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New Security Measures Instituted at New York City Hall
Aired July 24, 2003 - 15:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: One day after a deadly shooting inside New York's City Hall, new security measures are in place. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg set an example by being the first official to follow his own order by walking through the metal detectors.
CNN's Michael Okwu live at City Hall now -- Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, good afternoon.
City Hall trying to get back up to speed today, but, certainly, it is not the same. The flags in front of City Hall continue to fly at half-staff. And today, everybody was remembering what happened just 24 hours earlier. Mayor Michael Bloomberg personally thanked police officer Richard Burt. And Police Commissioner Ray Kelly promoted him to detective.
Now, the swearing-in took place in front of City Hall staffers, the media, and members of Burt's family. Burt, of course, is the officer who fired six rounds at Othniel Askew. Askew was the gunman, of course, who killed city councilman James Davis. He is a nine-year veteran of the police department. He was a uniformed member of the intelligence division. And we understand that he was actually filling in yesterday to cover the security detail for one of the city councilmen.
Here's Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: When Officer Burt saw Mr. Askew shooting, officer Burt instinctively did what he had to do to save lives, putting himself in harm's way.
What is most incredible about this is how his actions -- how he was able to hit the assassin -- and that's the only way as to describe Mr. Askew, I think -- to hit the assassin from such a distance in the midst of so much confusion. And he did it without harming any innocent people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: For his part, Burt was very humble about his newfound status as a hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD BURT, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Myself, my family, New York City, the police department, would like to send our condolences to the family of James Davis. I don't consider myself a hero. I just did my job. I did what I was trained to do. And I'm glad everything worked out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Everybody was wondering how an armed gunman could have gotten into City Hall.
The fact is that those two men entered together, the gunman, as well as a city councilman. And they were able to bypass the metal detectors. Today, that was not the story. Dozens of city councilmen went through the magnetometers, as did Mayor Michael Bloomberg himself, the mayor making it very clear that that is a policy that will now stand. He also made the point that any law enforcement -- active law enforcement official could have a weapon, but only active law enforcement officials.
We understand that the councilman killed yesterday, a former police officer, had a gun on his person, City Hall and the mayor not wanting to take any chances again in the future -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael, meanwhile, any new developments with regard to this relationship that the councilman had with the man who shot him?
OKWU: Well, there are all sorts of allegations and cross- allegations flying about at this point.
There was a call apparently placed to the FBI just within the past 48 hours, before the incident actually took place. Somebody calling himself Askew said that Davis, the councilman, had been harassing him. For their part, Davis' press people said today that those actions and those assertions were absolutely preposterous and that they did not warrant any more comment.
At this point, Davis' people are getting ready to remember him this weekend. There's a great deal of mourning taking place here at City Hall, as well as the fact that investigators are still taking a look at some of the surveillance pictures, some of the cameras that were taken before the two men entered into the building, Kyra. They want to try to ascertain just how the relationship might have gone sour, what was going on just minutes before the shooting began -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael Okwu, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 24, 2003 - 15:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: One day after a deadly shooting inside New York's City Hall, new security measures are in place. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg set an example by being the first official to follow his own order by walking through the metal detectors.
CNN's Michael Okwu live at City Hall now -- Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, good afternoon.
City Hall trying to get back up to speed today, but, certainly, it is not the same. The flags in front of City Hall continue to fly at half-staff. And today, everybody was remembering what happened just 24 hours earlier. Mayor Michael Bloomberg personally thanked police officer Richard Burt. And Police Commissioner Ray Kelly promoted him to detective.
Now, the swearing-in took place in front of City Hall staffers, the media, and members of Burt's family. Burt, of course, is the officer who fired six rounds at Othniel Askew. Askew was the gunman, of course, who killed city councilman James Davis. He is a nine-year veteran of the police department. He was a uniformed member of the intelligence division. And we understand that he was actually filling in yesterday to cover the security detail for one of the city councilmen.
Here's Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: When Officer Burt saw Mr. Askew shooting, officer Burt instinctively did what he had to do to save lives, putting himself in harm's way.
What is most incredible about this is how his actions -- how he was able to hit the assassin -- and that's the only way as to describe Mr. Askew, I think -- to hit the assassin from such a distance in the midst of so much confusion. And he did it without harming any innocent people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: For his part, Burt was very humble about his newfound status as a hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD BURT, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Myself, my family, New York City, the police department, would like to send our condolences to the family of James Davis. I don't consider myself a hero. I just did my job. I did what I was trained to do. And I'm glad everything worked out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Everybody was wondering how an armed gunman could have gotten into City Hall.
The fact is that those two men entered together, the gunman, as well as a city councilman. And they were able to bypass the metal detectors. Today, that was not the story. Dozens of city councilmen went through the magnetometers, as did Mayor Michael Bloomberg himself, the mayor making it very clear that that is a policy that will now stand. He also made the point that any law enforcement -- active law enforcement official could have a weapon, but only active law enforcement officials.
We understand that the councilman killed yesterday, a former police officer, had a gun on his person, City Hall and the mayor not wanting to take any chances again in the future -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael, meanwhile, any new developments with regard to this relationship that the councilman had with the man who shot him?
OKWU: Well, there are all sorts of allegations and cross- allegations flying about at this point.
There was a call apparently placed to the FBI just within the past 48 hours, before the incident actually took place. Somebody calling himself Askew said that Davis, the councilman, had been harassing him. For their part, Davis' press people said today that those actions and those assertions were absolutely preposterous and that they did not warrant any more comment.
At this point, Davis' people are getting ready to remember him this weekend. There's a great deal of mourning taking place here at City Hall, as well as the fact that investigators are still taking a look at some of the surveillance pictures, some of the cameras that were taken before the two men entered into the building, Kyra. They want to try to ascertain just how the relationship might have gone sour, what was going on just minutes before the shooting began -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael Okwu, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
