Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Police Search for Escapees Just Miles from Prison; Season's First Wave Scorching Eastern U.S.; Orlando Police Investigation Brutality Complaint. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired June 11, 2015 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:31:58] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning: police in upstate New York are combing an area just miles from the prison following a late-night tip, suggesting these fugitive murderers may not have gotten far at all. Remember, this manhunt now in its sixth day.

So, let's get to Jason Carroll. He's right near the new search area. That's Cadyville, New York -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN ANCHOR: Actually, Chris, what we have done since the last time I spoke to you, we have moved further down. Now we are on Route 374. If you take a look behind me, you can see this section here that they have blocked off.

We are now in West Plattsburg. We're just seven miles east of Dannemora, where the prison is located. And we can now estimate there's a seven-mile stretch of Route 374 now closed, only allowing residents in and out -- no one else close since last night after there was some sort of suspicious activity going along the area. Some sort of suspicious sighting. That's what we are told. That's why we have this section now shut down.

As a precaution last night, police are asking people who live along the affected route to stay indoors and leave their outside lights on, again last night. Also, to lock their doors as a precaution.

This morning, Chris, the local school district has, in fact, closed the schools in this particular area. Again, as a precaution. Yesterday, you remember New York's governor asking for the public's help, to be vigilant to report anything at all that might be suspicious.

They have to follow-up on every lead, Chris, as you know, because any lead might eventually lead them to Richard Matt or David Sweat. So, again, no indication at this point. How long this section of Route 374 will be closed, but for now, it is, in fact, closed -- Ana.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: And the mystery continues. Jason Carroll reporting in Cadyville, New York -- thanks to you. Now, House Republicans are setting the stage for a high-stakes vote that would give President Obama the fast-track trade authority he's been asking for and will bring him one step closer to completing that signature Pacific trade deal. A vote could take place as early as tomorrow, but Democratic leaders are still planning a fight, threatening to derail this legislation over some procedural issues.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, that former McKinney, Texas, police officer involved in the pool party altercation is speaking out through his attorney. She says Eric Casebolt let his emotions get the better of him during that pool party chaos caught on video. But she says there's much more to that day than the seven-minute video revealing that he responded to two suicide calls beforehand. But the attorney for the teenager thrown to the ground says that's no execution saying the officer violated the girl's civil rights.

CUOMO: OK. So, the eastern half of the U.S. is going to sweat through the first heat wave of the season. We're talking temperatures well into the 80s and 90s.

How do I know? CNN meteorologist Chad Myers, a.k.a. the heatmeiser, told me.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'll tell you what, Chris? Today is not the first day to get out and run your first marathon I think across the Northeast, 90s will be the rule everywhere, that's 10 to 12 degrees above where you should be today.

[06:35:00] Even Philadelphia making a run at your old record, which was 95. Today, you'll get to 92. So, plus 12, plus 11 where we should be, it's in the 80s, the lower 80s, certainly even for New York City where it should be 78. Nowhere near that for the next few days, 88 all the way through Saturday.

And there's your unhealthy air, a lot of ozone in the air. Lots of smog, as we call it. So, limit your outdoor activities this afternoon if you can. Because it's that muggy air, that air that might get in your lungs especially if you have asthma at all. Guys? Back to you.

CABRERA: Chad, are you the heatmeiser or the heatmeister?

MYERS: I think I'm -- maybe the monster.

(LAUGHTER)

CABRERA: The heat monster, that's another one.

CAMEROTA: Better.

CABRERA: All right. Well, thanks so much.

MYERS: Sure, Ana.

CABRERA: Do stay with us as we continue to follow that breaking news. The search for the two inmates who escaped from the upstate New York prison. We also have another police officer accused of excessive force. The

incident caught on video and police say the man was uncooperative. He says that's not the case. The man in this video is going to join us live with his side, next.

CAMEROTA: That will be interesting.

But first a programming note. Tonight the new CNN original series "The Seventies" premiers at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Here's a little look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUBTITLE: Sound of the seventies. One nation under change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The '70s awakened us and polarized us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 1970s saw the development of terrorism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was bombshell after bombshell after bombshell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Watergate scandal broke wide open today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 1970s, I think more. More hair. More naked people. More misbehavior.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The world is getting crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The culture revolution kind of exploded, and kind of fascinating chaos emerged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of what was going on, people came home and they wanted to laugh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want one picture taken with Archie Bunker and me. One, two, three.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a period of discovery for a lot of people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My only defense was it was the '70s.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dino-mite!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:41:31] CUOMO: Good morning. We do have breaking coverage of the manhunt for the escaped convicts in New York. We'll bring you developments in just a second.

First, we want to tell you about something that just happened in Orlando. The police department there is investigating a possible excessive force claim. Because of the video I'm going to show you right now.

This is what it looks like a police officer kicking repeatedly a man named Noel Carter as he sits on the curb after a confrontation with the cops outside a nightclub last week. Now, the police say, well, you're only looking at the bad part. There's a whole story here that you don't see, which is why Mr. Carter is actually the one who is in trouble. And he's being charged for things that he did.

So let's get to the heart of it right now. We have Noel Carter and his attorney, Patrick Lawlor joining us.

Gentlemen, thank you for being here.

Noel, let's go back to the beginning. Let's take it from the officers want to, from their perspective. Is it true you came to the scene because you were beating up your girlfriend?

NOEL CARTER, ALLEGED VICTIM OF POLICE ABUSE: No, definitely not. I definitely deny that in any way. We were having a disagreement. And it was a public disagreement between two individuals. I've known this woman for some time. And we were having a public disagreement.

So, definitely I deny any accusation that is made in that manner.

CUOMO: They are charging you with domestic battery, which is the same thing in this circumstance as hitting your girlfriend. Does the woman involved say the same that you do? Does she say that you were not hitting her?

CARTER: Well, contrary to the reports, her statement was released yesterday. And I think if you had a chance to review the statement, Chris, you can clearly see there's no mention of battery, there's no mention of assault or striking or any like that. We were having a disagreement.

And unfortunately the disagreement she detailed that she wanted me to leave her alone. And maybe I should have heeded that warning at the time, but there was no description in her report or her sworn statement that there was any battery or touching or any violent action in my part whatsoever.

CUOMO: So, one way or the other, the cops get called and what happens when they come?

CARTER: I mean, to my recollection, we were separated. At that point, the situation essentially escalated. The female that I have been talking with, when I was talking to her, she wasn't crying, but when the officers did speak with her she began crying.

And I have known this woman for some time and to see her cry, it did jerk an emotion in me that definitely wanted to comfort her and figure out what was going on. And that's what I wanted to do. I think, clearly, you can see in the early videos shot by the bystanders on the patio of the nightclub, my hands were raised in the air and I think you can see repeatedly me requesting just to talk to her and just saying, talk to me.

And around that time, you can see the officer shove me in the video. Which I think is just unprofessional. I mean, if you're a police officer and you're saying you're attempting to arrest me, if that's what you're saying, why would you shove me in that manner? Why are you trying to instigate me to do something that I wouldn't do that's going to be out of my character, which you can clearly see?

CUOMO: Their answer would be because you were drunk and you were resisting and you were running away from them when they told you to stop. And you may have come at them at one point, and you're a big guy and they felt they had to use force to deal with what you were bringing their way. Clear criticism?

CARTER: Definitely no, I don't agree with that criticism in any way. As far as being drunk, I had had a couple drinks at dinner earlier over the course of a full meal. So, and classification of intoxication or drunk -- no, definitely not.

[06:45:04] We were attending a concert. And I think most individuals will have a drink or two at dinner before you actually attend that concert. I don't think that's out of the ordinary.

So, I mean, to -- their claims of intoxication and all of that, I completely disagree with that. And you can see from the earlier footage I was pushed and it wasn't justified in any way.

CUOMO: Did you go at the officers?

CARTER: No, sir. No, sir. Not in any way.

CUOMO: You never pushed, you never raised your hands, you never charged, nothing like that?

CARTER: No, sir. Not once did I or any video account that you can see of the incident, my hands are raised in a submissive fashion. So, no, I don't agree with any statement that I lunged at an officer. Or in the officer's detail that I lunged at his taser gun.

You can clearly see in the video that once I saw the taser gun up went the opposite direction with my hands in the air.

CUOMO: And you wind up sitting down on the curb and that's where the ugliness starts off. You sat down why?

CARTER: I sat down because -- well, essentially the reason, I ran because I was in fear of my life. I was in fear of my livelihood. It's not a situation I'm accustomed to being in. I have zero criminal history.

So, in dealing with police officers, being tased and being almost slammed to the ground and being pushed, that's not normal.

CUOMO: Right.

CARTER: And from what I have seen on the news over the last year and a half of what's going on in Baltimore and Ferguson, all these cities where you have police brutality or excessive force, you know, I see tear gas being used on the public on non-violent protests. So if I'm standing there and not being violent and being submissive and being pushed, I'm being tasered and pepper sprayed when the whole time I'm being submissive, my human mechanism to survive is going to kick in.

And that's why I wanted to avoid the situation and that's when I ran. So when you talk to me about sitting on the curb, I knew at that moment that, you know what? I had been brutalized already, I had made it down the block a considerable distance. And I was running essentially for my life. But I came to my senses, fortunately enough, and knew it was best to sit on the curb.

CUOMO: And the guy just started kicking you?

(CROSSTALK)

CARTER: You can clearly see that I sat the curb, he hovers over me for the two seconds and he waits for another officer to approach before he literally stamps me on the head. And the other cop comes up and stamps in my head again, and they continue to brutalize me at that point and literally beat me as a dog in the street.

PATRICK LAWLOR, ATTORNEY FOR NOEL CARTER: Chris, you can see that the police try to change it. First they start with domestic violence. You're seeing the statement where the girl just said that they actually called him friend. And said -- if you look at all the reports, the initial arrest affidavit and the supplemental report and her statement, there's no issues whatsoever about any domestic violence or any type of hitting.

And then they try to say resist, when they were very aggressive. Then down to where he's sitting, until yesterday we didn't have the grainy tape on the backside of "The Orlando Sentinel" building where the officers come up.

And their intent, that's the critical thing here, their intent was not to effectuate arrest. Their intent was to continue to brutalization. And you could see initially that they just stamp him in the head, both of them, and they continued to beat him.

And then when he sat up again, that's when the second video the young lady took, started, when he was just gearing up and kicking at least six times and the other officer just threw the ending there with the tasered to the chest.

CUOMO: What is your response to the chief saying, hey, you have to know the whole story? What about the fact this guy was beating up his girlfriend? You say you don't care about the earlier event in terms of analysis of the arrest, why?

LAWLOR: No, you do. You do. You do look. That's the point, the beating up -- let's be perfectly clear. There was no beating. There's nothing.

I mean, the chief went on there to talk about domestic violence and talked about how it leads to homicide. This is a young man who, this young lady asked him to come up from South Florida to go to the concert. She bought him a ticket. They went to the concert. They had a disagreement and went outside to talk. The cop, the cop that interacted went over with them, brought them

over and it started to escalate the situation. He pulled his taser out, tasering him, pepper spraying him while he was kneeling on the ground.

CUOMO: Counselor, where are the cops there or were they called to the scene because of the altercation between your client and the young woman?

LAWLOR: They were doing off-duty work for the club.

CUOMO: So they were already there.

LAWLOR: They were already there, yes, sir.

CUOMO: So, Noel, how far are you going to take this? You're suing for battery on behalf of the police that they were abusing your rights and just violent when they were supposed to be acting professionally. How far are you going to take it?

CARTER: I'm taking advice from legal counsel. I understand the ramifications of what happened that evening and I definitely want to defer to my attorneys in any proceedings moving forward.

I know my rights as a human being and know my rights as a U.S. citizen and I definitely feel I was brutalized by these two officers. That's the statement we made yesterday under the direction of my legal counsel and that's the statement that I continue to make today.

[06:50:03] All I seek is justice. As my attorney said, if another citizen were to beat and kick and taser and pepper spray another citizen of this country, that individual would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And that's all I'm asking for, is that, you know, my rights as a human being and my rights as a U.S. citizen be taken into consideration in this instance.

CUOMO: Noel?

LAWLOR: Chris, I think where we are going to go, Chris, and this is that, if you look at the grainy video, because what the officers' chief said is look at totality. When you look at Noel sitting down initially, this grainy tape shows the totality of what happened.

And if you would take in the fact that these two were officers and citizens came up to a young man sitting on the curb and proceeded to kick him and beat him and then after it stopped, initially he sat up and then to kick him six times and taser him, if this video was shown to the state attorney's office and these weren't officers, they would be charged already and would be charged with battery.

And now, you're talking about a taser, which we all know can cause death around this country.

CUOMO: Right.

LAWLOR: So it's a very significant situation. CUOMO: Under --

LAWLOR: So, We want criminal charges.

CUOMO: Understood. Understand the case you're making.

Noel, thank you very much for coming forward and telling your side of the story. It helps in situations like this for us to understand the video better. We'll stay on this story going forward, we promise you that.

Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: OK, Chris, we have much more ahead on the manhunt for the two escaped killers. The search now focused on an area near the prison. Is law enforcement finally closing in on the fugitives? We are live at the search scene.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:34] CABRERA: We are following breaking news. Police in upstate New York combing an area within miles of that prison where two convicted killers escaped five days ago. Investigators are following a late-night tip suggesting the escapees may not have made it very far.

But a key part of this prison escape drama is that female prison employee who may, may have played some kind of role in helping them. Now she has not been charged with anything. We don't know her full relationship to these prisoners. But sometimes, lines are crossed and that hasn't always been the case when it comes to prison employees and prisoners.

Dan Simon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be fine, baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have different definition of fine. I am trying not to lose my job.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's one of the dominant story lines in the hit Netflix show "Orange is the New Black." A prison guard in a romantic and sexual relationship with a female inmate who gets pregnant.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can figure something out.

SIMON: What may surprise is that hundreds of consensual relationships between guards and inmates are documented each year in America's prisons, even when the sexes are reversed, according to a federal study.

Case in point, Nancy Gonzalez, who worked as a night guard at a federal prison in Brookly. She was accused of sneaking into rooms to have sex with death row inmate Ronald Wilson, a man convicted of killing two undercover police detectives execution-style on Staten Island.

This 2013 video of Gonzalez walking from court showed her pregnant with Wilson's child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is 8-month-ol months pregnant and you can see she is very upset.

SIMON: Her attorney called it a complicated case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People find love in the strangest places and people get together in the most difficult circumstances. We live in a society where these events happen. These type of cases are unusual but they are not uncommon.

SIMON: Gonzalez pleaded guilty to having an unlawful relationship and was sentenced to a year in prison.

According to a study last year by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than half of all substantiated events of staff sexual misconduct in America's prisons and jails were committed by female staff. Experts say, oftentimes, the guards who initiate the relationships have a psychological condition.

CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: Hybristophilia is the sexual attraction to someone who has committed a terribly outrageous act. And usually the more violent or heinous the acts, the deeper the attraction.

One notorious case includes that of Bobby Parker, the wife of a prison warden in Oklahoma. She disappeared in 1994 along with a convicted murderer named Randolph Dial.

A decade later, she was found living with him in Texas. Prosecutors say, the two fell in love while Parker insisted she was kidnapped. A jury convicted Parker, but she served only half of a one-year sentence.

JORDAN: The female correction officer or prison worker very often believes that she is in love with the male prisoner or she is the only one who understands him or could save him or reformed him or rescue.

SIMON: Even if it's consensual, any sexual contact between an inmate and a prison staff member is illegal. But the data showing that only about half of those workers are ever prosecuted.

Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NAVARRO: We are following much more news this morning. Let's get to it.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CAMEROTA: And good morning, everyone. Welcome back to your NEW DAY. Michaela is off. Ana Cabrera joins us.

And we do have breaking news this morning, because there's a search underway for those two dangerous fugitives. This is happening five miles from the upstate New York prison where they escaped on Friday.

CUOMO: Schools there are closed today. Roads are shut down, people are told to stay indoors as cops comb the ground and fly choppers overhead.

And CNN is there. We're at the search area of the prison and following all points in this investigation.

So, let's start off with Jason Carroll. He's in West Plattsburg, New York, he's got breaking details of the search -- Jason.

CARROLL: Well, this is the new search and the spot on Route 374. You can see behind me they have closed off a seven-mile stretch of Routes 374 closed off.

I have to say, we are probably, Chris, about seven miles from where the prison is located. This chunk of 374 closed off since last night. That's when there was some sort of suspicious sighting that triggered all of this.

Once that happened, New York state police asked residents who live in this affected area to stay inside, to leave their outdoor lights on, to leave their doors locked.

As of this morning, the Saranac Central School District closed as a result.