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CNN Saturday Morning News
Bombing Suspect Held at Hospital; Interview with Watertown Police Chief; Suspect's Uncle Speaks Out; Investigators Hunt For a Motive; Bombing Suspect Number Two Hid in Boat; The Power of Sports After a Tragedy
Aired April 20, 2013 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer live in Boston. And we want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world for a special live coverage of the capture of the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. The terror is over after five days of tragedy and anxiety. Boston can finally rest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Boston Police have just -- the Boston Police Department has just tweeted "Suspect in custody". Let me repeat that around 8:45 p.m. Boston Police Department has just tweeted that the suspect is in fact in custody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: This time yesterday 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was on the run. A manhunt that brought the city of Boston and the neighboring suburbs to a virtual halt. This morning the most wanted man in America is under police guard and we're told charges could be filed against him literally at any time.
After a dramatic arrest, he was taken to a hospital in serious condition. He was first wounded on Thursday night in the shootout with police that killed his brother. Last night he may have been struck once again in a hail of police gunfire.
This image from CBS News shows the bloody teen climbing out of a boat parked in a Watertown backyard where he had likely been hiding for hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have movement in the boat. He just sat up. He is moving, flailing about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The boat's owner says he saw smeared blood and pulled back a tarp to find Tsarnaev laying there. He was apparently weak from blood loss but still refused to surrender until the vast rally -- the last volley of gunfire. Right now a heavy police presence inside Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where Tsarnaev is recovering after being seriously injured. Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is right outside of the hospital. Elizabeth, federal prosecutors are inside. Could the suspect actually be charged today?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what, Wolf? My colleague Pamela Brown she's been talking to a justice department official who says yes. Those charges could come down while Tsarnaev is still in the hospital. He is in federal custody and we know that we are told that he is going to be charged with federal crimes including terrorism.
Now, what we don't know is much about his condition. He is in serious condition but they haven't given us anymore details on that and I don't think they're going to -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Elizabeth how does the hospital -- the hospital where you are specifically handle security for someone like this?
COHEN: Right you know big urban hospitals like this one are very accustomed to taking care of suspects and inmates so they know how to do this. You know I was talking to a doctor who does this on a regular basis and he says that -- he's not here a doctor someplace else. He guesses or thinks that they will handcuffing him to the bed. Handcuffed to the bed and he said likely two security, two police officers by his side as well as police officers outside the door.
So again, they are accustomed to doing this. One of the things they might be looking at in his case is to make sure that he doesn't kill himself because he is obviously much more valuable alive than dead.
BLITZER: Inside the hospital where you are, Elizabeth, behind you in that building, doctors and nurses they certainly have to take care of this man believed suspected to have committed these terrible acts killing these people and injuring so many others. How do they handle that responsibility?
COHEN: You know Wolf, I've been talking to doctors about that. And they say, look, we're human. It's tough when we know what someone has done and it affects us but we take a deep breath and we work on the patients. And just as we would any other patients and sometimes it's almost mechanical. It's almost what someone in the military would do, you do the job you have to do. You have those feelings before you work on the patient and after.
But you know a doctor did say something interesting to me. He said as physicians we try to connect with our patients but not in this case. There is no arms around him. There is no hugs. There's no how's your family? There's none of that.
BLITZER: Elizabeth Cohen at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center watching what's going on for us. We'll check back with you.
Certainly it's a family's worst nightmare. After watching what was going on here in Boston a terrorist attack unfolding a few days earlier, finding out your own flesh and blood may have been responsible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSLAN TSARNI, UNCLE OF THE SUSPECTS: He put a shame -- he put a shame on our family, Tsarnaev family. He put a shame on the entire Chechen ethnicity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The uncle called the brothers "losers". His word "losers". Their aunt suggests they were innocent victims of a conspiracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARET TSARNAEV, SUSPECT'S AUNT: My first call to FBI they could not have done this. Where are evidence? All you show us is footage. Two guys are walking. And I find it strange that Tamerlan is walking in the front. Dzhokhar is in the back. Why wouldn't they come together? Just you know together as brothers as I used to know them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So are you suspicious that maybe they really did do this?
TSARNAEV: No I'm suspicious that it was staged. The picture was staged.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The brother's father still lives in the Russian region of Dagestan echoed this denial and the paranoia. He told Russian media his son who was on the run at the time was -- in his words "a true angel" -- his words. A true angel and was framed.
Our Nick Paton Walsh found the father to ask a few more questions. This is the CNN exclusive. The first time he has spoken since his younger son was captured.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: CNN -- I'm with CNN. I'm so sorry, sir. We just wanted to hear your story. That was all. It's a very difficult time for you. We just want to give you the chance to tell people how you feel about this.
Well it's -- we just feel so you will have a chance to properly hear all you have to say about the terrible circumstances you're in.
So your sons didn't do this? Are you going to America? When will you leave? You will forgive me, sir. I know it's a difficult time for you. I'm simply just trying to do my job. I understand.
When was the last time you spoke to them? Have you been in touch with special services here? What do they have to say to you? Ok. I understand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We're going to go to Dagestan live and speak with Nick Paton Walsh later. He caught up as you just saw with the father of these two suspects. Also I'll speak live within the next few minutes the police chief of Watertown here outside of Boston just hours after a nightmare unfolded in his town's backyard. You're going to hear specifically how it all went down.
This is CNN's special live coverage from Boston.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The wild chaotic search for the latest Boston bombing suspect ended in Watertown. That's just outside of Boston. Watertown Police Chief -- the police -- the entire police department played a huge role in the manhunt. With us now is the Watertown police chief, Edward Deveau. Thanks very much, Chief, for coming in.
EDWARD DEVEAU, WATERTOWN POLICE CHIEF: It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you very much.
BLITZER: You've never experienced anything -- how many years have you been a cop?
DEVEAU: I've been on the job 30 years.
BLITZER: You've never experienced anything like this before.
DEVEAU: Absolutely not.
BLITZER: When did you realize that that this was going down, that you had the second suspect?
DEVEAU: We -- we go -- it was late in the day. We had a report that we got from our citizens. We asked them to keep vigilant and we got the call and it sounded like really good information.
BLITZER: That a person called and said there's a guy in this boat in my backyard.
DEVEAU: That's right.
BLITZER: And there looks like there's blood there. So did you got, pick up the story there.
DEVEAU: Right and I do want to talk about what happened the night before.
BLITZER: I will get to that in a second but pick up the story.
DEVEAU: Yes, right and so -- so you know at that point we had a couple thousand police officers on scene. The turnout was just incredible, the support that we got from the -- from the state and from the region so we had tactical people to be able to close the scene down and secure it. And we did take our time to make sure that everyone was safe in the neighborhood. And eventually we had to use some flash bangs to render the subject --
BLITZER: Tell us what a flash bang is.
DEVEAU: It's a large compression that would stun someone for a short period of time and then we began negotiations slowly over a 15 to 20-minute period we were able to get him to stand up and show us that he didn't have a device on him.
BLITZER: All right so he's lying in this boat.
DEVEAU: Right.
BLITZER: He's been there for several hours. He's wounded clearly, right? He's bleeding.
DEVEAU: Right.
BLITZER: He's obviously weak. You come over there and what do you say to him? You have a blow horn and you start say come out with your hands up?
DEVEAU: Well we have -- we have a negotiator who was actually on the second floor of the house looking down at the boat in the backyard.
BLITZER: You could see him?
DEVEAU: No we couldn't see him. There was a plastic tarp over him. We had state police helicopter that could tell us when there was movement in the boat by the heat sensor. So we could tell he was alive and moving and we began the negotiations that way and over a long period of time we were able to finally get him to surrender without any other -- anybody hurt or injured.
BLITZER: So he didn't use anymore gunfire and of course while he was in the boat.
DEVEAU: Well once we got that -- there was early gunfire when we first got in the area. There was a heated exchanged gunfire with some of the officers and then we secured the scene and then there was no more gunfire after that.
BLITZER: What kind of weapons did he have?
DEVEAU: We're not sure. We have -- that crime scene is still live down there. The boat -- the FBI crime scene search is there now. We haven't been into that boat, we don't know what's in that boat. There could be devices, there could be -- -
BLITZER: So the FBI is in charge of that.
DEVEAU: On the scene down there today yes.
BLITZER: Did he have an explosive vest on his body like his older brother did the night before?
DEVEAU: Well, that was our major concern and that's why no one wanted to go near him until we were able to get him to understand that we needed him to lift his shirt up so we could see his chest where we felt comfortable to send some people in to take him in to custody.
BLITZER: Did he do that?
DEVEAU: Yes, eventually, over a long period of time, 20 to 30 minutes, we finally got him to do that.
BLITZER: So he had no explosives with him in the boat as far as you know?
DEVEAU: On his person. We haven't got into that boat. It's a decent size boat so we don't know what else is in there.
BLITZER: Who did the negotiations? Who did the talking with him?
DEVEAU: That would have been the FBI task force.
BLITZER: And he raised up his shirt. He showed he wasn't wearing an explosive device and then what happened?
DEVEAU: Well, at that point once we saw that, we felt comfortable enough to send some officer with tactical equipment to go in and grab him and pull him away from the boat so he wouldn't be able to have anything. And then we -- he needed first aid, you know, so he was transported by ambulance into a Boston hospital.
BLITZER: And what was the nature of his injuries? I believe the injuries were sustained the night before the exchange that you had with him, with his older brother.
DEVEAU: We knew he was --
BLITZER: Hold on a second. There's a lot of activity moving behind us. We're used to this by now. But I just want to make sure our viewers can hear you.
All right go ahead. The exchange the night before. Walk us through that.
DEVEAU: Ok. It's a very hectic night where there was so much heroics in a lot of different police departments but I just want to give credit to the men and women of the Watertown police department. What had happened was there was an assassination of an MIT police officer.
BLITZER: And you believe by these two brothers?
DEVEAU: Yes.
BLITZER: Why would they want -- why did they want to kill this police officer?
DEVEAU: That's still under investigation. He was responding to just a loud disturbance call and, you know, that happened.
BLITZER: Was it on the campus of MIT at this convenience store?
DEVEAU: I believe it was on campus. And then they fled. They did a carjacking and somehow for some reason they ended up coming to Watertown and that's where, you know, our officers engaged the two of them.
BLITZER: What happened? Pick up the story there. They are in a hijacked car. They had hijacked the car. They took the driver and then they let the driver go after the driver supposedly went to an ATM and gave them some money, is that right?
DEVEAU: Right. There was some money withdrawn from his ATM and so what happened with Watertown one of our first police officers, we are getting information based on pinging the cell phone that he's in Watertown. We kind of know what streets he's on. BLITZER: Wait, wait. So Tsarnaev was using his own personal cell phone?
DEVEAU: No. This is the victim's cell phone --
BLITZER: The victim's -- all right.
DEVEAU: -- that remained in the Mercedes.
BLITZER: All right. In other words, so they let the victim go. They had bragged to the victim that they were the bombers of the Marathon, is that right?
DEVEAU: That's my understanding. They said "We did the Boston Marathon bombing and we killed a police officer."
BLITZER: Did they explain why they let the driver go, the man they had hijacked?
DEVEAU: No. I don't -- you know.
BLITZER: Thank God they did.
DEVEAU: Right. And that was lucky for him and lucky for us that his cell phone remained in that vehicle so we were able to get updates.
So now it's about 12:30 in morning down a residential street in Watertown. Everybody is sleeping. Sleepy neighborhood. And our officer sees two vehicles. Two brothers are in two different cars including the car that was hijacked. He calls and notifies our station. We do all the proper procedure. Do not engage the car. Let's get you some more backup.
And before the backup could even get there, the two cars stop, they jump out of the car and unload on our police officer.
BLITZER: When you say unload, what does that mean?
DEVEAU: They both came out shooting.
BLITZER: Shooting what?
DEVEAU: Shooting guns. Handguns and there was a long arm in the car. So we're not exactly sure. We're still piecing that together. But he's under direct fire, very close by. He has to jam it in reverse and try to get himself a little distance.
BLITZER: The younger brother?
DEVEAU: No. Our police officer. So the two brothers are shooting at my first police officer that's responded and now within seconds I have two or three other police officers that pull up. We had just finished shift so two off-duty officers on their way home heard the call. So I have six police officers in this very tight area engaged in gunfight. We estimate there was over 200 shots fired over a five to ten-minute period.
BLITZER: So these two brothers, they had a lot of weapons?
DEVEAU: Yes.
BLITZER: They have. They were well-armed.
DEVEAU: Right.
BLITZER: And they had pipe bombs, too?
DEVEAU: Well, they had pipe bombs and explosives. During the exchange all of a sudden, something got thrown at my police officers and we now find out it's the exact bomb that was blew up at the marathon in Monday?
BLITZER: What do you mean like in a pressure cooker?
DEVEAU: Yes, it's a pressure cooker. We find the pressure cooker embedded in the car down the street. So there's a major explosion during this gunfight of my officers -- six of my officers that I'm extremely proud of -- that heroic. I mean how -- I'm not, you know -- My heart is out to MIT Officer and his family but how the Watertown police aren't attending a funeral of our own based on what happened on that street over that period of time is just talent, guts and glory that my officers did.
BLITZER: And there was some luck too that nobody was killed -- none of your officers.
DEVEAU: Right. So there was that major explosive. There were two other grenades that came at our officers.
BLITZER: Were they hand grenades?
DEVEAU: They were lighting something and throwing them and they were exploding them. So we kind of called them hand grenades but they are very rough devices. Two other ones didn't explode but our officers that were nearby could have exploded at any other time and now -- so that's what my officers have done.
At the same time the whole greater Boston area is rushing to Watertown. They're on the radio saying Watertown is in deep trouble. Shots fired.
BLITZER: This is shortly after midnight.
DEVEAU: Yes. So everybody is coming and they were able to come to us but the gunfight was over by the time people got there except for a couple police officers from the transit.
BLITZER: All right. So walk us through what happened. The older brother, he's wounded, right? He's thrown out of the car and there are reports that the younger brother drove away and drove over his brother, is that right?
DEVEAU: Well, eventually, yes. That's exactly what happened. What happened was at some point the first brother who died at the scene, he all of a sudden comes out from undercover and starts walking down the street shooting at our police officers trying to get closer. My closest police officer is five to ten feet away and they're exchanging gunfire between them and he runs out of ammunition, the bad guy.
And so one of my police officers comes off the side and tackles him in the street and we're trying to get him handcuffed. There are two or three police officers handcuffing him in the street.
BLITZER: The older brother?
DEVEAU: The older brother. At the same time at the last minute they obviously have tunnel vision. It's very, very stressful situation. One of them yells out, "Look out." Here comes the black SUV, the carjacked car, directly at them. They dive out of the way and he runs over his brother and drags him a short distance down the street.
BLITZER: In effect killing his brother?
DEVEAU: Yes. That's what we think.
BLITZER: This is the younger -- the 19-year-old is then driving this car and he escapes?
DEVEAU: Exactly.
BLITZER: So you pursue.
DEVEAU: Right. And at the same time one of the transit officers that came behind our officers, we realize he's been shot. He's been hit in the groin and he has a serious wound. It has serious bleeding going on. One of my police officers who is an EMT went and rendered him aid and along with his partner from the transit authority and they just deserve all kinds of credit for saving that gentleman's life up unto this point.
Our prayers are still with him and the family because he's still in a tough way. He lost a lot of blood at the scene there but we hope he can make a recovery.
BLITZER: How did the younger one escape?
DEVEAU: He drove off. There's still gunfire. He got down two or three streets. We were in pursuit of him along with the other officers from the surrounding communities that are coming in and he dumps the car and runs into the darkness of the streets.
BLITZER: That's it?
DEVEAU: Then we lost contact with him.
BLITZER: He's in Watertown some place. He's running. You have no idea if he's armed, if he has explosives, but he's gone.
DEVEAU: Right. We're assuming that he has explosives and he has weapons.
BLITZER: This is now 1:00 in the morning?
DEVEAU: Right. Just before 1:00.
BLITZER: That's when you begin this massive manhunt?
DEVEAU: Right.
BLITZER: You take the older brother to the hospital. He's pronounced dead at the hospital.
DEVEAU: Right.
BLITZER: What else did you find there. What other types of weapons, explosives, hand grenades, pipe bombs, what else did you find?
DEVEAU: Well, there's handguns there. There's a long-armed rifle. There's the three bombs that exploded is my understanding; there's two that weren't detonated and then the car that he bailed out of I know there was at least one other explosive device in that car that they didn't use. There was at least six bombs they had if you will.
BLITZER: When he was -- and we move fast forward now last night, it's now after 7:00 almost 8:00 at night last night. You find him in the boat. He's alive but he's seriously injured, right? After a 20- minute negotiation with the FBI he gives himself up.
DEVEAU: Right.
BLITZER: They arrest him. They don't read him his Miranda rights. Explain.
DEVEAU: I'm not great on this. But my understanding with the FBI and the federal authorities is that it's a terrorist act that they don't get certain rights that the rest of us would be afforded. They wanted to make sure that if we did speak with him that he wouldn't be given his Miranda rights. That something else kicked in. He was just --
BLITZER: You were told this in advance. If you found the guy, your officers are not going to read him his Miranda rights.
DEVEAU: Right. But that never played out. There was no interviewing at the scene. He needed aid. And we got him to a hospital.
BLITZER: He was in no position to talk or anything like that.
DEVEAU: Exactly.
BLITZER: He was just a very weak -- did he mumble anything? Did he say anything? Did he give any political statements? Anything along those lines?
DEVEAU: I wasn't right there. But my understanding is he didn't have anything to say. But I don't know for sure.
BLITZER: What about during the 20-minute negotiation with the FBI when they were working out his surrender? Did he make any statements that could be useful?
DEVEAU: No. He didn't make -- I'm not aware of any statements. I think it was more he was finally started to do what we were directing him to do to stand up, to lift his shirt up and things like that and that took a long time. There is very little conversation as far as I understand.
BLITZER: Do you believe there are any other suspects out there at large, any collaborators, co-conspirators, anyone we should be concerned about? Based on everything you know?
DEVEAU: From what I know right now, these two acted together and alone. I think it's an eye-opening experience to me, to our police department, to our community and to the United States and the world that we're in a different state here. I think we have to be ever vigilant and we're learning as we go along. But as far as this little cell or this little group, I think we got our guys.
BLITZER: You're not searching for anyone else. I ask if citizens of Watertown and Boston, the other communities -- can they rest easily now knowing that this operation has been -- has ended. That there are no other suspects at large.
DEVEAU: Right. We got our two guys.
BLITZER: That's it.
DEVEAU: Right.
BLITZER: So you must be relieved. DEVEAU: Relieved. Yes. I mean very proud of the law enforcement community. As I said, I'm 30 years on this job. I couldn't have been more proud last night when I drove home to be part of such a profession.
BLITZER: When -- and I just want to wrap up a couple loose ends before I let you go. You have been very generous with your time, Police Chief. During the apprehension, did any more explosives go off as far as you know?
DEVEAU: At the boat?
BLITZER: Yes.
DEVEAU: No.
BLITZER: No more gunfire at the boat.
DEVEAU: No.
BLITZER: So he was just lying there --
DEVEAU: Well, there was gunfire early on but there was no -- we don't know what's in that boat yet. There may be explosives.
BLITZER: We heard -- reporters on the scene heard a volley of gun shots going off, maybe two dozen or so. Who was firing those gun shots?
DEVEAU: It was back and forth.
BLITZER: Was he firing?
DEVEAU: My understanding, yes. He was firing.
BLITZER: From the boat?
DEVEAU: Right. Through the plastic they saw him poking through the plastic if you will of the boat and then gunfire erupted.
BLITZER: You say they had sophisticated vision equipment from a helicopter to see through the boat cover if you will to see if there was movement underneath?
DEVEAU: Right. We knew there was a body in that boat through the state police helicopter. It's heat seeking. He has a higher body temperature than the boat would so we could tell. Every time he moved we could see that on the uplink.
BLITZER: You can tell from that heat seeking kind of -- that's pretty sophisticated. You don't have that in the Watertown police department. That's federal assistance that you're getting there -- pretty sophisticated level.
DEVEAU: Right. Talk about assets bringing in Black Hawk helicopters and everything else. I got a couple of bicycles. BLITZER: Yes, you have never seen stuff like that before.
DEVEAU: It's just amazing, you know, from the President to the Governor they said we'll give you everything you need and they did give us everything we need.
BLITZER: And just to be precise, the nature of the two brothers, the guns that they had, do you know -- not necessarily specifically what kind but in generic terms what were those guns?
DEVEAU: I don't know. I haven't seen those guns yet. There's so much going on in the last 24, 36 hours that I haven't seen all of the evidence. I know we have three cruisers that will never drive again that are shot up. There's a lot of damage. I haven't seen everything.
BLITZER: Here's what -- it just jumps out at me and I'm going to let you. It's been an intriguing question. They had a lot of explosives. They had guns. They had some pretty sophisticated equipment. Two guys who didn't have any money. Where were they getting the money to get these -- to build a pressure cooker bomb, to go ahead and buy rifles, long rifles you're saying. To get hand grenades if you will. This is the kind of stuff that isn't cheap.
DEVEAU: No. That's -- we have to figure that out. There's a lot more work to go as we said at the press conference last night. We have to find out more about this. And we will as the days go on. There's a lot of hard work that's already gone into it. I think it moved quickly. And it is great.
And before we wrap up, I just want to say the support that I've gotten at the Watertown Police Department, the Boston Police Department and all law enforcement from local across the country, across the world. We have gotten so many people reaching out to us. The streets of Watertown were lined with people as we left the scene. It was just so moving to see the support we have and I want to thank the people the Watertown, the greater Boston area and across the country of support we've gotten.
BLITZER: Police Chief, thanks for your excellent work. Thanks for what you did. We really appreciate it not only here in the Boston area but nationally, indeed around the world. People are watching all over the world right now. We really appreciate what you've done.
DEVEAU: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.
BLITZER: Thanks for bringing this to an end. Edward Deveau is the Watertown, Massachusetts police chief. And thank the men and women who work with you as well.
DEVEAU: I will.
BLITZER: All right. One of the most chilling facts about this case -- one of the suspects was actually on the FBI's radar just last year and the year before but this wasn't the only red flag out there. We're going to discuss what happened as our special live coverage from Boston continues. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Good morning. The Boston bombing suspect's uncle is speaking out. He told our Shannon Travis in an exclusive interview more about Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Shannon is joining us now from Washington.
Shannon, what did the uncle have to say today?
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Yes, Wolf, and his name is Ruslan Tsarni. He's the same uncle, by the way, that yesterday basically attributed his nephews' actions to them being, quote, "losers." And basically said that they brought shame on the family.
As you mentioned, I just returned from Maryland speaking with the uncle. Today he's speaking in a different tune but of course I started the interview asking, what's your reaction to the capture of your younger nephew. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSLAN TSARNI, SUSPECTS' UNCLE: I'm relieved. I'm relieved that he's alive, first of all for -- that there is now a chance to find out who was behind it. Who was -- who was the mentors of all of it. And how possibly could he get involved and do this harm to innocent people. And second of all, I stress that there's a chance for Dzhokhar to seek forgiveness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVIS: Now, Wolf, when the older brother was a young child, the uncle actually had him in his care for a while and I asked the uncle about how he interacted with -- kept up with the older son for over the years. The uncle said that in 2009 that he had a conversation with the older brother, the older boy, and that he noticed a change in his voice where he was becoming more extreme in terms of his religious views. I asked him what he attributed that to. Take a listen at how he described that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TSARNI: I called one of the gentlemen living in that area who's private to their family. I said, listen, do you know what is going on with that family? With my brother's family? I heard that talking from Tamerlan. Where that might be coming from? And he says, oh, yes. There is -- yes, there is such a thing. There's a person with some new convert into Islam of Armenian descent. Armenians, I mean.
I have no intention to say anything about Armenian. It's the neighboring region with North Caucuses. I said this person just took his brain, he just brainwashed him completely. Tamerlan is off now. There's no any obedience and respect to his own father.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVIS: Someone brainwashed Tamerlan's brain. That's what the uncle says that he got once he actually inquired about these changes in his oldest nephew. The uncle also told me that he believes that demons will basically take what he described as a once good kid and take them over.
One last thing, there was a very powerful moment, Wolf, where the uncle actually named the names of the victims in the Boston bombings and also the police officer. Take a listen at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TSARNI: Lingzi Lu, student, young officer who just started his career was just on work trying to provide to his family. All grief he brought. So I say if I were among them, I was among them. He wouldn't stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVIS: Two last key points, Wolf. I asked the uncle flat out what would be his message to Dzhokhar right now. He said that he wants Dzhokhar to know to fully cooperate with the police, to tell everything as he put it so that he can begin to seek forgiveness. And I also asked, Wolf, if Dzhokhar reaches out to him, seeking help and guidance for what he's about to go through, would he be inclined to help, the uncle said yes. Yes, he would be inclined to help not legally necessarily but, yes, he would be in a position to help him seek forgiveness from the victims -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Shannon Travis, good work over there in Washington. Thanks very much for that report.
Now that the manhunt and the mayhem have ended, the investigation into the methods and the motive behind the bomb attack is intensifying.
Tom Fuentes is the former FBI assistant director, he's a CNN analyst. Juliette Kayyem is "Boston Globe" columnist, a CNN national security analyst, former Homeland Security adviser to state and federal governments.
The fact that the second suspect was captured, not killed has to be an advantage for the investigators, Tom. How important is this that potentially they can question this individual and get specific information?
TOM FUENTES, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Well, Wolf, I think it's extremely important and as we have seen in some of the previous cases, the FBI has been very successful even after giving the Miranda warnings to these subjects to get them to talk about what they've done, to get them to cooperate. We've seen this in Zazi, we saw who was going to attack the New York subway system, and we've -- seen this with Abdulmutallab, the underwear bomber in Detroit in 2009 where after he was captured, he was read his rights by the FBI, he talked. He cooperated.
He needed medical attention because he had burned his legs in attempting to light the device. Got the medical treatment. Went back after being treated and was re-read his rights and proceeded to talk for another -- I think the total interviews lasted almost 14 hours the first day and he continued to cooperate after that. Often especially in the case of terrorists, they want it known why they did it.
That's part of the reason for doing it isn't just to terrorize and kill people but to get their message out there and it's an opportunity to continue the process.
Secondly, he hasn't demonstrated suicidal tendencies. They didn't die at the time of the bombing at the marathon and the activities that took place last night, he surrendered. He was eventually talked into surrendering by the FBI negotiators. So here's someone at least has some appearance of wanting to save himself. He'll be facing the death penalty right now. So that's an added incentive if he still wants to come out of this alive that he fully cooperate and help the FBI.
The other issue that's come up about the Miranda rights is kind of ridiculous because there is the public safety clause. When someone like this is arrested like this, you know, Abdulmutallab we knew he -- there were no additional explosives in Detroit but with these guys we don't know if they had placed additional devices, booby traps or have a separate cache of weapons and explosive material somewhere in the Boston area. So they'd want to be talking to him about that mainly as a safety issue.
They really -- to be frank, they don't need his confession to prosecute and convict him. There is going to be more evidence in this case than you have in almost every other case that you have because they're on video. You've got the forensics. You have these murders of police. There is no -- I think no need for the Miranda warning in this case.
BLITZER: If they were, Juliette, to read the Miranda rights, and say you have the right to remain silent, right to an attorney, let's say he gets a public defender or another attorney volunteers to help him, first thing -- and you're a graduate of Harvard Law School. You know the first thing any lawyer will say to his or her client shut up. Don't say anything else.
JULIETTE KAYYEM, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY ASSISTANT SECRETARY: And we'll see. And this is going to unfold rather slowly now. And so it's important for people to remember, you know, I think the big statement made last night was sort of the commitment by the administration that they're going to go through the normal criminal justice process. We have criminal statutes.
BLITZER: Instead of declaring him an enemy combatant.
KAYYEM: You know, there's this debate percolating about this. I personally think it's absurd, to be honest, because he's here. He is a -- he has U.S. citizenship and all the evidence is necessary and I think it's an important statement especially after what the city went through to say, yes, now you're just a normal criminal and we're just going to put you through the process. This exception, the national security exception I agree with Tom, you know, we didn't -- we do not know a lot of facts about the motivation and whether they had more plans for people who -- you know, a lot of things are coming out in the last 24, 48 hours and I was reminded yesterday a lot about a book called "Columbine" by an author named Dave Collin. He just wrote a piece for slay.com about how much what we think we know today about the motivations will change over time and that we actually may not -- never have the answer why exactly did they do it? We may have a lot of explanations but we may never know what takes someone to that moment.
BLITZER: We would know if he fully cooperates and he tells all, this 19-year-old, and says here is exactly how this unfolded. My brother did this. I did this. We were inspired, or not inspired, or whatever.
KAYYEM: Right. But the moment -- so that message and sort of the ideology. But what brings someone to that moment if it's the older brother who had an influence over the younger brother, you know, there's going to be -- there's going to be some speculation and a lot of uncertainty and we'll see sort of how the case unfolds. But, you know, we're not -- we may not have all the answers immediately about how did we get to this moment.
BLITZER: Juliette, don't go too far away. Tom, don't go too far away. We have a lot of other questions to ask, as well. Thanks to both of you.
For now, up next, our Poppy Harlow, she just spoke with some of the neighbors who live nearby the home where the suspect was finally captured. Stay with us. Our special coverage continues right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The intense manhunt for the 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ended late last night in a backyard in Watertown, Massachusetts. Known as suspect number two in the Boston marathon bombings, Tsarnaev was discovered inside a parked boat right behind a house. It was only about a mile or so away from where his older brother died hours earlier in a shootout with police.
Our Poppy Harlow is just down the block from the home where the younger Tsarnaev was actually captured.
Poppy, how are neighbors reacting to all of this drama?
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf. Well, you know, we're hearing more and more of these first accounts which are critical in understanding what this night was like for people that call this neighborhood home and they're coming out of their houses, they're gathering, they're talking to neighbors, and I've talked to a number of people this morning. But one of the most stunning stories I've heard comes from a man named Bob Goodman. Not only was he literally feet from the second bomb at the marathon on Monday, he lives just three homes away from 67 Franklin Street and that's exactly where they arrested suspect number two last night.
So for him he told me, and this is a quote, it's been an absolutely horrific week. He said he was just sort of starting to get over the shock of what he had experienced on Monday and then this happened. Listen to our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB GOODMAN, WATERTOWN RESIDENT: When we were on lockdown, which started yesterday, in the morning, we were alternating between putting the blinds up and blinds down thinking that, you know, if they're up we can see what's going on, if they're down, you know, we don't have to see it.
HARLOW: Right.
GOODMAN: And it was that kind of vigilance and really anxiety and terror that we felt all day long. I did glimpse at one point out the back of my kitchen window and saw the National Guard and the FBI inspecting the backyard. I have a shed and I have a (INAUDIBLE).
HARLOW: Did they come into your house?
GOODMAN: They came into the house, yes.
HARLOW: Yes.
GOODMAN: Yes. And so there was that kind of thing going on in the neighborhood all day long.
HARLOW: And the neighbors that live at 67 Franklin, the house where suspect number two was, do you know them?
GOODMAN: I know them not extremely well but I certainly know them, you know, as neighbors. I see them often. The boat, that white boat is sort of part of our neighborhood.
HARLOW: Wow.
GOODMAN: I mean, the white tarped boat, I should say, because it's parked there for three seasons out of the year.
HARLOW: Have you been able to talk to that family to see how they're doing?
GOODMAN: I have not. I have not been able. I have spoken to the family who lives next to them.
HARLOW: OK.
GOODMAN: And they are doing fine.
HARLOW: Has the family been allowed back in their house in 67 Franklin?
GOODMAN: I don't know. HARLOW: Yes.
GOODMAN: I don't know.
HARLOW: It's unclear.
GOODMAN: I'm sure they were evacuated.
HARLOW: Well, thank goodness you're safe.
GOODMAN: I am.
HARLOW: Thank goodness this neighborhood is safe. But what harrowing experience to be so close to the bombs, one of the bombs at the marathon, and then here.
GOODMAN: Yes.
HARLOW: No one should go through it. So thank you for joining us. I'm glad you're going to go to the Red Sox game.
GOODMAN: Yes.
HARLOW: Try to enjoy it.
GOODMAN: I'm looking forward to it. I think it will be good healing.
HARLOW: Yes. Thank you.
GOODMAN: All right. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: You know, Wolf, and when you talk about that healing process, this neighborhood and this city are nowhere near back to normal. And he really emphasized that to me saying we still have so much healing to do, all of the victims, 58 of them still in the hospital. A long way to go. Four people who died in this terror attack. And I do want to tell you, obviously our viewers can see the police behind me. But they're blocking media off from going anywhere near that home because FBI agents, I'm told, have been in around that home searching the premises, scouring it for any evidence they can get before they're going to let anyone close there -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Which is exactly what they need to do. They want to make sure they leave no stones unturned.
All right, Poppy. Good work, thank you.
Federal terrorism charges could be filed soon against the bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Even before he's actually out of the hospital. That according to a U.S. Justice Department official. But already the case is raising some pretty complex legal questions.
Douglas Jones is a former U.S. attorney who prosecuted the Olympic Park bomber, Eric Robert Rudolph. He's joining us now from Birmingham, Alabama.
Thanks very much for coming in. Let's start with the fact that the government did not read this suspect his Miranda rights, invoking something that's called the public safety exception. What do you think about that? Explain what that means.
DOUGLAS JONES, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Simply, Wolf, it's -- I agree with what Mr. Fuentes said a few minutes ago. It's really not a particular argument. What they needed to find out is if there are other explosives. We've seen over the last 24 hours that the use of other explosives thrown at police officers, law enforcement officers, they need to find out if there are other things that are undetonated that are still out there.
As a practical matter for the trial, it won't matter. Miranda warnings only apply to confessions, statements made after someone has been arrested. So if you exclude that in this case, I still think there's going to be ample evidence to go forward and probably get a conviction in this case. So I think that the fact that they didn't read the Miranda warnings, if they get a statement is not going to affect this case whatsoever.
BLITZER: The 19-year-old suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a naturalized American citizenship -- citizen. Got his citizenship last year actually on September 11th. Two prominent senators, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, they say he should be treated, though, as an enemy combatant. Meaning he could be held without bring Mirandized. Could be questioned without a lawyer. Even though he was a U.S. citizen arrested on U.S. soil. What do you think about that?
JONES: I think that's just a misunderstanding of the law, Wolf. You know, if you look back over the history over the last 20 years particularly, our justice system in the United States has worked very well in similar cases. Look what happened in Oklahoma City and Timothy McVeigh who not only was convicted but suffered the death penalty.
Look what happened with Eric Robert Rudolph with the Olympic Park and the bombings in Birmingham. Our system of justice has a way of dealing with this. The FBI can put this case together. They can be prosecuted in the courts of the United States and let justice follow that way.
I don't think that this is any way should be -- not relegated, but elevated to something known enemy combatant status that will bring international attention. This is a crime against the people of the United States. And it can be handled that way. I have every confidence in the Justice Department and state authorities in Massachusetts to do that.
BLITZER: Douglas Jones, thanks for joining us. We appreciate it.
JONES: My pleasure.
BLITZER: As Boston tries to return to normal, what role will sports play? The Sox, the Bruins, they're about to play here today. Fans are honoring the city in a very special way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're back now with our live coverage here in Boston. A city that's been on edge since the deadly bombings on Monday. But now that the lockdown is over, the second suspect is under arrest, folks here can get back on track. Like cheering on their beloved Red Sox they take on the Royals a little over an hour or so from now. Their game got cancelled yesterday because of that intense manhunt for the second suspect in the bombings. The game could be delayed again, though if it's rain this time that has its way. It's expected to pour later in the day but let's hope it doesn't.
Also in the next hour the Bruins, they got a tough Pittsburgh Penguins here in Boston. Their game also got cancelled yesterday. On Wednesday the Penguins honored the victims of the bombings by wearing custom-made stickers on their helmets.
As we have seen in the past sports certainly can be a way for communities to come together and heal after a tragic event.
CNN Sports' Andy Scholes is joining us now from Atlanta.
Talk a little bit more about Boston's road back to normalcy. What do are you seeing? What are you hearing?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Hey, Wolf. Yes, what we saw how strong the healing power of sports can be after 9/11. The country rallied around the Yankees back then and now we're seeing the same kind of thing with the Red Sox. Teams all over Major League Baseball not only displayed Boston strong signs this week, but they also played the Fenway Park staple "Sweet Caroline" in stadiums around the country and the Red Sox, they've given their fans plenty to cheer about during this tough time. They won six straight and lead the AL East Division.
Now back in Boston the Bruins are the only team to play a home game since the bombings and on Wednesday we saw a packed house at the Gardens. Together singing a very emotional national anthem. That was such a great moment there.
Now it's the Celtics' turn to lift the city. They may be underdogs today in New York against the Knicks in their playoff opener, but this week's events have given them extra motivation to go get the win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL PIERCE, BOSTON CELTICS PLAYER: When you go through tragedy as a city you kind of look for something to cling on. And I -- you know, I believe that the city of Boston, you know, lives and dies with our sports teams. You know, they're going to be watching closely. And, you know, there's a sense of pride about this city, there's a sense of pride about this team. To go out there and kind of play well and do the best we can for the city in the wake of the tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SCHOLES: And with all three teams in action today, Wolf, it's a busy sports day for Bostonians. But a much-needed distraction from the events of this week.
BLITZER: Certainly is. All right, thanks very much.
Joining us now on the phone is Steve Silva. Senior sports producer at Boston.com. He's over at Fenway Park where the Red Sox getting ready to play in the next hour.
Steve, you're a native of Massachusetts. So what does today mean for you as this city gets -- tries to get back to normal and the Red Sox take to the field against the Royals?
STEVE SILVA, SENIOR SPORTS PRODUCER, BOSTON.COM: I think it's just a time for us to get together as a community. We can get a large number of us here at Fenway Park. I expect it's going to be as emotionally charged today as we've had at (INAUDIBLE) sporting event in sometime. The fans have just started rolling in here. And everyone is hugging each other.
