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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Former Officer Chauvin Convicted of Murdering George Floyd; Biden Calls Floyd Family After Chauvin Guilty Verdict; Chauvin Conviction May Reduce Pressure for Police Reform; Global Reactions to Derek Chauvin Guilty Verdict; Sports World React to Guilty Verdict in George Floyd's Death. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 21, 2021 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. It is 29 minutes past the hour here in New York.

It took a Minneapolis jury ten hours to convict Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd. Making real change in American policing, well that will take a lot longer.

People as far as the eye could see here, a powerful moment in George Floyd Square 11 months after he was killed right there. Fists raised committing to a fight for change.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Tuesday's rare conviction of a police officer may one day be seen as an inflection point. The verdict offering a moment of relief and reflection for George Floyd's brother Philonise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: It's been a long journey, and it's been less than a year. And the person that comes to my mind is 1955. And to me he was the first George Floyd. That was Emmett Till.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.

P. FLOYD: It was on CNN with Debra Watts, and she just brought him back to life. People forgot about him. But he was the first George Floyd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: You see other civil rights leaders there, Jesse Jackson, Reverend Al, all the verdicts they've seen have gone a different way. The jury has given its answer on this case, but big questions still remain.

ROMANS: Right, like what's next for Derek Chauvin, for Floyd's family, the three other officers charged in Floyd's death, for Minneapolis and for the country. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus is live for us in Minneapolis this morning. Good morning. What do you think happens next here? What is the mood there in Minneapolis this morning?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The mood this morning is calm. There was a collective exhale after months and months of waiting. What's next for Derek Chauvin, well, he is in prison and we expect to see a new booking photo today, charged and convicted on all three charges. The most serious charge carrying a maximum sentence of 40 years. But if you add in those other aggravating factors, Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, could spend more than 70 years in bars -- or behind bars in prison.

I spoke with members of George Floyd's family earlier this morning and we asked them what they hoped to see at sentencing, which will take place in June. And the family members we spoke with today, a cousin of Floyd and an aunt, said they will be fine with 40 years. The biggest thing for them was the verdict, that verdict means their voices were heard.

Meanwhile, you've heard a lot of folks talking about George Floyd is their Emmett Till. You might remember Emmett Till was a 14-year-old who was killed and lynched by white men back in the '50s. And when his body was discovered, his mother Mamie Till said she did not want the casket closed. She wanted the world to see what had been done to her son, sparking a movement, a civil rights movement. And here we are today with a different type of movement. Listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH WATTS, COUSIN OF EMMETT TILL: I'm so happy for the Floyd family because this is a moment, it's a watershed moment in our country, and it's a moment that we can shout, you know, victory and justice did prevail in this case. And I just know that we can begin to exhale, but only for a little moment because we have more work to do. And I'll tell you, we're still hoping for justice for Emmett Till as well. And we're still going to pursue that courageously, and we are determined to make sure that we right the wrongs of the past.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS (on camera): And that was Debra Watts you heard from, Emmett Till's cousin. She lives here in the Twin Cities, and she works tirelessly. It's also important to point out, you talk about the headline that's in the "Star Tribune" today. It says "convicted." that's what so many Minnesotans and people in outside of Minnesota hoped for but they weren't sure that would happen. And today many people say they feel seen. Back to you, Christina and Laura.

ROMANS: Minnesota and the world react. George Floyd mattered. That's what the sub-head says. Thank you so much for that Adrienne Broaddus. Talk to you soon -- Laura.

OK, let's bring in former Jared Fishman, a former DOJ prosecutor and founder and executive director of Justice Innovation Lab. Jared, so great to have you on this morning. Really appreciate it. Prosecutors were under so much pressure to secure a conviction in this case. You have tried so many of these cases yourself.

[04:35:00]

Just describe how rare it is to get a guilty verdict against a police officer like this, and why it's so hard.

JARED FISHMAN, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JUSTICE INNOVATION LAB: It's so hard because most jurors don't want to believe that police officers will misuse their force. They'll load the second guess officers when they use excessive force. People don't want to live in a society where police officers do this to citizens. And so, it's often hard for them to even believe what they are seeing with their own eyes.

JARRETT: It's interesting, Jared, you know, I remember in the closing argument you heard the prosecutor make that kind of appeal to the jury. And he said, I know it might be hard for you to think about a police officer doing something like this -- and I thought, doesn't seem that hard at all. But it's interesting that he wanted to make that sort of appeal. I think it speaks to exactly what you're saying there.

ROMANS: You know, Jared, let me ask you this. Three counts, maximum sentences of 40 years, 25 years, 10 years. What should we expect at his sentencing?

FISHMAN: Well, you're going to hear the prosecutors say over and over again this was murder and he should be held accountable as it is just like anyone else who gets charged with murder. The defense is going to try to show Chauvin's service over the years and try to mitigate this. Chauvin didn't wake up that morning to go kill someone. And it really comes down to the judge's perspective.

Listen, the communities have really responded to George Floyd. I think it opened a lot of people's eyes up and people want to see accountability the same way that anyone else in society would be held accountable for murdering someone.

JARRETT: So, the Attorney General Merrick Garland put out a statement last night saying, federal civil rights investigation is ongoing into this killing. Jared, you worked in that office. Do you think D.O.J. will bring federal charges here?

FISHMAN: It's a new administration. I have no idea what this administration would do. Listen, you know, he was found guilty of the highest charge in this case and so it comes down to whether or not the feds want to show, in addition to it being murder, it was also excessive force. It was a misuse -- it was abuse of constitutional rights as well. So I think we'll have to wait and see on that one.

ROMANS: You have written about the difference between justice and accountability. I want you to listen to Minnesota's Attorney General here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEITH ELLISON, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I would not call today's verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice. And now the cause of justice is in your hands. And when I say your hands, I mean the hands of the people of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS (on camera): What's your reaction?

FISHMAN: I couldn't agree more. I think convicting officers for wrongdoing is necessary, but it's insufficient for getting justice. Far too often after these cases, people say, look, we held the accountable party, found him guilty. They called him a bad apple. They move on.

But what we have seen in this case and so many others is these aren't just the actions of individual officers. They take place in a system where day in and day out the lives, particularly of communities of color and low income communities are affected by the way we police them. And if we are going to stop future killings, then we have to change the system.

JARRETT: I think the evidence shows here it's not about the apples, it's about the roots of the tree. Jared, thank you so much for getting up early for us. Really appreciate it. Thanks so much.

FISHMAN: Thanks, good morning.

JARRETT: As for the three other officers who took part in George Floyd's murder, Tou Thao, Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane, they were all fired and arrested after Floyd's death. They will stand trial on August 23rd. Charged with aiding and abetting, second degree murder, and second degree manslaughter. Aiding and abetting murder is punishable by up to 40 years in prison in Minnesota. During much of the arrest, Kueng and Lane were helping Chauvin restrain Floyd while Tou was standing nearby keeping onlookers back.

ROMANS: All right, Derek Chauvin will spend a long time in prison, but what does his conviction mean for policing reform bill on Capitol Hill?

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Those are members of the Congressional Black Caucus reacting in real time here, a visceral reaction as they watched that verdict come down in Derek Chauvin's case. Before the verdict Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to CNN about the difference that video made.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's say there is a guilty verdict on the highest charge. It will not take away the pain of the Floyd family. It will not take away the pain of the communities, all communities, regardless of their color or geographic location that felt sadness and anger in what they witnessed in that video. And it will not heal the pain that existed for generations, that has

existed for generations among people who have experienced and firsthand witnessed what now a broader public is seeing because of smartphones and the ubiquity of our ability to videotape in real time what is happening in front much our faces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Once the verdict was read, President Biden made a call to the family and their attorney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm just, we're all so relieved not just one verdict, but all three, all three counts. And it's really important. I'm anxious to see you guys. I really am. We're going to get a lot more done. We're going to do get police -- we're going to do a lot. We're going to stay at it until we get it done.

BENJAMIN CRUMP, FLOYD FAMILY ATTORNEY: Hopefully, this is the momentum for the George Floyd justice and Policing Act to get passed to have you sign.

BIDEN: You got it Pal. That and a lot more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: So, what does this conviction mean in Washington for larger policing reform? CNN's Daniella Diaz is live on Capitol Hill with that piece of this. Daniela, a lot of talk yesterday from the Floyd family about seeing the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act as you heard Benjamin Crump there, get passed. They want to see this happen. Remind us what's in that Bill and what are the chances it can actually get passed?

[04:45:00]

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, Congresswoman Karen Bass who is leading the effort on police reform is hopeful that after Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict that they'll be able to pass a bill, a bipartisan bill through Congress. But look, there's still a lot of obstacles facing this legislation and the ability for it to pass.

Right now there are only informal negotiations happening on this legislation. That's how Karen Bass has described this. It's informal discussions, nothing formal, no formal negotiations.

And Democrats and Republicans can't agree on certain issues to be able to pass a bipartisan bill. Specifically, Democrats want to gut qualified immunity which protects police officers in civil court, while Republicans want to maintain it. But Bass told reporters yesterday that she is still very optimistic that they'll be able to pass a bipartisan bill.

She is working with two separate Senators from across aisle on this issue. First being Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democrat, and Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina to be able to pass a bill through the Senate. But the White House has emphasized that this is a priority for them. Obviously in their remarks yesterday at the White House after this guilty verdict. They said that they want to police reform through Congress.

And Vice President Kamala Harris really spoke to why she believes this is an important issue during her remarks yesterday at the White House. Here's what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Here's the truth about racial injustice. It is not just a black America problem or a people of color problem. It is a problem for every American. It is keeping us from fulfilling the promise of liberty and justice for all. And it is holding our nation back from realizing our full potential.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ (on camera): So as you heard there, Vice President Kamala Harris is really emphasizing that she believes this is an issue for the entire country. But one part of this I didn't mention was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi facing some backlash yesterday for remarks she made at a press conference with the Congressional Black Caucus after the verdict. She thanked George Floyd for sacrificing his life for justice and faced a lot of backlash on social media for thanking George Floyd for dying for this guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin and the importance that this has been given of police reform.

But, of course, she walked back her comments in a tweet after her remarks where she said she wished George Floyd was still alive, recognizing that her comments were controversial at this press conference.

JARRETT: Yes, I think controversial puts it mildly there. All right, Daniella, thank you so much. Appreciate it. We'll be right back.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JARRETT: Much of the world is just waking up to the news of Derek Chauvin's conviction. The U.K. facing its own hard questions about racism over these last 12 months. It started with Black Lives Matter protests last summer. It was re-ignited with Harry and Meghan's explosive interview with Orpah. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is live in London with more. Salma, how is the Chauvin's verdict being received where you are?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: You know, Laura, I cannot overemphasize just how huge George Floyd's death was across Europe. Not just here in the U.K. You had tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets and, yes, they were chanting George Floyd's name, but that very quickly turned inward. Demonstrators started asking for change in their own countries, holding their own government to account. Wanting to see systemic racism tackled here at home. But they're often going to hear here -- or people of color, rather,

often hear here, the phrase that racism does not exist. And you hear it from people who point to the United States and say, over there where they have those viral videos of police brutality, that's where racism is. Here in Europe we don't have it, we're liberals.

And it is a taboo conversation by every meaning of the word and that's what George Floyd's death did here. It forced people to talk about the tough stuff, to talk about systemic racism, to talk about the history of colony and empire. And I've traveled up and down and I have seen this play out. I have seen statues of slave traders being toppled. I've seen local governments trying to rename streets because they were named after merchants of enslaved Africans. I've seen viral moments where you had a Black Lives Matter protester rescue a white man who was against the BLM movement, carry him on his shoulder. All of these moments.

These are moments that anti-racism activists hold onto. That Harry and Meghan interview with Orpah that we saw just a few weeks ago about racism in the palace. This is what anti-racism activist point to and say we need to have these conversations. We need to be talking about these issues.

But I'm going to tell you, it's really tough. It's very challenging. That's why this is so encouraging to see this verdict for anti-racism activists. I'll give you an example. Here in the U.K. in the wake of Black Lives Matter, a race report was issued. It was released last month. It found that systemic racism does not exist in the U.K. You can imagine the backlash. Today the United Nation speaking out and saying the report is tone deaf and that's what's happening here, Laura. People are saying, stop covering your ears, let's talk about it. This is important we need to tackle it, we need to tackle it now, Laura, because the world is changing.

[04:55:00]

JARRETT: We need to tackle it and need to at least start having that conversation. It is long overdue. Salma, thank you so much.

ROMANS: Yes, the world is changing, right. The sports world has brought so much attention to the Black Lives Matter movement over the last year. Minnesota's four major sports teams, the Twins, Timberwolves, Vikings, the Wild, all responding with relief that there was justice for George Floyd. They reiterated their commitment to social justice. Also, former NBA and WNBA stars sharing their feelings and what they hope it will mean.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, FORMER NBA STAR: Justice was served, and we still have a long time to go. The fact that we're sitting there not knowing what's going to happen, that still means we have a long way to go. We expected that, you know, the outcome was going to be like this, but we expected that a lot of times and then the outcome was different. I was just saying to myself I hope they do the right thing because if they don't, they're going to tear this mother up. (END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DWYANE WADE, 3-TIME NBA CHAMPION: I was sitting in front of the TV watching the verdict come down, and my hands started sweating. My body started shivering and my heart started pounding because I was nervous. I was nervous because I didn't believe, right. I'm sitting in front of the TV and I didn't believe. And even when the verdict came down and all charges that we wanted was met, I still was staring at the TV listening to the judge because I was thinking there was an out coming, because we've never seen this. Like Shaq said, you can't celebrate this. But if it was any win today, to me it was a win for accountability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDACE PARKER, WNBA ALL-STAR: We're sitting here on a sports show speaking about justice and speaking about things that are going on within our court system. It's not OK to just be a bystander of justice or our political system or democracy. And I think democracy, we think of as a destination and it's a continuous journey and it has to be thought of that way.

And just because we're athletes, just because we're stay-at-home moms or businessmen or doctors or lawyers, whatever we are, like we have to actively participate in that because if we don't we're not doing our job, and we're failing the generation that comes after us.

And I just think, you look at the past and how many people before had to die and had to not receive justice for this to happen today. And I just think we can't, we can't hide behind badges, money, power, race, gender, we can't hide behind those things because that's not justice. We're lying to ourselves if we continue to think that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Powerful conversation. In the meantime, the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders have been criticized for posting this. Curiously think about this one. The team's owner says, you know, they were playing off what George Floyd's brother said, that he can finally breathe, following that verdict. But getting a lot of blowback from people who said it just was not the right tone.

JARRETT: They were roasted a lot for that yesterday. And they had it pinned to their Twitter page. They look like they have now taken that down.

ROMANS: Which was interesting.

JARRETT: For the last word this morning we turn to Leslie Redmond, former president of the Minneapolis NAACP and founder of the group Don't Complain, Activate. She offers perspective on what should happen now. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESLIE E. REDMOND, FORMER PRESIDENT, MINNEAPOLIS NAACP: This is not just for black people, right. I always tell people we are the human race. And so, I'm encouraging everyone to get activated. Recognizing that justice in this case does not only look like Chauvin being convicted, but it looks like black people's human dignity being respected and our humanity being valued. And so I'm urging each and every person to do what they can do.

Recognizing that none of us can do everything, but everyone can do something. So whether it's calling up your councilmember or your mayor or your senator, whether it's going to a local school board meeting and making sure people are being educated about black history, because that is American history. No matter what it is, going to a protest, speaking out against injustice when you hear it, you know, condemning and hoping to dismantle white supremacy in whatever way you can, whether you're a mom or a dad, an artist, an entrepreneur, we can all do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: So well put. I think, you know, as Candice Parker said, we should not be bystanders to justice, right. This is not something that is a both sides issue. This is not something that we should have a hard time taking a stance on.

ROMANS: Let's hope these powerful conversations continue way beyond the headlines and that this is a real conversation going forward here. All right, thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. New day starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to viewers here this the United States and around the world. I am Brianna Keilar alongside John Berman. And it is Wednesday, April 21st.

The front page of the Minnesota "Star Tribune" says it all, convicted. The newspaper describing the guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin's murder trial as a moment of victory in a history of injustice. Overnight, spontaneous celebrations breaking out across the country. America collectively exhaling.