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CNN Live Today

New Orleans Shooting; Back Behind Bars; U.S. Military Continues to Play Vital Role in Afghanistan

Aired December 27, 2005 - 10:59   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
A Florida judge has denied bond for a suspected serial rapist who was recaptured after escaping from a Miami jail a week ago. Police say a citizen's tip helped them recapture Reynaldo Rapalo last night. He's awaiting trial on sexual assault charges. Police say he's linked to multiple attacks on victims who range in age from 11 to 79.

The embattled New Orleans Police Department has another internal investigation to deal with after a group of officers shot and killed this man. The incident took place yesterday after the man left a pharmacy.

Witnesses say the man came out of the store waving a knife. A police spokesman calls the shooting justified. We have much more on the story straight ahead.

A fatal shooting spree has rattled Canada's biggest city. A teenager was killed and half a dozen other people were wounded in a hail of gunfire yesterday in downtown Toronto. The area was packed with holiday shoppers. Police have arrested two suspects and they're searching for several others.

Search crews in New Jersey are still looking for the body of a police officer whose vehicle plunged off of a drawbridge and into the Hackensack River Christmas night. Robert Nguyen and Sean Carson drove into the drawbridge -- onto the drawbridge during heavy fog and rain, not realizing that the bridge was up. Carson's body was recovered shortly after the incident.

Authorities in Iraq are investigating a grisly discovery. Construction workers laying a water pipeline in Karbala have found a mass grave containing the remains of up to 20 people. The victims believed to have been killed by Saddam Hussein's forces during an uprising in 1991.

To Russia now. Relatives of the Beslan school siege victims are reacting with anger after the release of an official report. In that report, prosecutors found no mistakes in the authority's handling of the September 2004 siege.

That three-day drama ended with the deaths of 331 people, many of them children. An earlier investigation blamed authorities for botching rescue efforts.

Good morning and welcome to the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY.

Checking the time around the world, just after 10:00 a.m. in New Orleans; just after 11:00 a.m. here in Atlanta; and about 8:30 p.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

A police spokesman says they had no other choice. But a fatal shooting by officers in New Orleans is raising questions about the use of deadly force. And a department struggling to rebuild its ranks is under scrutiny once again today. Witnesses say the man shot by police was waving a knife and lunged at one of the officers. Part of the confrontation was captured on videotape.

CNN's Sean Callebs has more now from New Orleans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The shooting came to a deadly conclusion right here on the corner of Felicity and St. Charles in the Lower Garden District of the city. Now, authorities say the victim forced the officers' hands by lunging at them with a knife that he had been wielding as he made his way up and down this street.

The drama began right across the street in a Walgreen's. Police say the suspect first assaulted an employee there. As he came out, he was confronted by officers who asked him to get down and surrender to authorities.

Now, we have some very dramatic pictures taken by an amateur photographer that showed just a number of officers who had surrounded this individual. They had actually hit him with pepper spray. They say it had virtually no effect. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiped his face off.

You can see him wielding a knife. And police say he was acting in a menacing fashion.

When they finally did corner him, at least 10 shots were fired by officers. So the question, was it too much force? Well, here's what the New Orleans police force has to say about that.

DAVE ADAMS, NEW ORLEANS POLICE SPOKESMAN: You have several officers out here, police officers right in front of him. Life is in imminent danger. He has to back out of the way to keep from being stabbed in his chest. I don't think it was too much force.

CALLEBS: Still, some residents here in the Lower Garden District say that lethal force was not necessary. They say that this individual was well known in this area and it appeared he was mentally unstable. He was frequently seen in a fast-food restaurant talking to himself, gesturing.

Now, also, this shooting comes at a time, a difficult time for the New Orleans police officers. First, there was a very publicized beating that took place in the French Quarter that led to the dismissal of two officers. Also, New Orleans police officers were accused of looting and stealing vehicles from a car dealership at the height of Hurricane Katrina.

However, police say this case is totally different. They say the officers did what they had to do to end this situation.

Sean Callebs, CNN, in New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: In the last hour, I spoke by phone with the photographer who videotaped part of that confrontation. Phin Percy described how the incident unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIN PERCY, VIDEOJOURNALIST: There were repeated, numerous calls from the police officers, from each of the police officers to drop the knife, lay on the ground, get down. And I mean, this went on for probably three or four minutes.

Now, as the police officers and this individual moved up St. Charles and fell out of my view, police officers were getting closer and closer to the suspect. It's a little disconcerting in the video because as I was shooting, the police officers were keeping a safe distance. But as they worked their way down St. Charles Avenue, I believe this individual -- again, I didn't see him, I'm just surmising that he got into an area against a parked car and had nowhere to go.

And I believe at that -- that point, that's when he lunged at the officers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Some witnesses say it's difficult to judge whether officers acted properly or whether they used excessive force. Attorney Robert Jenkins saw part of the standoff and he was a guest earlier on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT JENKINS, WITNESS: I saw it unfold, and I don't think that they purposely provoked him. If you had to be here, you'd see that they were shouting commands, they were asking him to get down, they were telling him to drop the knife.

Now, at some point down the block, he allegedly lunged at the police officers and they fired. I don't agree with it. As I said, I thought they could have shot him in the leg, but they're not trained to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Michael Lyman is a criminal justice professor at Columbia College in Missouri. He joins me now by phone with some insight on the shooting. Good morning.

MICHAEL LYMAN, CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSOR: Good morning.

KAGAN: Let's talk about what you see when you look at the videotape. First of all, what about the number of officers responding to the incident?

LYMAN: The number of officers is appropriate. I mean, you've got an incident going down at 4:00 in the afternoon in a fairly busy district. And it's appropriate for those officers to respond and have their guns drawn under these circumstances.

KAGAN: And what about -- yes, and to draw their weapons. It is in this kind of situation, one man with a knife?

LYMAN: It is. A man with a knife, of course, poses a threat. The question in this case is, what extent did that threat pose an imminent danger to the officers or somebody else?

KAGAN: What about what that bystander said? Like, why can't they just shoot him in the leg or other options?

LYMAN: Well, officers -- I understand. Officers are not trained to wound. They're not trained to shoot in the legs or the arms.

In fact, they are trained to shoot at what's called center mass. Center mass, for the most part, is the chest and torso area. And, of course, a shot to the chest and torso area often results in a fatality.

KAGAN: Some people are saying, well, why couldn't they have used something like a Taser gun? But in order it use that, they'd have to get close to the man who's waving a pretty large knife.

LYMAN: Well, actually, a man with a knife case is a classic case for a Taser weapon. Tasers can be fired at a distance of about 20 feet. And if there was a taser available, that would have been probably the best choice of force for the officers.

KAGAN: What about the information that they tried spraying him with pepper spray and he didn't respond to that?

LYMAN: Well, a lot of people do not respond. And, of course, the story shows that this gentleman might have had some psychological problems.

So depending on what's going on with the subject at the time, it is possible that pepper spray would not have an effect. Of course, in this case, it looks like he put his handkerchief or something over his face to shield him from that spray.

KAGAN: And also, isn't it important to remember that when we look at videotapes like this, we think we're seeing the whole story but we're only seeing part of the incident, including, we don't see the end when the shooting actually took place. LYMAN: That's right. And out of fairness to the police, we have to realize that these things unfold very, very rapidly. And I don't believe it was captured on video the exact point at which the officers fired.

At that point, when that first bullet left the officer's gun, the officer has to be able to explain why they felt they were in imminent danger.

KAGAN: And is that where it gets to the question of, you can look at all these factors, but in the end to say if a shooting and killing of a suspect is justifiable?

LYMAN: Well, for the most part, yes. And, of course, there's other things that need to be looked at in a case like this, things like available alternatives such as the Taser gun or a beanbag gun, something of that nature. Things like the training of the officers, you know, were they properly trained before this thing even went down to know what to do?

KAGAN: Michael Lyman, professor at Columbia College in Missouri.

Professor, thank you for your insights today on this breaking news story.

LYMAN: Thank you.

KAGAN: On to Virginia now. Authorities there say they may never know what led a man to kill four people in a Christmas Day rampage before taking his own life.

Police believe that Nathan Cheatham shot and killed his mother at her home in McLean. Afterwards, they say he drove to a home in Great Falls, where he killed three others and then turned the gun on himself. Police say Cheatham had been arrested for minor incidents in the past and he had been in contact with mental health professionals.

And in New York, a strong smell leading police to a gruesome discovery in an upper east side apartment. Police say they found an elderly man's body stuffed in a suitcase. Officers say the man's wife seemed confused. She couldn't tell them when her husband died, and she said that she wanted to take him to Arizona, where he wanted to be buried.

Police say the man had a heart condition. And they don't suspect the wife of committing a crime.

A huge sigh of relief this morning in Miami, Florida. That is where a serial rape suspect is back behind bars.

We just have new pictures into you. This is Reynaldo Rapalo in court just about a half-hour ago. His attorney asked for bond for his client. He didn't get it.

Rapalo was caught late last night after six days on the run.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN (voice over): It was a jailbreak right out of a movie. An inmate escapes from a maximum security jail in Miami, authorities say, by tying bed sheets together and repelling down the wall. But 34- year-old Reynaldo Rapalo wasn't just any inmate.

He's accused of being the notorious "Shenandoah Rapist" who terrorized Miami's Little Havana and nearby Shenandoah neighborhoods in 2002 and 2003. Police say Rapalo sexually assaulted seven women and girls. The attacks had the community on edge, with parents walking children home from school.

In a controversial move, police stopped more than 100 men, mostly Hispanics, to get their DNA samples.

On December 20, police say, while Rapalo was waiting for his trial in February, he and another inmate managed to cut through a ceiling vent and climb on to the roof. The other man broke his leg and was captured right away.

Two corrections officials have been placed on leave in the case, although authorities say they did not help with the breakout. Rapalo was on the lam for almost a week, setting off a massive search and triggering new fears over the Christmas holiday.

Then last night, someone recognized him and tipped off police.

DET. ALCIDES VELEZ, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: Well, he lost a lot of weight, considering what he looked like in the photos of his first capture. So we had to verify through looking at the pictures and his story whether it was him or not. And once we felt that it was him, we proceeded to take him into custody.

KAGAN: Police say when they approached Rapalo, he pretended to be a homeless man and bolted. Authorities chased him down on foot, and ultimately he was caught again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: By the way, that tipster will get a $36,000 reward. Now, when Rapalo was captured, police say he was wearing a black sweater with this fuzzy pink sweater thing underneath. Really don't know the significance of that, but that will explain a little bit of the pictures that you'll see.

Still to come this hour, U.S. police officers get a lesson in the war on terror by visiting Israel. How can they determine a suicide threat?

And on the front lines, but are they fighting a forgotten war? We'll check in with Becky Diamond, who is embedded with American troops in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And here's some news that all employees like to hear, and job seekers as well. A new survey shows the employment outlook is bright for 2006 and salaries are rising.

Careerbuilders.com surveyed 1,300 hiring managers and found most planned to increase salaries on initial offers for prospective employees. About a third of managers say they're concerned about a shortage of skilled workers. And that, by the way, is benefiting older workers. Half of the managers say they plan to offer incentives for workers near retirement age that wanted to stick around a little bit longer.

Susan Lisovicz is on Wall Street for us today, one of the final -- well, not the final, but one of the few trading days left in 2005.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: When we come back, Iraqi families say the U.S. military tore down their homes. But why?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Some new developments in Iraq this morning. Construction workers laying down pipes found a mass grave in the Shiite holy city of Karbala. Police believe the grave dates back to 1991, when Saddam Hussein security forces put down a Shiite uprising in the south.

Meanwhile, the military says two U.S. Army pilots were killed in a helicopter crash west of Baghdad last night. Officials say no hostile fire was involved.

And angry residents in a town of about 50 miles west of the capital staged protests and set up tents near their shattered homes. They say U.S. and Iraqi troops demolished their houses so that a military base can be built on the site.

Plus, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Baghdad today claiming election fraud. They're protesting preliminary results which give a big lead to the religious Shiite bloc. The protesters favor a national unity government that would give more power to Sunni Arabs and secular Shiites.

Another new year is approaching. Afghanistan remains on the front lines in the war on terror. And The U.S. military continues to play a vital role there.

CNN's Becky Diamond is traveling with some American troops who are helping train Afghan forces.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soldiers at this forward operating base are fighting a critical front in the war on terror. They're part of the reconstruction and rebuilding effort, helping to train and mentor the Afghan national army.

They travel with the army out on patrol, helping them manage their weapons systems, also instilling discipline. Soldiers say that the ultimate goal is to have the Afghan army function on its own in combat operations, which will allow U.S. soldiers to divide and conquer, go out and tackle other fronts in the war on terror.

Challenges do exist in their training. Soldiers say language is a barrier, translators are often needed for translators, for other translators, as soldiers speak at least three languages. And also, a majority of the enlisted soldiers in the Afghan army are illiterate.

But despite the challenges, the U.S. says that the Afghan army knows how to be a soldier, they're used to war, and they're up to the challenge.

Becky Diamond, CNN, Gardez, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And then there's this: a top Taliban commander in Afghanistan claims more than 200 rebel fighters are willing to become suicide attackers against U.S. forces and their allies. In an interview with The Associated Press, the commander ruled out any reconciliation with the country's new U.S.-backed government. He reportedly says a jihad or holy war will continue until all Americans and their allies have pulled out of Afghanistan.

The Afghan government calls the comments propaganda from a weakening militia.

Coming up, would you know how to spot a suicide bomber in a crowded place? American police officers get a lesson from some teachers who are all too experienced.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And let's say good morning to those people waking up on the West Coast.

Jacqui, I think those folks need their galoshes. Do people wear galoshes anymore?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm thinking hip waders.

KAGAN: Hip waders. Galoshes are so last week.

JERAS: Exactly.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Jackqui, have you stepped over into the iPod generation yet?

JERAS: I have bought a generic iPod. It wasn't an iPod, but I got one for my husband for Christmas.

KAGAN: OK. So you're in.

JERAS: Kind of.

KAGAN: You are in. JERAS: Yes, by association.

KAGAN: The things where you put something in your ear. So you're going to have to watch our upcoming story.

So many people wearing iPods, and they're zoning out. It turns out that could be dangerous. Thieves are on the lookout for people doing just that. Our Dan Lothian will look at an effort to tune in on those of you who are zoning out.

We are back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are very close to the half-hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

A Florida judge has denied bond to a suspected serial rapist who was recaptured after escaping from a Miami jail last week. Reynaldo Rapalo was on the run for six days. A tip led to his arrest last night outside of a video store in southwest Miami.

New Orleans police are dealing with another internal investigation. Police yesterday shot and killed a man they say was lunging at them while brandishing a knife. As you can see, some of that confrontation was caught on tape.

Police say they ordered the man to drop the knife and used pepper spray to subdue him. The officers have been reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation.

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