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Tennessee Dragnet; The Iran Connection; News Conference on Tennessee Courthouse Shooting

Aired August 10, 2005 - 13:59   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGINA BISHOP, GEORGE HYATTE'S SISTER: (INAUDIBLE) wherever you at, for God's sake, please, please call. Please give it up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TONY HARRIS, CNN HOST: A sister's plea to her fugitive brother and his wife who is accused in a deadly courthouse shooting. We are standing by. Moments away from a live news conference on the search.

Nuclear weapon or nuclear energy. New developments that may leave the world wondering what Iran is up to.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Wounded, maybe. Desperate, dangerous, daring, apparently. At large, absolutely. More than a day after a courthouse shootout that sprung an inmate and killed a prison guard in Tennessee, the inmate and his wife, a former prison nurse, are being compared to Bonnie and Clyde. Though their family hope they don't end up the same way.

We're expecting a news conference at any time with the Roane County sheriff. While we wait, the latest on the manhunt and woman hunt from CNN's David Mattingly in Kingston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities are looking for a gold Chevy van, license plate GFU155. That according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It was stolen, they say, from Hendersonville, Tennessee, where they also say Jennifer Hyatte is from.

The parking lot where the shooting happened is an open, public, unsecured area. The courthouse has no secured entrance for the transfer of inmates. The county sheriff tells us that given the circumstances, there was no way that this deadly ambush and escape could have been prevented.

JIM MOORE, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Well, we're continuing to run leads. And as we speak, family members are being interviewed of Mr. Hyatte.

MATTINGLY: And what have you learned from them? MOORE: Well, it wouldn't be proper for me to share what they've said at this point, but we are -- we are still interested in what they have to say.

MATTINGLY: David Mattingly, CNN, Kingston, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: More now on those family members. George Hyatte's mother and brother and sister are beside themselves with worry and reaching out the only way they can.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGINA BISHOP, GEORGE HYATTE'S SISTER: George, wherever you at, for god's sake, please, please call. Please give it up before it be another tragic death. And it's not worth it, brother. It's just not worth it.

So please just call us. Please, so we can -- so this can be resolved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HYATTE, GEORGE HYATTE'S BROTHER: The thing is, he's a nice, loving, easy going guy. You know, he really is. But he's scared.

You know, he does different when he gets scared. When I get scared, I break down and cry. When he gets scared, he gets in his defenses, you know, where he thinks he has to tackle the world. And that's -- that's a bad deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Live pictures now from just outside the Roane County Courthouse. That's in Kingston, Tennessee. We'll bring you that live news conference when it begins from just outside the courthouse.

It's been another deadly 24 hours in Iraq. Both the U.S. and Iraqi death tolls have grown after a series of insurgent strikes. Meanwhile, a deadline looms for politicians working on the country's constitution.

CNN's Aneesh Raman is keeping track of all the developments in Baghdad.

Hello, Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, good afternoon.

As you say, the U.S. force death toll here continues to rise. The military announcing that six American troops were killed in Iraq yesterday in various incidents. Four of them, though, about 120 miles north of the capital in the town of Baiji, in what the military is calling a "complex attack."

The Task Force Liberty Soldiers were driving in their armored vehicle to investigate an incident when they hit a landmine. And following the explosion, insurgents came up on them with small arms fire. Pictures today of the aftermath, as well as citizens there right around the scene where this took place.

It brings, Tony, to well over 40 now the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq since August 1, just a week and a half ago, and shows how dangerous parts of this country remain. That reminded again in the capital as well today.

A suicide car bomb detonating earlier today, targeting an Iraqi police convoy. At least six people were killed. Included in the death toll, two Iraqi police officers. Fourteen other people were wounded.

All of this a are violent backdrop as progress continues to try to be put forward in the constitutional drafting. Leaders of the various political factions meeting again today for marathon talks to try and hammer out some of those quite substantive remaining issues, Tony, from federalism, to the role of Islam, to oil revenue and how it will be distributed in Iraq. All of that towards a deadline now just days away, August 15, Tony, the day by which they have to have this draft completed -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. Aneesh Raman for us in Baghdad. Aneesh, thank you.

One of Iraq's neighbors is coming under fire from the Pentagon. Iran is hinting it can make trouble in the region, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is calling the country's actions notably unhelpful.

CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the latest worry about the Iraq insurgency, the Pentagon has confirmed Iran is now smuggling weapons into Iraq.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: It is true that weapons, clearly, unambiguously from Iran, have been found in Iraq.

STARR: Military officials tell CNN Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is talking about a truckload of explosives seized recently at a border checkpoint. Explosive devices more sophisticated than the improvised explosive devices, IEDs, so many have come to fear on the streets of Iraq.

U.S. intelligence officials believe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, but not the central government in Tehran, may be behind it. Either way, Rumsfeld is furious.

RUMSFELD: If one sees it there on the ground, you identify it, it's from Iran, and you don't know who brought it in, or who tolerated it being brought in, and who facilitated it to be brought in, who sold it to someone to take in -- to bring in. What you do know of certain knowledge is the Iranians did not stop it from coming in.

STARR: This, as the insurgency continues its march of violence. News agency video from a U.S. military drone showing insurgents scrambling after firing mortars, trying to escape attack by U.S. forces in Haditha a few days ago. But they didn't get very far.

As the violence continues, General Richard Myers says the insurgency retains much of its punch.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: And their capacity has stayed about the same, in terms of numbers of incidents, particularly the number of incidents that have any effect, wounding people, killing people, be they coalition or being the Iraqis or whatever.

STARR (on camera): In one of the worst attacks against U.S. forces, the Pentagon now confirms the roadside bomb that killed 14 Marines in Haditha last week was made up of three mines strung together.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: The seals are off. Can the gloves be far behind? The world observes with various degrees of alarm the long threatened resumption of Iran's uranium conversion program, though its supreme leader insists it will never produce or acquire nuclear weapons.

CNN's Walter Rodgers has the latest from an urgent meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, there are deep divisions within the International Atomic Energy Agency here over how to deal exactly with Iran's restart of its controversial nuclear conversion program at the Isfahan nuclear power station. The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, according to western diplomatic sources, are now inclined to go to the U.N. Security Council in the autumn and seek sanctions, or at least threaten Iran with sanctions unless they stop this nuclear conversion process.

But there is no unanimity within the IAEA, a 35-member panel. Indeed, some of the non-aligned countries are disinclined to toward any confrontation with the Iranians.

One of the reasons, yesterday, the Iranian chief of delegation here, Syrus Naziri (ph), actually threatened the west, threatened the west with higher oil prices if there's any confrontation with -- if there's any confrontation with Iran over its nuclear facility. Indeed, they said they could be helpful on Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, but if, again, there was no help, they're going to -- if there's a confrontation, they're saying there will be no cooperation. Indeed, the Iranians might make mischief, according to diplomats. Back to you, Tony.

HARRIS: OK. CNN's Walter Rodgers. Walter, thank you.

TONY HARRIS, CNN HOST: We want to get you right now to the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston, Tennessee, where we're getting more information on the investigation and the search for George and Jennifer Hyatte.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JENNIFER JOHNSON, PIO, TENNESSEE BUREA OF INVESTIGATION: ... opportunity to ask those questions about the rumors that are out there. And hopefully we can get some good information out.

We hesitate to try and narrow it down to a specific state or a specific area in Tennessee until we feel 100 percent sure that we have a credible sighting. The last thing that we want to do is put out information that these individuals are in one place and lull people in other areas into a false sense of complacency, where they think that they're OK.

We do, again, consider them dangerous. And if any sees them, we would encourage them to first call 911, and then call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

I'm going to open it up to questions. And I also want to let you all know some of the people who are behind me here.

We have the Kingston police chief, Jim Washam. We also have Jim Moore, who is the special agent in charge of this region for the TBI.

Jack Moore with the FBI is here. Danny Wright (ph) with the THP, and Ron Gibbs (ph) with the U.S. Marshal Service. And I apologize if I've left anyone out here.

We'll open it up to questions, and I will field what questions I can. Anything that I can't answer, I'll call one of these gentlemen up to the podium to try and answer.

QUESTION: Can you move closer to the mike?

JOHNSON: Yes, I can.

QUESTION: What do you their condition is right now? We understand that the woman may have been shot and he may still be in shackles. Is that still your understanding?

JOHNSON: The information about her injuries came out early on. There were two vehicles involved in this. One being the Ford Explorer.

That vehicle had a substantial amount of blood in the driver's seat. We believe that she was driving that vehicle, and for that reason we believe she was injured. It's impossible for us to gauge exactly how badly she was injured or try to speculate on that, beyond saying that we do think she was injured. And we have been in contact with hospitals and hope that we will be notified if anyone sees them.

QUESTION: You describe them as clearly dangerous. Can you sort of explain what you think they're capable of doing if a person should come across them?

JOHNSON: Well, we're not too far away from where the situation happened. And I think she has displayed what she is capable of herself.

I think, as far as he goes, he has a lengthy record. He is serving a 35-year sentence. And his behavior as well, he has displayed himself to be a danger and a threat to the community.

QUESTION: Before, you were looking for a possible third person and possible accomplice. Are you still looking for another third person?

JOHNSON: I'm going to turn that over to Jim Moore at this point.

MOORE: We are looking for any that has had any contact. We are still talking with George Hyatte's family to see if he had any assistance. But at this time, we don't have anything concrete, if there was a third or fourth person involved.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Any contact with her family?

MOORE: Yes. We're talking to her family. She has family in Utah and family in Tennessee. We're talking to those people.

QUESTION: Any lead there?

MOORE: Yes, there are leads.

QUESTION: You said there were a lot of reported sightings of the couple. Have there been any confirmed sightings?

MOORE: None at this time, no.

QUESTION: May I ask you, sir, the same question? What do you think they are capable of? Can you explain how dangerous you think they might be?

MOORE: Well, obviously they're capable of killing someone, because they did that yesterday here in this parking lot. So that's about as dangerous as you can get.

QUESTION: And how -- what kind of efforts are you making to try to capture them before they imperil other people?

MOORE: We're using everything that's available to us, every agency, every -- any kind of technology. We're using everything that's available to us at this time

QUESTION: Door-to-door searches?

MOORE: Door-to-door searches, running all these leads. Using -- we've got the federal people behind us. They're offering up anything they can.

QUESTION: Do you have any surveillance?

QUESTION: Do you still believe they're in the gold van?

MOORE: We don't have anything at this point to say that they're not.

QUESTION: Do you have any surveillance video of the parking lot? And if so, what has it shown you?

MOORE: There is surveillance video of the parking lot. We have not viewed that at this point. We have people en route to make that available to us, where we can see it.

QUESTION: So you never looked at it yourself?

MOORE: No, I hadn't seen it in its entirety, no.

QUESTION: What about gas stations (INAUDIBLE)?

MOORE: You might check with the chief, Chief Washam, on that. I'm not aware, sir.

QUESTION: You said you haven't seen it in its entirety. What have you seen?

MOORE: I've only seen -- it's a -- I've only seen pieces. It's a time-lapsed video.

QUESTION: When you say it's time-lapsed, what have you seen?

MOORE: I've seen pieces of a time-lapsed video of the courtroom.

JOHNSON: If I could just address that for a second. The video that we've obtained from the courthouse is on a hard drive, from what I understand. It's not something as simple as putting in a tape and viewing it.

And to be quite honest with you, with these two dangerous people out, we're not so concerned about trying to retrace what happened here, but we're trying to focus most of our energy on finding them before anything else happens.

QUESTION: Are you tracing cell phone records?

JOHNSON: We don't want to get into any kind of technology that we may be using. I mean, certainly, if we were to give up secrets about what we're doing it would be counterproductive and very destructive to the investigation. QUESTION: May we speak with any of the local officials?

JOHNSON: Certainly. I believe the sheriff and the police chief are here.

QUESTION: May I ask, do you feel that you were at a disadvantage because it's a rural facility, there's only one door to come in and out of? Are people put in jeopardy?

JIM WASHAM, KINGSTON, TENNESSEE, POLICE: Well, I can't really answer that. I'm not over the security of the courthouse. And the protocol yesterday they went through is apparently they did everything that they were supposed to do. And this -- this incident happened.

QUESTION: Do you find it stunning that this happened in your back yard?

WASHAM: Well, I think anybody would feel that way, yes.

QUESTION: Chief, a curiosity question. Any idea how he got out of those shackles?

WASHAM: Not at this time.

QUESTION: Was he shot out? Or...

WASHAM: We've not located the shackles nor him, so we can't answer that. We don't know.

QUESTION: Was he shackled to others, or just shackled himself?

WASHAM: Shackled himself.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) shackles?

WASHAM: Apparently, yes.

QUESTION: It sounded like he was pretty well shackled, too. If you could just describe briefly, like, where the shackles were.

WASHAM: Well, they were on -- he had shackles on his feet, and then he was cuffed also. His hands were cuffed.

QUESTION: Would he be able to drive a car with those on?

WASHAM: I don't see how. There -- that may be a possibility. If he -- if he got out of one, there might be a possibility that he could. But if he's still shackled -- if he was still shackled in both, it would be hard to do.

QUESTION: What can you tell us about what sort of evidence they may have left behind? Anything they may have done here in town?

WASHAM: Well, right now, the evidence is still being gone through with TBI and my department. And we're trying to stay on top of that, along with trying to locate these subjects. QUESTION: Do you think they've left town?

WASHAM: Right now, we've had leads here locally and stretching out of state, and following up on each lead as we can. And right now, it's hard to say.

QUESTION: Are you worried they might still be in town?

WASHAM: Well, I think that's in the back of everybody's mind, the citizens here in Kingston, along with all local law enforcement. And we've been doing a lot of extra patrols, back roads, trying to locate maybe the vehicles or something they left behind.

QUESTION: Are you all still searching here? We've seen a helicopter flying around.

WASHAM: We're still searching here, yes.

QUESTION: Where are you doing the search?

WASHAM: We're doing a lot of extra patrols, along with my department, the sheriff's department. And we've also got other local agencies that have come in to assist us.

QUESTION: Are all of the family members being cooperative?

WASHAM: Yes, at this time.

QUESTION: To what extent have their leads helped or hurt?

WASHAM: Well, we've had some that's helped and we've had some that's hurt.

QUESTION: Can you talk about the weapon used?

WASHAM: It was a handgun.

QUESTION: No shotgun?

WASHAM: No shotgun.

QUESTION: Were the vehicles stolen (INAUDIBLE)?

WASHAM: The SUV belonged to Jennifer, and the other one belonged to one of her employees.

QUESTION: One of her employees?

WASHAM: She works in private health, was a nurse. She worked as nurse, and it was one of her patient's vehicles.

QUESTION: Is there any indication, Chief, how she alone -- or do you think she alone somehow got two vehicles in from out of town here?

WASHAM: We're still working on that at this time. We've got some leads in within the last couple of hours, more information about how they were delivered. And we're checking up on those at this time.

QUESTION: Are you looking for video surveillance from businesses in this area?

WASHAM: Yes.

QUESTION: Any particular ones?

WASHAM: Around the crime scene here and around the crime scene out on Third Street, behind the subway where the vehicle was located.

QUESTION: Do you have any information from the Tennessee Department of Corrections that would lead (ph) to this organization today given their relationship with each other?

WASHAM: There is some information right now that we have -- that we have come across that they have had a relationship, yes.

QUESTION: Did that help any in organizing this, as far as routine, schedule?

WASHAM: Well, they -- they worked real -- they worked diligently on this -- this escape. They worked hard at it.

QUESTION: Can you please give us just a little bit more on exactly what it is that indicates there was prior planning for yesterday's breakout?

WASHAM: Well, you've got vehicles that have brought to this area, you've got escape vehicles that have brought in here, that they've left in. That's one thing. I mean, she -- she definitely brought a weapon to this area for some reason, and there's different leads that we're -- you know, that we're checking into on how she obtained those items.

QUESTION: How would she have known the time? (INAUDIBLE) in advance?

WASHAM: Well, the court time, she would have known the court time.

QUESTION: And do we know yet if there was some (INAUDIBLE) man possibly from (INAUDIBLE)?

WASHAM: We have heard that the -- that Mr. Hyatte did yell, "Shoot him!"

QUESTION: Do you know how they planned this? Was it phone calls, letters?

WASHAM: At this time, we're checking every lead. It's been a little bit of both. They've had correspondence.

QUESTION: The inmate's involvement?

WASHAM: We're still checking into that also. JOHNSON: Can I just add something to that? It really -- we don't have a representative from the Department of Correction here. And I'd hate to start speculating on various things that they may have more information on, and certainly getting into the details of the investigation and what we're doing on that at this point.

QUESTION: Was there any evidence found at the hotel where she might have stayed?

WASHAM: There were some items left behind.

QUESTION: Can you tell us what they are?

WASHAM: Not at this time.

QUESTION: How many shots were fired at her?

WASHAM: Right now, we're still not sure.

QUESTION: Talk about her appearance. They said -- you all said that she possibly is cutting her hair. How true (INAUDIBLE)?

WASHAM: I've not heard that.

QUESTION: What county were the people registered in?

WASHAM: I'm not sure about that either at this time.

QUESTION: Have you guys found anything as far as seeking medical help? She's a nurse...

WASHAM: Not anything yet.

QUESTION: May we ask the sheriff some question?

Sir, were you given any notification that a particularly dangerous or any reason to believe a particularly dangerous person was coming here and should be watched with extra care, given that he's had prior escape attempts?

SHERIFF DAVID HAGGARD, ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE: No. We're usually not notified with state inmates, because the prison system has its own officers, they do their own transportation. And it's pretty much a regular event that occurs while criminal court is in session. And they've got well trained people, and they've always been successful getting the people in and out.

QUESTION: Can you describe the mood of the people your deputies are coming into contact with in the area? Is there a lot of fear right now, concern that they could still be here?

HAGGARD: Well, we've not found anybody that's that concerned about it. But we've got a lot of people that want to call and report seeing vans and that sort of thing, the vehicle's description we're looking for. We're getting a lot of cooperation with the public calling in and giving us -- giving us that information. QUESTION: How confident are you that these people will be caught quickly?

HAGGARD: I'm very confident.

QUESTION: Sheriff, recently your procedures for transporting prisoners from here to other places has changed. Can you talk a little about that?

HAGGARD: Well, if you're referring to a new building that we will be building here in the new future, we hope to have a justice center built fairly soon. Well, the planning will start soon. The construction will take a while, but we're looking to build a justice center with a sally port, and that's a garage-type facility that you drive into, and you can unload prisoners in secure areas that way, and you transport them from your vehicle into the courtroom.

QUESTION: And again, that was recently voted on?

HAGGARD: That was Monday night that was voted in by the county commission.

QUESTION: Do you think procedures need to be changed immediately in light of what just happened?

HAGGARD: Well, I can't tell the other departments how to conduct their business. But as far as our department, we -- we use -- we have to come from our building and walk across the street and into the courthouse, and we use a secured area to bring them in through a stairwell.

We still have problems going through the hallways. It's just the building we've got, and that's what we have to -- what we have to use.

QUESTION: Sheriff, looking back on this now 24 hours later, (INAUDIBLE) what may have happened. Do you think there's anything that your people could have done or any body in position of authority could have done to stop this from happening, knowing that somebody's hell bent on doing something, they're going to do it?

HAGGARD: I don't think there's anything that could have been done, unless you're a mind reader and knew what those people were thinking, because it was just an ambush. You know, the lady had a right to come in and go to court with her husband, which she was notified when and where to be there. And no one would have suspected or known unless she had told someone and the information got out, which it didn't.

QUESTION: In terms of the investigation, Mr. Moore, have you posted signs? How are you notifying the public?

MOORE: We have -- we have a Web site that we have the information on. And we've also sent teletypes nationwide to all the law enforcement agencies and hospitals and so forth. But we have the information on the TBI Web site.

QUESTION: But you're not posting anything in -- you know, stores, community signs saying...

MOORE: No, we're not posting anything in local businesses.

QUESTION: Sir, can you give us your ideas about whether maybe -- can you give us a radius? Are we talking 500 miles, 1,000 miles (INAUDIBLE) assuming they kept driving and didn't stop?

MOORE: I wouldn't make that assumption. I don't know.

QUESTION: Mr. Moore, talk about the element of surprise and how big a role that had in this being successful.

MOORE: That would be something you need to talk with the Department of Corrections about, about their officers and how they were surprised.

QUESTION: May I ask you, you had said also earlier that this seems -- did this seem to you to be a very planned event? And why? What gave you the indication it was so carefully planned?

MOORE: I think it was planned because of the vehicles. As the chief said, there were other vehicles in the area for them to trade. We know that -- that they did stay -- she stayed locally one night here, and obviously she brought a weapon with her, and was in the courtroom and ready to do what she needed to do.

QUESTION: There have been various reports that they were getting help from his family. Has that -- has that proven true?

MOORE: I wouldn't want to comment on anything coming from his family at this time.

QUESTION: Roughly how many officials in total are working on this case nationwide?

MOORE: I wouldn't know. I wouldn't have any way to know. This went nationwide, so we hope that every police department, every sheriff's department is looking for this -- taking this information and using it.

QUESTION: Does TBI still lead in this investigation right now, not the FBI?

MOORE: That's correct. The governor's escape plan has been activated, and that makes us the lead agency, along with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Department of Corrections.

QUESTION: Does Jennifer have any criminal history?

MOORE: I didn't -- I didn't hear what...

QUESTION: Does Jennifer have any criminal history?

MOORE: Not that I'm aware of.

QUESTION: Since George was incarcerated this last time, how many court appearances has he had? And is there any indication that -- that she would have tried this in another-any other of those appearances?

MOORE: That would be another question that would be better addressed to DOC, Department of Corrections, and the -- and the court system.

QUESTION: How many court appearances has he had here?

QUESTION: With the TBI, you work with county law enforcement. You may not always work directly with them, but you talk. You guys know the concerns, you know what they need, you know what they're lacking.

Could you, if you could, please, speak a little bit about what happened here, the fact that you don't have a sally port? It's not just about this county. There are counties all across the country who don't have enough money to make that happen. And I assume they need it.

MOORE: That would be better addressed by the sheriff. He handles those situations every day.

QUESTION: Sheriff?

HAGGARD: I couldn't hear you very well where I was standing.

QUESTION: Not a problem, sir. It is not just Roane County, but counties all across the country who don't have enough money to build the sally ports and the structures that you need to give yourself, your crew, and the public the safety. Could you speak to that a little bit?

HAGGARD: That was the ideal situation to have, is to have a sally port, where you can safely unload prisoners and transport them. But you said exactly what the problem is, is a lack of funds all across the state of Tennessee and other states.

Not many counties have the money to build the buildings. And as I mentioned earlier, this building was constructed 31 years ago, when sally ports weren't thought of at that time. You'll look back over the last 10 to 15 years of new construction and you'll see all the buildings having sally ports built on to them.

QUESTION: This might be for either the sheriff or the chief. There's been a bit of a wide variety in what has been reported and exactly how it happened. Can one of you perhaps take us through a timeline of what you believe happened as she left the courtroom upstairs?

We've been hearing different things. Can you tell us sort of what happened and take us through in order of what you believe happened out here yesterday?

HAGGARD: From what we've been told, the lady left the courtroom. His wife left the courtroom first, ahead of the corrections officers, and come out into the parking lot, was in her vehicle. So when the corrections officers came down with their prisoner, as they approached the corrections van to load him back in, the prisoner yelled to his wife to open fire, which she did, striking the corrections officer. And at that time, the other corrections officer returned fire on her. The prisoner gets in the car with her, and they exit the parking lot.

QUESTION: Sir, I'm sorry, can you repeat that, but speak to the cameras instead?

HAGGARD: OK.

QUESTION: Sorry.

HAGGARD: As we've been told, Jennifer Hyatte had gone into the courtroom with her husband, and as his business was completed with the court, she left before the corrections officer and her husband did. She got her time to get out in the parking lot and get in her vehicle. And it was parked fairly close to close to the van that the corrections officers would transport George Hyatte in.

As they come back down to the van, it was told to us that he yelled out, "Open fire," which she did, striking one of the other officers. And the other officer returned fire, and we believe she was struck. But George Hyatte then got in the car with her and they exited the parking lot.

QUESTION: Sheriff, we were hearing witness reports that at that point he may have had the shackles off to be loaded into the van. Have you had anyone confirm that at all?

HAGGARD: I've not had anybody tell me that he was unshackled at all.

QUESTION: Is it policy to unshackle (INAUDIBLE)?

HAGGARD: No. No.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

JOHNSON: Well, the FBI and the U.S. Marshal Service are here just to answer specific questions. But they can't get into a lot of detail. So it's up to you if you want them to come forward. OK.

HARRIS: All right. Let's wrap up this news conference just outside of the courthouse in Roane County, Tennessee.

That is in Kingston, Tennessee. And you've heard from a number of people there that the county sheriff, Roane County sheriff, David Haggard, and then there was the Kingston police chief -- his name is Jim Washam. Then you heard just a moment ago, the very last speaker there, just briefly, was Jennifer Johnson, who was actually leading the news conference. She is with a Tennessee Bureau of Investigations.

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