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Rick's List
Israeli Soldier Under Fire Over Photos; Lightning Strikes and Planes; Pakistan Flood Relief Continues; Toddlers' Bodies Found in Submerged Car; Steven Slater Reality TV Offer; Beating by Police Officer Caught on Tape
Aired August 16, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: All right, as -- as we begin this next hour, I just want to do one thing. I want to welcome all the men and women that are watching us right now on Armed Forces Network. We're so proud that you're there for us around the world.
Here is your national conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here's what's making the LIST today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
SANCHEZ: A man is taken down, but watch while a deaf friend tries to sign to police that the suspect is also deaf.
An Israeli soldier has some explaining to do after posing with Palestinian prisoners.
Did a bolt of lightning rip a plane apart as it landed in Colombia? Look at the twisted metal.
SEN. JOHN ENSIGN (R), NEVADA: I'm not going to answer any of the questions because I'm focused on doing my job right now. All that stuff will take care of itself over time.
SANCHEZ: I asked him straight-out about his possible ethics violations and affair. Now he wants your money to pay for his legal fees.
The lists you need to know about. Who's today's most intriguing? Who's landed on the list you don't want to be on? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why I keep a list.
Pioneering tomorrow's cutting-edge news right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back. Here we go. I'm Rick Sanchez. Hour two. Time to pick up the pace a little bit for you, those stories that we're -- been following throughout the course of the day.
Topping the list this hour, could this be Israel's version of Abu Ghraib? Wait until you see these new pictures that just came out. A former Israeli soldier has posted pictures of herself online posing in front of blind folded Palestinian prisoners. To look at it, it seems distasteful, it seems insensitive.
One of the pictures that she posted shows her sitting in front of three blindfolded Palestinians. One of them has his hands tied. Now look at that one, almost like she's blowing him a kiss.
The guy probably didn't even know she was there because he's blindfolded. There is another one. It shows her smiling. Israeli media reports the pictures were labeled "IDF, best time of my life." CNN doesn't show the faces of the prisoners, so we have blurred them out for you as best we can.
We asked the Israeli military about the pictures. Here is what they have told us. "This is shameful behavior by the soldier. In light of the fact that she was discharged last week, all of the details have been turned over to the commander for further action."
Erick Cohen -- pardon me -- Aaron Cohen -- the other guy was Erick -- this is Aaron -- he's a former IDF counterterrorist commando, and he's author of the book that is called "The Brotherhood of Warriors." There it is. This guy knows his stuff when it comes to the IDF and he is here to join us now.
I got to tell you, something like this, you know, if it was almost anywhere else, wouldn't be as bad. But -- but given the history of these two countries and -- you know, and the insults back and forth, this is just not good for the Israeli military, and especially not the Netanyahu government.
You say what?
AARON COHEN, FORMER ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES COMMANDER AND AUTHOR OF "THE BROTHERHOOD OF WARRIORS": I agree with you, Rick.
I think that the actions of this girl, taking her picture with -- with Palestinian suspects who have been detained is absolutely appalling. I completely agree with the IDF. And I think that -- but I think it is important to remember that...
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
COHEN: ... as opposed to Abu Ghraib, when we look at this photo it's important for the viewers to keep in mind and look at the picture very subjectively and to remember that what you're seeing here are soldiers who are handcuffed, and they're sitting down, and they're not stacked up on top of each other...
SANCHEZ: You're right.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: You're right.
(CROSSTALK) SANCHEZ: No.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: No.
You're -- look, you know what, Aaron?
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: But this goes way out of line.
SANCHEZ: You're...
COHEN: This goes out of line.
SANCHEZ: You're absolutely right.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: To look at this picture, it would be -- it would be irresponsible to make conjectures from this that this is a representation of the entire military.
To look at this picture, for all we know, she snuck a camera in there and says, hold on, I'm going to run over there and stand in front of this guy. Take my picture.
COHEN: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: And there may have been hardly anyone else involved.
So, this is not a huge controversy involving conspiracy and many other people, as far as we know right now. The problem is the perception. And -- and, here, let me read you what the Palestinian Authority has released to us. They are saying -- quote -- "She did this act while she was in military service, so, in retrospect, the Israeli occupation is responsible for her acts. This is a breach of international law, clearly a breach of human rights."
And that's the quote that we received from the Palestinian Authority after they looked at these pictures.
You know, you -- the Israelis are going to get a lot of this. And my question to you is, how do you answer whet Palestinians say this is just a microcosm of the way Israelis have treated Palestinians for years and years and years?
You know the argument is coming. How do you -- how -- how do you diffract that?
COHEN: Well, I don't deflect it. I would run right into it and I would say -- to the Palestinian who made the comment, I would say, sir, you have to forgive me, but, in every organization, there is an idiot, and this girl is an idiot. And that's the truth. You know, the IDF is no different than any police department, or other government organization, or CNN, for that matter. You're going to have people who do very stupid things. And, in this case, you have a girl who -- who was way out of line and decided to take a photo, you know, post a military operation.
But, again, you know, when you look at the photo -- and I look at it as an Israeli soldier and as a security professional -- and what I see are suspects who are being detained and one idiot standing in front of them.
And hey, man, you know, again, in Iraq, in Sadr City, we detain soldiers after an operation to be able to keep them from seeing where they are and to protect the identities, but what I can't do is protect the world from these kind of people.
SANCHEZ: Yes. What do you...
COHEN: And, clearly, she is way out of line.
SANCHEZ: What -- what -- what would you...
COHEN: And she needed to be dealt with.
SANCHEZ: Aaron, what would you do if she were -- if you were her superior? How would you deal with an individual like this who is making headlines around the world on this day for these pictures that she put on Facebook, no less?
COHEN: Well, what I would do is, I would -- I would make an example out of her, Rick, and I would -- I would have her court-martialed and I would have her up there for two things, one, for affecting the -- the security and for affecting the integrity of the Palestinians who are being held in the pictures being posted on Facebook. It is absolutely out of line and, truthfully, it's appalling and it's disgusting.
Number two, I'm not sure what the stop-loss laws are in Israel in -- in regards to females. All male soldiers actively serve as reservists well into their late 40s and 50s. But I would set an example out of this. And I would use her and really, you know, put her through the system and show the world that, hey, man, you know, we have a responsibility as well to make sure that the world understands exactly what these operations consist of.
SANCHEZ: So, you would court-martial her?
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: You would court...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: You -- you would, I mean...
(CROSSTALK) COHEN: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Man, I would -- I would go all the way with this one. And the reason why is because she does not reflect the operations or the military in any way whatsoever, and she needs to be made an example of.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: And I think that's what the IDF was trying to...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Interesting point.
Aaron Cohen, good enough to join us, thanks so much for sharing your perspective on this...
COHEN: Thank you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: ... story with us.
SANCHEZ: Do you know how often a plane flies through lightning or how often lightning actually strikes a plane when you're up in the air? Well, that's what officials suspect happened to this -- look at what's left of that plane. You know what else is really bizarre about this story? The number of peoples -- peoples? -- the number of passengers who actually survived on that plane. Wait until you find out. That's coming up.
Also, you better check your bank statements these days. There are some new rules that have to do with the fees on your checking accounts. You don't want to miss this, because you need to know. It's next right here on the LIST. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We do lists here every day. This one, we call the roundup list. Take a look at this devastation. This is in Pakistan.
A fifth of the country is now underwater. More than 1,400 people are dead. About 900,000 people are now homeless. U.S. forces have already delivered hundreds of thousands of pounds in relief supplies, but it seems every day the situation is worse and worse than we originally thought.
You can also help, by the way. Go to our Web site at CNN.com/impact, as in Impact Your World.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Also, here is number two, some good news at the International Space Station. NASA says that repairs to the station's cooling system appear to be working. That's after astronauts replaced a 780-pound pump. They removed the old one last Wednesday. NASA tweeted today the tests have been done and there does not appear to be any leaks.
Number three, as of today, no more expensive surprise overdraft fees. New rules ban banks from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft protection when making a debit purchase or taking money from an ATM. You will now have to opt in for overdraft protection. Before this new rule, customers wouldn't find out that they were enrolled until after they had been charged the fees.
Hmm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ENSIGN: And I'm not going to answer any of the questions because I'm focused on doing my job right now. All that stuff will take care of itself over time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: But it hasn't taken care of itself over time. Senator John Ensign, he wouldn't talk to me about the allegations against him involving an affair that he had with a campaign worker. But he's talking about it now.
In fact, he is asking something pretty big of his supporters. He wants money, and we will be talking about that.
Also, these are shocking pictures of a plane crash. Investigators are looking at whether lightning may have like split this plane in two. Amazingly, more than 120 people on board survived. And you ask how. We will answer.
And wait until you hear this. Well, I will save it. We will be right back. This is RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Oh, welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
If you fly a lot, you have probably been on at least one flight where you are in some really bad weather and you started white-knuckling it. You know what that means, right? You -- like your hands go like this, or like my wife does. My wife takes my hand and starts squeezing it, to the point where it almost hurts, when we're on a plane and suddenly hit all that turbulence.
All right, look at this. This plane crashed and broke into pieces while the pilot was trying to land on the island of San Andres, Colombia. The pilot reported a lightning strike. Multiple strikes were reported around the San Andres Airport at the time of the crash.
But investigators are still trying to figure out if that may have been a factor. One person was killed. Did you hear what I just said? Just one person was killed -- 124 others injured. Six others, including an 18-month-old baby, weren't even hurt at all. So, just think about how many people survived this thing, which is in and of itself crazy when you look at these pictures.
But Chad Myers is here to join us now, because I have questions, we have questions.
We have been in a lot of discussions about throughout the course of the day. Let me put my Twitter board here down on this laptop so I can talk to you.
How is it that a plane can get hit by lightning and nothing happens to it?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Mm-hmm.
SANCHEZ: And then we hear of one like this where a plane gets hit by lightning and it brings it down?
MYERS: Well, what makes lightning? A thunderstorm.
SANCHEZ: God.
MYERS: A thunderstorm.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: OK. What else happens in thunderstorms? Wind shear, downdrafts, all kinds of other...
SANCHEZ: I get it.
MYERS: ... bad things that could be happening.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MYERS: OK? So -- but the issue is, lightning strikes happen all the time. The -- the average is, for every plane that's out there, that's how many lightning strikes there are every year.
So, not every plane gets hit one time. One plane may get hit four times.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: The other plane gets hit none, you know, right? But the average is one per plane. The issue was that this thing was only a couple hundred feet or a hundred feet off the deck.
SANCHEZ: When it's most vulnerable, yes.
MYERS: When it got hit by lightning.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Right. That's what...
MYERS: Or...
SANCHEZ: Yes, that is what makes a difference.
MYERS: Or even blinded the pilot. The lightning flash may have been ahead of the plane...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MYERS: ... may not even have hit the plane, but the plane is a great conductor. It's a piece of aluminum. The skin around it protects the inside. And all of these components absolutely get hit by lightning all the time on purpose...
SANCHEZ: Really?
MYERS: ... on purpose by the FAA to make sure that they can take it. But if the pilot was temporarily...
SANCHEZ: Just like...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: ... tall buildings.
MYERS: ... temporarily blinded or, for that matter, sometimes, the instruments can go out just briefly. You know, all of a sudden, you're -- you're disoriented. But if that happens at 30 feet off the deck and you're going down...
SANCHEZ: The...
MYERS: ... this is going to happen.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: That plane did not break apart because a lightning strike hitting it and it broke apart. It broke apart because it hit the ground too hard.
SANCHEZ: It's the same as tall buildings. I learned this from my 10- year-old son, Remington (ph), this weekend. Do you know how many times the Empire State Building is hit by lightning a year?
MYERS: Sixteen hundred.
SANCHEZ: Actually, it was only a hundred according to the book...
MYERS: Oh, OK.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: ... that he got in his school. MYERS: All right.
SANCHEZ: But, still, I was -- I was like, wow, that's a hundred times that the building is hit by lightning?
MYERS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: That's an awful lot.
MYERS: Lightning will hit the tallest thing.
SANCHEZ: Right.
MYERS: Well...
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: ... that's pretty tall. Even in the Midtown, it's the tallest building around.
SANCHEZ: Here, Mr. Scientist, let me ask you this question.
MYERS: Yes, sir.
SANCHEZ: You would think that through convection, right -- that's what you call when you put a force in one side and it goes throughout, right?
MYERS: Conduction, maybe.
SANCHEZ: Conduction?
MYERS: That's conducting.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Either way.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Either way.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: It's a convection oven. It's...
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Whatever.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: How is it that the lightning -- I'm serious -- how is it that the lightning -- you have a plane, right?
MYERS: Mm-hmm. SANCHEZ: Lightning hits it right here.
MYERS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: How can the lightning not go all the way through? How can it be stopped right there, whether...
MYERS: It doesn't.
SANCHEZ: ... whether it's a building or a plane?
MYERS: It doesn't get stopped. In fact, if the lightning or a leader or a strike leader goes up and hits the plane, the rest of the electricity charge can go all the way up into the cloud and go all the way down. And the strike can actually appear to go right through the plane, including hitting the top, hitting maybe the winglet, and then back out the other side.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: How can that happen without me feeling it as a passenger inside that cabin, when that -- when that electricity or that energy is going through?
MYERS: Because the entire plane is encapsulated. The entire fuselage is the conductor. And the power, the electricity, the generation, the -- the megawatts, the gigawatts, if you were, if you're going on "Back to the Future," they...
SANCHEZ: Wow.
MYERS: ... they never get inside the plane. They stay on the outside skin the entire time.
SANCHEZ: That's amazing.
MYERS: Mm-hmm.
SANCHEZ: I never knew that.
MYERS: The only real weak spot is the radar dome that -- and in front of the plane. There's a radar in front of the plan. That's not aluminum skin there, because the aluminum skin would stop the radar from going out. So, there are literally only strips of aluminum or other materials to keep the radar from going out and let it going out, but -- but keep the radar and keep the lightning from coming in. So, that's a small weak spot, but not really much.
SANCHEZ: Great explanation.
MYERS: OK.
MYERS: You have done what -- you have answered all the questions that we were having this morning in the morning meeting.
(CROSSTALK) MYERS: Did you see this, though?
SANCHEZ: No, show it to...
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: OK. So, yes, I -- you talked about the multiple lightning strikes. This is going to take 30 seconds to explain.
SANCHEZ: Go ahead.
MYERS: Here's -- here is the airport coming in and there are the two strikes as the plane was coming in, literally almost to the minute. So, were there lightning strikes out there? Absolutely. Would I want to hit one right there, when right -- there's the end of the runway?
SANCHEZ: No.
MYERS: No. That's not the place you want to be.
SANCHEZ: It's even just enough to shake the pilot up a little bit just as he is starting to come down.
MYERS: Even get him blind.
SANCHEZ: Right.
MYERS: Even blind -- they're so bright. Even if it didn't hit the plane, he could have been blinded, not been able to see the runway. Best case would be to take. At some point, you could be -- if you're already flared, you're too late.
SANCHEZ: Thank you very much.
MYERS: Sure.
SANCHEZ: Take a look at this. It's a classic car chase on a Los Angeles freeway. But how this ended is really anything but normal. Wait -- wait until you see these pictures, folks. Stay right there. Don't go anywhere, because I'm going to share them with you. That's next.
But, first, don't forget, every single day, we give you an exclusive look at how we put this show together, right? We give you clips of the morning meetings. We're all looking a little groggy on it, right? Check this out. It's on CNN.com/ricksanchez. It's called "Behind the List." Here is a little bit of today's.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Maybe she can drill down on it and find out. It's a fascinating story. This guy, I had never heard of him before. He throws himself into the national spotlight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Family values candidate.
SANCHEZ: He's a family values candidate.
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: All right. We have some got breaking news I want to share with you now. Go ahead -- go ahead and give me those. You know how I always misplace these things. Thanks, Craig (ph).
Here is the story that we have just gotten out of South Carolina. Now, this -- this is going to make you -- this is going to -- this is going to remind you of another story that we covered back in 1994 out of South Carolina.
Let me give you what I got. South Carolina Highway Patrol called to a bridge. It's a boat ramp where they understand there is a vehicle in the water. That was around 6:00 in the morning, OK? Stay with me here. Once on the scene, the troopers, believing it was more than an accident, called the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Department. They find a woman a mile away from the scene.
The woman apparently was driving the car. She is reporting the bodies -- or reporting the car went in the water now and -- get this -- with the bodies of a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old inside the green Dodge Intrepid. All right?
So, the dive teams go in, and they have found a 1-year-old and a 2- year-old. The Orangeburg County sheriff, Larry Williams, is now saying that the boys' 29-year-old mother walked almost a mile before she called for help.
Williams said she has described the incident as an accident, but she is being charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
Boy, there's a lot of questions here, aren't there? Who was the -- Susan Smith. Remember Susan Smith? In 1994, she reported that her car had gone into a canal, and everybody came to her -- felt really bad for her. And then it turns out that she was responsible for it.
That was back in 1994.
Jody Barr is joining us now from WIS, reporter on this.
You know, you -- you don't want to jump to conclusions here, so the fact that she was a mile away from where the accident happened, let me ask you a question. Is it possible that, between the car accident and the mile where she finally reported it, that there was nothing but trees and forest, and she had no one else to stop and tell them about it, which -- anyway, go -- go ahead. Give that a shot, if you would, at first, Jody.
JODY BARR, WIS TV REPORTER: Well, the sheriff says that mother left the scene here because she did not have a way to call police to the scene here. She walked three-quarters of a mile before the sheriff says she was able to track someone down. And then she was able to call for help. The car, sheriff's investigators believe, went into the water here at this boat landing on the Edisto River, where we're standing. That car floated some 50 yards down the river with the bodies of a 1- and 2- year-old, the lady's sons, strapped in car seats in the back of that car.
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
BARR: She was able to call for help.
SANCHEZ: Well...
BARR: Rescue crews came to the scene.
(CROSSTALK)
BARR: The dive team from the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office came out, pulled those two bodies out of the water. Those two children, the sheriff says, are dead. Right now, the mother, she is detained, charged with leaving the scene of the accident.
The sheriff says they do not believe that that car went into the water on account -- on account of an accident here. They do believe there is the possibility that that car went into the water, and it was on purpose.
SANCHEZ: Well, but how do you -- but how do they -- how do they believe that or how do they know that? I mean, for example, what -- are there any signs that she was in the car? Was she -- simple question. Was she soaking wet? Was the passenger -- was the driver's side of the car door open?
I mean, those are two indications that would say that she may have driven the car in there accidentally -- or maybe not accidentally -- but it's important information, right? Do we know any of those yet?
BARR: Well, the obvious thing is, when the Highway Patrol pulled -- they pulled that car out of this water, there was no damage to the body, according to the sheriff, the body of the car, and no signs that this car ever went over the side of the bridge, no sign that this car went over the side of the road here.
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
BARR: The sheriff believes that that car went into the water from this boat landing. The sheriff did say the mother had some signs that she had been in the water. He didn't say -- he didn't know whether she was covered in water, couldn't piece that together right now, but he did say his investigators are questioning this mother, and they hope...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BARR: ... to have some more answers and perhaps some charges at the -- by the end of the day.
SANCHEZ: Yes. You know, and you -- the word accident can mean an awful lot of things to different people. I mean, you know, look, heaven forbid, you can fall asleep at the wheel. You can make the wrong turn.
Tell us what this area is like out there. I mean, the -- have -- have you been -- Jody, you been out there? Have you seen where this place is? Are you there? Are you near there now?
BARR: Yes.
We're -- we're here at the boat ramp where this car went into the water. The car floated down some 50 yards before it came to a stop here on -- this is called Shillings Bridge Road. This is on the Edisto River.
And this car went into the water here, floated downstream some 50 yards before it came to a stop. And that's where dive team...
SANCHEZ: Well, I guess -- I guess...
BARR: ... where the dive team went in this morning.
SANCHEZ: You know, I -- I...
BARR: And a witness who lives here told me she saw about three or four inches of the hood sticking out of the water, so the car was completely submerged when the dive team got here.
Those kids, unfortunately, were still inside that car, strapped into their car seats.
SANCHEZ: I guess what I'm -- what I'm trying to get at is -- and, you know, I'm not trying to play Barnaby Jones here, but I'm just filled with questions, as I'm sure people at home are, too. Is there a roadway that is adjacent to that river, so it's possible that she could have, you know, not been paying attention, driven off the road, and accidentally driven her car into that river? Is that -- is that even possible, given the...
BARR: No. The...
SANCHEZ: ... the geography in that area?
BARR: No. The road that -- the road runs directly across this river. It -- there is a bridge here. You have to make a hard right-hand turn off of the main road to access this boat landing here, where the car went in.
SANCHEZ: Ah.
BARR: If it was an accident, I can't answer right now whether she mistakenly drove down this road. I guess, the sheriff's office, they will figure that out. But it would appear to me, driving down this road, you would have to intentionally drive down this boat landing to even come anywhere near it.
SANCHEZ: That's -- that's good information. See, I'm glad we got you there, Jody. Job well done. You have -- you've -- you've -- you've looked at the area. You're breaking it down for us.
And, look, this thing just happened, a lot of questions. Police may filed charges. We will get more information as it moves forward.
And expect us to have further details on the story right here at 8:00 p.m. on RICK'S LIST prime time.
Jody, thanks so much for that report. Appreciate it.
BARR: You got it. Thanks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN SLATER, JETBLUE FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Thank you all so much. It's been amazing, the support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: He is the infamous JetBlue flight attendant who walked out on the job by hopping on the plane's emergency slide, but not before picking up a couple brews first. Guess what? He reportedly now has a reality show deal. Did I need to tell you that? You probably could have figured it out on your own, right? That's ahead.
Also, there goes the neighborhood. Yes, zebras taking over the burbs -- zebras in the burbs. And they already got their jail suits on. That's "Fotos." It's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: They say a guy is supposed to spend two months' salary on an engagement ring. Well, this next guy will probably spend at least that much time in jail.
Time for "Fotos."
It's like this, you see, security cameras catch this man running with a ring while browsing at a jewelry store in New Hampshire. But after listening to his family, he had a change of heart. He returned the rock worth an estimated $11,000, and then he turned himself in to police.
All right. I want to show you a car chase. You ready?
This is in L.A. today. What a surprise, huh? L.A., car chase. No, you're kidding?
The perp led police on a high-speed race in a stolen SUV before pulling over and showing with textbook precision just -- why can't I say that word? It sounds so Cuban when I say it. Let me try it again.
Precision. Precision. English is my second language.
He shows him just how you spread eagle so the police don't do you any harm. There it is. When you're caught, just do what they say.
Now to zebras. They run through traffic in Sacramento and evade animal control officers for more than an hour. They were being loaded onto a truck when a Dodge (ph) spooked them and they said we're out of here. Like zebras always say, we're out of here.
The zebras have been rounded up, we understand, and now are safe in a ranch.
And those are "Las Fotos del Dia."
All right. Two pieces of video that I'm going to want to show you where it's pretty obvious the guys in uniform, at least in one case, are using excessive force. And you know what's worse than using excessive force if you're a police officer? Lying about it afterward.
That's what's causing much of the outrage. You're going to see it right here. It's ahead.
Also, drama on the green. Did you see what happened in this professional golf game yesterday? Yes.
Brooke is all over this. This is amazing. Wait until you see the video, because there is a real question as to whether he really was mixed up or not, and in the end it was just a tragedy, a golf tragedy. No one was hurt, but it's a golf tragedy.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You love this story.
SANCHEZ: I love this game.
BALDWIN: You love this story.
SANCHEZ: I play golf every weekend.
BALDWIN: Well, we'll tell the story.
SANCHEZ: Can we?
BALDWIN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Brooke's here.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: What is trending? Here's Brooke. That's what she brings us, those things that are trending.
BALDWIN: I feel like the theme today has been people who are up with their 15 minutes of fame.
I've got another guy for you who is just about done. I'm talking about the infamous flight attendant Steven Slater. Well, apparently -- and this perhaps comes as no surprise to many of us --
SANCHEZ: No. No!
BALDWIN: -- he has been offered -- wait for it --
SANCHEZ: Don't say it.
BALDWIN: -- his own reality TV show.
SANCHEZ: Oh!
BALDWIN: I know. I know. That's what TMZ is reporting.
Look, I've been calling this L.A.-based production company to try to get my own confirmation on that. They're not calling. They're not e- mailing me back.
But according to TMZ, the show would feature, get this, disgruntled employees who quit their jobs in crazy, big, huge, extravagant ways. Of course, we all know the story has become this big Internet sensation. I think it was a week ago today that he popped the chute on that JetBlue flight.
SANCHEZ: Oh, my God.
BALDWIN: And off he went with his beer. That was that.
SANCHEZ: Pretty soon it's going to be, like, everybody in reality shows is going to be the real people, and the rest of us are going to be on TV.
BALDWIN: Wouldn't that be interesting?
SANCHEZ: It's just like the whole world will be reality shows. Everything will always be on -- I don't know.
BALDWIN: That's a scary thought.
SANCHEZ: OK, it's a crazy thought, and that's one I should have kept as an inner thought.
Go ahead. OK. Now, I'll tell you what was crazy this weekend.
BALDWIN: Yes. Go.
SANCHEZ: Don't laugh at me. We're on television again.
BALDWIN: I forget sometimes.
SANCHEZ: Do you know this -- my wife and I -- my wife of all people --
BALDWIN: Right?
SANCHEZ: -- we're sitting on the couch yesterday watching the PGA championships, and all of a sudden we look up and it looks like a disturbance.
BALDWIN: Like an outdoor mall.
SANCHEZ: Like a mall. Here's this golfer, they've got helicopters flying over. I thought a bad guy got away in the middle of a golf game or something.
Did you see this?
BALDWIN: I have seen it now today thanks to you. You're teaching me a little bit here. Let me teach you.
The sports universe all abuzz about this story, this PGA story. It's the PGA championship, as Rick said. We're talking about 26-year-old Dustin Johnson.
SANCHEZ: He's about to win.
BALDWIN: He's about to win. He hits this ball into a sand trap which is outside the ropes, so as I've learned today, it's a no-no to ground your club if you're in a sand trap, meaning you can't touch the club to the ground. And if you do that, you get a two-stroke penalty, which is what happened in his case, so that means two-stroke penalty.
But here is what Rick's all about. Let me get to the video.
This is not an outdoor mall. This is indeed a golf course in --
SANCHEZ: Look at this.
BALDWIN: There are different pictures that really show you just --
SANCHEZ: He's got to hit the ball through.
BALDWIN: He's got to hit the ball through all these people.
Is this the 18th hole, too, by the way?
SANCHEZ: Yes. This is it. This is it.
BALDWIN: So there he goes.
SANCHEZ: Look at these people.
BALDWIN: And you can't even really see the sand though.
SANCHEZ: But they're right on top of him.
BALDWIN: They're right on top of him. So, part of the question is -- and apparently, as Gary was explaining, this course in particular is very sandy, so it's not really -- it's really sort of -- you know, is it a sand trap, is it not a sand trap? So, it turned out, in fact, it was. But he said it was not all that obvious.
Let's play the sound bite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUSTIN JOHNSON, GOLFER: I just thought I was on a piece of dirt where, you know, the crowd had trampled down, and I never thought I was in a sand trap. You know, I looked at it a lot, and it never once crossed my mind that I was in a bunker.
And, you know, obviously I know the rules of golf. I can't grab my club in a bunker. But, you know, that was just one situation I guess -- I guess maybe I should have looked for the rule shoot (ph) a little harder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: I mean, look, I'm learning to play golf, and I know what a sand trap is. So I guess if you have people kind of lollygaging and going -- walking through this area --
SANCHEZ: Well, no, no, no. He's right. He's right.
I mean, look, we didn't see the aerials there, but literally --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Yes, bring that camera over here. I'm going to do a little -- come on. What is your name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris (ph).
SANCHEZ: Chris (ph), you're new. Hi Chris (ph).
BALDWIN: Hi, Chris (ph).
SANCHEZ: So, OK, most of the time you have a bunker in the middle of a golf course. Right?
BALDWIN: Bunker, a.k.a. sand trap.
SANCHEZ: No, but the visitors, the people, they're out there, maybe over here.
BALDWIN: They're roped off.
SANCHEZ: Exactly. But he hits the ball there, and there are people here and here and here.
BALDWIN: So how is he supposed to know?
SANCHEZ: I mean, the ball, you could barely see the ball. So he goes over there, he doesn't even know he's in a bunker.
BALDWIN: Then he has to hit the ball from the bunker with all the people.
SANCHEZ: He thought that those people, by walking and hanging around there, had just kind of eroded the green, and it looked like a sand bunker but it wasn't really a sand bunker, thereby he grounds his club and hits the ball.
BALDWIN: It's kind of fun when you read about it. I mean, this poor guy is 26.
SANCHEZ: That's his story and he's sticking to it.
BALDWIN: I know, but I guess he had some kind of trouble with the rule books back in Pebble Beach, U.S. Open. It's been a tough year for this guy.
SANCHEZ: It's a game of honor.
BALDWIN: He's irked the golf gods.
SANCHEZ: Yes, I guess so.
You know what? He's a fantastic golfer. He'll be back.
BALDWIN: Yes. He's young.
SANCHEZ: He'll be back.
BALDWIN: All right.
SANCHEZ: Hey, thanks.
BALDWIN: Hey, thanks.
SANCHEZ: I love that.
BALDWIN: Thanks.
SANCHEZ: Did you hear what Senator John Ensign is asking his constituents to do? His request and the reason for it is why he's being called out today. What list do you think he's on?
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: There is something somewhat infuriating about a politician who sticks his hands out and begs after he's done something wrong. But what makes it even worse is when he asks the people that he betrayed for help -- specifically for cash.
Here's "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
Here we go.
Today it's Nevada Senator John Ensign. He is the Republican at the center of a criminal and ethics investigation. Remember, last year Ensign admitted to having an extramarital affair with the wife of his top aide and best friend. The guy was his chief of staff. And oh, yes, the mistress also worked for Ensign's campaign.
But before the affair goes public, Ensign says his parents wrote a couple of checks for $96,000. Imagine writing a couple you barely know a check for $96,000. Just thought it would be the right thing to do.
Ensign, as was disclosed here on RICK'S LIST extensively, is also being investigated for trying to get lobbying gigs for the husband of his mistress, and that could be illegal.
Here is some of my conversation with the senator when he was shocked to find out I wanted him to answer some very direct questions about this scandal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN ENSIGN (R), NEVADA: Listen, Rick, I've commented all I was going to comment on that. And, you know, we told you when we were going to come on here that I'm going to be focused on health care, I'm going to be focused on the economy. My state is hurting right now as badly as any state in the country, and I'm focused on doing everything I can to help Nevada.
SANCHEZ: But here is the problem with that.
ENSIGN: And that's what I'm going to focus on. That's all. I'm not going to answer your questions. You can ask it all the ways you want to ask it, but I'm not going to answer your questions.
SANCHEZ: I understand that. OK. But here is the problem. There is a law that says that someone who is an aide for a senator like yourself has to wait one year before they start lobbying.
There is reason to believe, Senator -- in fact, there's a lot of reason to believe here that Doug Hampton, who was your aide, was lobbying within that one year. If that's the case, sir, that's an illegality and something that you owe an explanation to your constituents about, if you had any involvement in either that lobbying or helping him get those lobbying gigs.
ENSIGN: Right, Rick. First of all, that's his problem, that's not my problem.
But at the same time, I'm not going to answer any of the questions because I'm focused on doing my job right now. All that stuff will take care of itself over time. We've said we will cooperate with any investigations, but at this moment I'm just going to focus on being the best senator that I can be for my state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Well, it still hasn't taken care of itself. Now Senator Ensign is asking supporters for their money to help pay for his lawyers.
He cheats on his wife and gets involved in a suspected cover-up that his own Republican colleagues want him to answer for, to their credit, but now he wants to use it to collect money, blaming "a liberal organization" for his legal problems. Ooh, a liberal organization. It sounds nefarious, does it not?
For the record, Senator Ensign voted to impeach President Bill Clinton after his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Just thought you'd like to know that.
Here's the bottom line. The senator cheated on his wife and seems to have tried to hide it by possibly violating ethics rules. The Justice Department is also investigating. And now, with unemployment in Nevada at 14 percent, he wants his constituents to help him pay for his legal fees?
Here's an idea sent to me on my Twitter page when I was talking to many of you about this story -- have his parents just write another check.
Republican John Ensign at the very top of "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
Wolf Blitzer is next. He's coming up with our political list.
This is RICK'S LIST. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back.
As you might imagine -- there go the lights. We're back in it.
As you might imagine, a lot of folks have been commenting on this situation with the golfer who, at the last minute, was pulled in by the officials and told, I'm sorry, but I think you violated the rules and you have got to have a two-stroke penalty, which means you're no longer in the playoff, which means you are not going to win this tournament which you were just one shot away from winning.
So many of you have tweeted. And here is you what say.
To the Twitter board we go.
"OK, so whose fault was it? I think there's a lot of blame to go around. Course design, DJ, caddy, marshals, walking, rules official?"
You know what I was hearing this morning? I was hearing people say on the radio on my way into work that the fault is with the TV cameras, because in the past, if there weren't TV cameras there, then nobody would know he did it. Right?
It's like, well -- that's like saying if a robber robbed a bank and it was caught on video, then you shouldn't bust him for it? No. Anyway, "Proud of the way my boy DJ handled the ruling. I think a bunker that fans have been standing in all day should be considered a waste bunker."
Ah, but, RickieFowlerPGA -- good golfer himself -- remember, as we understand it, every golfer and every caddy was told these are the ground rules. If you see sand anywhere on the course, play it like it is a hazard, which means you can't ground your club.
I even understand they put signs in the bathrooms to make sure all the golfers saw that. He didn't read it. He didn't see it. He didn't honor it.
It is what it is. Rules are not there to be broken.
Just ahead, shocking video of a police officer taking down a guy on the street. He was talking on the phone when, bam, the officer wrestles him to the ground.
Was this excessive force? I want you to decide for yourself. I'm going to break this down for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back.
Apparently we've got an update now on a story we told you about at the beginning of the newscast. And we've got some folks visiting here.
I want to say hi to you guys. Go ahead and give us a wave. Thanks for coming by and visiting RICK'S LIST on this day.
All right. Watch this video. All right? Let's all watch this video, you guys in the studio, you guys at home.
A police report that goes with it says that a caller, either inaccurate or pure fiction, depending which side you ask. All right. I'll take you through this.
You see that guy right there on the phone? You see he's talking on the phone while his friend is being arrested.
And he's calling his dad, and his dad apparently is a police official. And he is trying to get advice from his dad on what to do, and it doesn't look like he is being aggressive, but watch.
A cop is about to go up and punch his lights out. Here comes the cop, and now watch.
Does it look like he -- boom, boom. And now to the ground he goes.
There is a lot on this story. Michael Deherrera is the fellow on the phone. And guess what? He's called in to us and we've got him now on the phone again taking us through this.
The police officer says -- in fact, I have one of these things right here. I'm going to read what we're told the police officers say.
They say that you spun to your left, "attempting to strike me in the face," and that your fist was closed. We'll show that video again. But you, as we watch this video, take us through your version of what was going on here, Michael.
MICHAEL DEHERRERA, DENVER POLICE BEATING VICTIM: Well, it all happened really quickly. When I did call my dad, I was in a very frantic state, as you can see in the video. I was yelling into the phone saying, "Dad they're beating up Shawn (ph)! They're beating up Shawn (ph)!
My father was awoken by the phone call, so all he had to say was, "Calm down. I can't understand you. I can't understand you."
And I continued to say, "They're beating up Shawn (ph) They're beating up Shawn (ph). And by that time, that's when the cop is over there and then that's when he takes me down.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Well, let's watch this together again. Do you attempt at all to hit him or strike him?
DEHERRERA: No. It's clear on that video one of my hands is holding my phone. The other is holding my arm that's holding my phone. There is no closed fist, there's no blading (ph) of my body. If anything, I become introverted into myself.
SANCHEZ: All right. Let me read you something else then. All right? Here is something else that comes from the police.
They say they have a witness that says that you, Deherrera, pushed another officer moments earlier, and that the officer who hit you feared that you would do it again, that you were about to strike him. I should also share with our viewers that other witnesses dispute that you had pushed anyone at all that night.
What's your story?
DEHERRERA: I did not touch any officers on location. I would never.
Like you said, my dad is a sheriff's deputy, has been for 22 years. I respect the law and the authority.
I would never lay my hands on an officer. And if I was that sort of threat, I don't know why the police department did not have me in custody as soon as they had Shawn (ph) and allowed me to be on the corner calling for help if I was such a threat to the officers.
SANCHEZ: Right there when you're talking, are you threatening the officer in any way? Are you speaking directly to him? Are you saying something to your dad about the officer that would make him feel threatened?
DEHERRERA: No, not at all. I said, "They're beating up Shawn (ph). They're beating up Shawn (ph)."
SANCHEZ: That's all you said?
DEHERRERA: That's all I said.
SANCHEZ: What do you make of the fact that the officer has already been disciplined?
DEHERRERA: I don't think it was the right disciplinary action that should have been taken. Go ahead.
SANCHEZ: What would you want done?
DEHERRERA: I believe I agree with Richard Rosenthal, and I think they should be fired, and if not, prosecuted for us both. I think if any one of us had done these actions and assaulted someone, we would all be in jail.
SANCHEZ: Well, what is worse, the fact that he hit you, or the fact that he is being suspended for three days without pay for submitting an inaccurate report? In other words, it seems to me his own superiors are saying he lied.
DEHERRERA: Yes. I think that is overall the worst. They're condoning and, like, trying to give us a linguistic back flip as a way to get around lying.
They should just blatantly (INAUDIBLE) lied. I think they're condoning it. Saying it was misfilled (ph) out, I think it's just -- I think that's horrible.
SANCHEZ: So you're saying he tried to cover his tracks by saying you tried to strike him, and further, that you were a threat because you had struck somebody else, when you're here to say neither of those things were true?
DEHERRERA: No. And I think the video speaks more than anything.
You can clearly see I'm not a threat. I don't interact with him in any way to lead him to believe that I'm a threat. And I don't make any actions previous to the video for him to believe that.
SANCHEZ: What was the deal with your friend? We haven't discussed that part of the story. He's being wrestled to the ground. What did he do wrong?
DEHERRERA: I wasn't there the exact moment the altercation happened, but I am aware that he did, in fact, use the women's bathroom and was asked to be escorted out of the club. And on the way as they were escorting him out, it became violent, and the bouncer started punching him. So he thought it was best to remove himself from the situation before it got worse. But by that point, it had escalated to a point where the cops had taken notice and tackled him when he was trying to leave.
SANCHEZ: By the way, we've just gotten new information on this story. I'll read it to the viewers.
Look over my shoulder if you can here, Robert.
"This response prepared in concurrence with the city attorney's office, chief of police. As a manager of safety, I diligently examine and review all cases, submitted and filed disciplinary action. Prior to submission, cases are investigated and prepared."
Boy, there's a lot to read here on them. "The case is reviewed by" -- "I carefully weighed -- the discipline I imposed on July 20, 2010 was made after reviewing the entire case in its totality, in addition to reading the internal affairs."
So, let's see. Is there news here, Andreas (ph)? Is there a change here?
"The video, when viewed in isolation, seems to portray the subject officers as overly aggressive for the situation. There is no audio, and it appears that there is a man on the phone ignoring but not being overtly aggressive toward the officer."
So it sounds like they're sticking to their guns here, but there is too much to read before we go to Wolf, so we'll let it go at that. We'll stay on the story. Expect more information tonight at 8:00 p.m. on "RICK'S LIST PRIMETIME."
Here now, Wolf Blitzer and "THE SITUATION ROOM."
