And we are getting new information, new reports about what might have happened to Freddie Gray's spine.