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Columbus Officer Fatally Shoots Teen; Martin Luther King III Reacts to Chauvin Verdict; Sports World Reacts to Chauvin Verdict; Cariol Horne is Interviewed about Her Personal Police Story. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired April 21, 2021 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00]
MAYOR ANDREW GINTHER, COLUMBUS, OHIO: Lost 15-year-old girl today. We know based on this footage the officer took action to protect others young girl in our community. But a family's grieving tonight, and this young 15-year-old girl will never be coming home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you can understand all the emotions that are involved in this.
Brianna, look, there are so many questions that are still attached to this. Another police-involved shooting. Of course, someone could say that the officer felt he was protecting the other two young ladies. It was reported at one point that Makiyah might have actually called police herself for help. So many questions in this with emotions running to high across this country, especially when it comes to police-involved shooting with black youth at this point.
It is just a very difficult day ahead for Columbus. And we'll see what happens as it plays out.
Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: It is. And we know you'll be digging on those questions.
Ryan Young for us in Ohio. Thank you.
In justice across generations, George Floyd's killing likened to a black teens brutal murder decades ago. Martin Luther King's son will join us next.
Plus, the Los Vegas Raiders are being criticized for this tweet which reads, "I can breathe." The team's white owner is defending it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:35:38]
(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 -- that was Emmett Till.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. Wow.
FLOYD: I did -- I was on CNN with Deborah Watts, and she just brought him back to life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.
FLOYD: People forgot about him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
FLOYD: But he was the first George Floyd.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: That is the brother of George Floyd reacting to the Derek Chauvin verdict, likening his brother's death to the brutal lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till 65 years ago.
Joining us now is Martin Luther King III, global human rights leader, and the son of Martin Luther King Jr.
It was so interesting to hear Philonise Floyd talk about Emmett Till and it's remarkable that he has become close to the family of Emmett Till. I know this isn't an end, and it's important -- I think it's crucial that we don't look at this verdict as an end in anything, but I'm wondering if you can place this in history for us as we think about Emmett Till and we think about George Floyd. What's the historical significance of what we're seeing today?
MARTIN LUTHER KING III, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS LEADER: Well, obviously, the historical significance is the fact that there was a trial specifically and a conviction was received, the verdict of guilty on three counts. That, I don't believe happened, with any other -- of the other cases. And -- or if it did happen, it certainly was not a victory in this regard. So that's what sets a tone to some degree.
Plus, there's so many more people around the world who were able to see what happened to George Floyd because of the pandemic. People were at home. So all -- instantly everyone saw this very, very tragic incident where the officer was judge, jury, and executioner. And so for a verdict to come down of guilt, it sort of feels like, OK, maybe there is some justice in -- received through the justice system.
BERMAN: There's also something overwhelming though. And you saw it in Philonise Floyd, where he -- he got choked up, he got caught for a moment there, I think, thinking about the history here, thinking about the fact that we're talking about multiple generations now where the struggle is still very real.
KING: There is no question about that. And my heart and our family's prayers continue to go out for the Floyd family.
You know, the -- at the end of the day, when you talk about justice, there was a verdict, but nothing can bring back their brother. And, you know, that is -- that is -- that's the challenge. And they will have to live with that for a long time.
And the fact of the matter, as you say, these incidents continue to happen. We've got a lot of work to do. Maybe this is the beginning of the restoration of people beginning to have some degree of faith in the system because black people and many people have lost faith in the criminal justice system.
BERMAN: Yes, look, it was Amanda Gorman who wrote overnight that a victory would be George Floyd being alive.
But I also appreciate and welcome your saying this is also a moment of hope and a chance for us to look forward and hope for things to change.
What specifically would you like to see happen now or next? I know there's the George Floyd Policing Act that is being discussed in Congress right now. I don't know that anything's going to happen with it. Among other things, it would ban choke holds, ban no-knock warrants, overhaul qualified immunity.
What do you want to see?
KING: Well, that would certainly be a first step. And it's very sad that we're debating -- I mean it's good to debate, it's sad that it does not look as promising as it should. That should be a, you know, a slam-dunk scenario.
[06:40:02]
So that's the -- one of the first things.
I think the president has got to put his full weight behind the passing of that legislation and hopefully somehow that will happen.
I think that also we've got to overall look at just policing in general. We have to do a whole -- an overhaul of policing. And when I say that, what I mean is, the officers who are being hired, psychological evaluations, strict psychological evaluations, hiring officers from the community where they police. So they have a stake -- they have a stake in the community. They feel like stakeholders. Many of these officers, they don't really care. I mean they care in general, but they don't have any equity into the community. So I think that would be one of the things that helps.
I think that constantly retraining over and over again. And why can't we apprehend suspects without killing them? We use to do that in the old days. We've got to find a way to apprehend suspects, you know, there are situations where maybe the officer does need to use their gun. But there's got to be a way to apprehend a suspect without killing him. We are better than this but yet we choose to go down the whole of training an officer to shoot and -- shoot to kill. BERMAN: Martin Luther King III, we appreciate your time. Thanks so
much for being with us this morning.
KING: Thank you.
KEILAR: Sports stars have played a major role in bringing attention to Black Lives Matter. Emotional reaction from the sports world to the Chauvin guilty verdict, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANDACE PARKER, WNBA ALL-STAR: You look at the past and how many people before had to die and had to not receive justice for this to happen today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:40:34]
BERMAN: Obviously, the Derek Chauvin verdict having a huge impact in the sports world, where so many athletes really devoted themselves to the cause of racial justice in this country after the death of George Floyd.
Andy Scholes joins us now with the reaction.
Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John.
You know, over the past year we've seen many athletes an sports leagues continue to use their voice in the fight for social justice. A number of players taking part in Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd. And when the verdict was announced yesterday, we saw many players come out and just voice their relief, but also many of them saying there's still plenty of work to be done.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHOLES (voice over): The guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial rocking the sports world.
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, NBA HALL OF FAMER: 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, because we're tired, we demanded justice, we got it.
SCHOLES: NBA players who have been on the front lines of the racial justice movement speaking out. LeBron James summed up his feelings in one word, accountability. And his Lakers teammate Andre Drummond tweeting, justice.
The San Antonio Spurs tweeted a vide that read Black Lives Matter for nine minutes and 29 seconds, the length of time Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd's neck.
DWAYNE WADE, FORMER NBA ALL STARR: 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 -- even when the verdict came down and all the charges, you know, that we wanted was met, I still was staring at the TV listening to the judge because I was -- I was thinking that there was an outcoming because we've never seen this.
SCHOLES: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson simply tweeting, love wins. And Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker Shaquil Barrett adding, it's just the beginning.
In New York, people gathered outside Barclays Center to voice their support.
CROWD: George Floyd! George Floyd!
BLAKE GRIFFIN, BROOKLYN NETS: I just keep thinking about how powerful it was to see people from all over the world -- literally all over the world, you know, come together and take a stand for something. And, you know, that's huge.
KYRIE IRVING, BROOKLYN NETS: We just want to continue to galvanize each other and be there for one another as human beings and continue to support, you know, justice being served.
SCHOLES: In Minnesota, the Timberwolves and Links (ph) issued a joint statement writing, we are hopeful that today's decision will serve as a step forward, but it does not ease the physical and emotional pain that continues in an environment where systemic racism exists.
The Minnesota Wild hockey team noting, there's still much work to be done.
And many athletes agreeing. Tennis star Naomi Osaka, who wore this face mask with George Floyd's name on it during the U.S. Open in September tweeting, the fact that so many injustices occurred to make us hold our breath toward this outcome is really telling.
CANDACE PARKER, TWO-TIME WNBA MVP: 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 -- we can't hide behind badges, money, power, race, gender. We can't hide behind those things because that's not justice. And we're lying to ourselves if we continue to think that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHOLES: All right, powerful words there from Candace Parker.
Now, the Minnesota Timberwolves were on the road last night playing in Sacramento. They played arguably their best game of the season, John, and they dedicated that win to George Floyd's family, and they say they're going to deliver them the game ball.
[06:50:00]
BERMAN: Obviously such a big impact, I think, for so many people.
Andy Scholes, thanks for that.
KEILAR: The Chauvin case sparking some sharp confrontation on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. VAL DEMINGS (D-FL): The American people just -- I have the floor, Mr. Jordan.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): The lady has --
DEMINGS: What, did I strike a nerve?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: We will speak live with Congresswoman Val Demings coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: A 2006 case coming to light similar to what happened to George Floyd, but with a very different outcome. A black female officer was fired after trying to stop a white male officer from using a choke hold on a handcuffed black man who said he couldn't breathe. That man survived.
After more than a decade of legal fighting, a judge recently ruled that former Officer Cariol Horne was wrongly terminated for intervening. Officer Horne will now receive her full pension and back pay.
[06:55:00]
Cariol Horne and her attorney, Ron Sullivan, are joining me now.
Cariol, congratulations to you.
Last we spoke you were in the middle of this legal battle that has now vindicated you. Take us back to that moment in 2006. I think it's very important for people to understand because of some of the parallels that we see with the George Floyd case, when you decided to intervene and stop a fellow officer from choking a black man who was handcuffed.
CARIOL HORNE, FORMER BUFFALO POLICE OFFICER: Well, I answered an officer-in-trouble call. Once I got there, I went inside the house. He was being punched in the face, but he was already handcuffed.
So I helped get him out of the house. And when we got out of the house, Gregory Kwiatkowski turned him around and just started choking him. So I yelled, Greg, you're choking him. He didn't stop. So I grabbed his arm from around Neal Mack's neck. And, today, Neal Mack lives because of that.
KEILAR: You were ultimately disciplined and then you were fired. That is what happened a year shy of your pension -- or receiving your full pension. And that was where we were when we spoke last year shortly after George Floyd's death. You were fighting for this vindication and you have just received it.
I want to read something that the judge said. Judge Dennis Ward said, the city of Buffalo has recognized the error and has acknowledged the need to undo an injustice from the past. The legal system can, at the very least, be the mechanism to help justice prevail, even belatedly.
What message does this send to other officers, do you think, Cariol?
HORNE: Well, the message that it sends is that the culture has changed. That -- that the old way of doing things is no longer. So, you know, officers have a duty to intervene. And with Cariol's Law being passed here in Buffalo, they have the duty to intervene. There's no way around it anymore.
KEILAR: There was damage, Cariol, that cannot be undone for you. You missed out on years on the force doing the job that you loved and you have had to fight dearly in order to be vindicated and to receive the benefits that you had earned. By, as you mentioned, the man who you intervened on behalf of lived.
Do you think that your pension and your -- would have been restore, do you think that your reputation would have been revised if not for the Floyd case?
HORNE: I think the Floyd case brought new light to it because people were asking, why don't the good cops stop the bad ones. And I am a perfect example of why. No one wants to lose their livelihood.
KEILAR: And the city of Buffalo, as you said, you're an example of why the city of Buffalo adopted Cariol's Law, which says officers need to intervene in situations, like the Floyd case and the one that you intervened in.
How essential is it that that is something that is adopted in a widespread manner?
HORNE: It definitely needs to be adopted nationwide because although we have it here in the city of Buffalo, there needs to be a national registry, just like a sex offender registry. You need a registry where bad cops are on it so they can't go from a department like Buffalo, New York, to California, and get a job.
KEILAR: Cariole Horne, thank you so much. Congratulations to you and as well to you, Ron, on this success that you've had in court.
HORNE: Thank you.
KEILAR: Thanks for being with us.
And NEW DAY continues right now.
KEILAR: All right, just about the top of the hour now. I'm John Berman, alongside Brianna Keilar. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. It is Wednesday, April 21st.
I want to show you the front page of the Minnesota "Star Tribune." "Convicted." The newspaper describing the guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin's murder trial as a moment of victory in a history of injustice.
Overnight, celebrations in some parts of the country nearly one year after the killing of George Floyd. In George Floyd Square, as it is now known in Minneapolis, large crowds gathered with fists raised. You can see the impact of the moment particularly for George Floyd's family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: Being able to know that it's justice for African-American people, just people of color, period, in this world, this is monumental. This is historic. This is a pivotal moment in history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[07:00:00]
KEILAR: Derek Chauvin is waking up in prison this morning. The judge revoking his bail immediately after the verdict and sentencing will take place in about eight weeks.
