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Baltimore Police Custody Death; Obama Reacts To Charges In Gray Case; Medical Examiner Ruled Gray's Death Homicide; Baltimore Mayor To Hold News Conference. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired May 01, 2015 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00] MARK O'MARA, ATTORNEY: I think what she's done was she's focused on the cops' responsibility to treat him properly and the failure to do so and that begins with --

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: You know what? Unfortunately, I've just lost our live signal. My apologies. And I'm going to have to say good-bye to my guests as well. We have so much, sort of, fluid moment right now in our coverage here in Baltimore. I want to thank Lisa Bloom and Cedric Alexander and Mark O'Mara whose signal we lost for their analysis.

I'm going to turn you over as well now. Wolf Blitzer starts right now.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington. I want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: And let's begin with the breaking news. Six Baltimore police officers facing criminal charges in the death of Freddie Gray. In an extraordinary news conference just a little while ago, the prosecutor said the medical examiner had determined that Gray's death was a homicide resulted from a fatal injury he suffered inside the police van. Baltimore state attorney, Marilyn Mosby, said officers failed to get medical help for Gray and she says they had no probable cause to arrest him in the first place. The six officers now face charges ranging from second degree depraved heart murder to manslaughter to second degree assault. Mosby urged the community to be patient and peaceful as the legal process unfolds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARILYN J. MOSBY, STATE'S ATTORNEY, BALTIMORE: I hope that as we move forward with this case, everyone will respect due process and refrain from doing anything that will jeopardize our ability to seek justice. To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America, I heard your call for no justice, no peace. Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man. To those that are angry, hurt, or have their own experiences of injustice at the hands of police officers, I urge you to channel the energy peacefully as we prosecute this case. I have heard your calls for no justice, no peace, however your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of Freddie Gray.

To the rank and file officers of the Baltimore City Police Department, please know that these accusations of these six officers are not an indictment on the entire force. I come from five generations of law enforcement. My father was an officer. My mother was an officer, several of my aunts and uncles. My recently departed and beloved grandfather was one of the founding members of the first black police organization in Massachusetts. I can tell you that the actions of these officers will not and should not in any way damage the important working relationships between police and prosecutors as we continue to fight together to reduce crime in Baltimore. Thank you for your courage, commitment, and sacrifice for the betterment of our communities. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A powerful statement from the state's attorney. And only moments ago, President Obama had this to say about charges being filed against those six police officers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is absolutely vital that the truth comes out on what happened to Mr. Freddie Gray. And it is my practice not to comment on the legal processes involved. That would not be appropriate. But I can tell you that justice needs to be served. All the evidence needs to be presented. Those individuals who are charged obviously are also entitled to due process and rule of law. And so, you know, I want to make sure that our legal system runs the way it should.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And we're standing by to hear from the mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. She's got a news conference scheduled momentarily.

John Berman is on the scene for us. He's there in Baltimore. What's been the reaction that you're seeing, at least so far, John?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the announcement was made, Marilyn Mosby, the State's Attorney, made this announcement, not 100 yards from where I'm standing right now. And as soon as she said that she was pressing charges, there were cheers here where I am right in front of city hall. And ever since then, people have been honking their car horns. There's a small demonstration going on right now in support of the decision. People blowing whistles. And a very interesting reaction here, almost a palpable sense of relief. There are still marches planned for later today. Still marches planned for this weekend. But you think they will take on a somewhat different tone.

One thing we're all going to be watching very closely, Wolf, is the next couple hours or so when school lets out here. The young people of this city have been central in the events here over the last four days. A lot of the unrest that started on Monday happened when kids were let out of school.

[13:05:12] One of the questions we want to know is how will they react? If they haven't learned already in school, how will they react when they learned that charges are being filed against these officers?

I'm joined by someone who works a lot with kids, high school kids, kids in cities. Jay Morrison the millennial leader of YMC which is Young Minds Can. You have been here in Baltimore since Monday, --

JAY MORRISON, FOUNDER AND CEO, YOUNG MINDS CAN: Yes.

BERMAN: -- since this week became really something extraordinary here. How do you think -- the kids you've been working with, how do you think they will react when they learn that these officers are being charged with things as serious as murder?

MORRISON: Well, I think there's going to be cheers. There's going to be some relief. And what we are doing to organize that energy we know is coming, my big brother here in Baltimore, he's the unofficial Mayor Stoke (ph), has organized a rally in Cloverdale Park to show support and show thanks to the prosecutor, to the attorney general for stepping up to the plate and putting these -- putting the indictment out on these six police thugs.

BERMAN: So, these people who have been protesting, many of them who have been protesting, over the last several days, in some ways against the system, today, you want them to come out and protest or demonstrate in support of the system?

MORRISON: Well, the support is not of the system, right, because the system is still broken. The micro issue is that, yes, there was an indictment made. And we have one test step towards justice for Freddie Gray and for his family and for the city of Baltimore. But the macro issue is the Freddie Grays, the Eric Garners, the Mike Browns, the Trayvon Martins, the Oscar Grants of the world that there's still macro impression by this government system towards African-Americans in America. So, that still has to be addressed.

So, yes, we're excited. There's one small step towards justice. But let the new cycle not die. Understand that black people are screaming out to our white brothers and sisters, and Hispanic and everyone in between, to global citizens, help free us. Help end the oppression of African-Americans in America. It's been happening for 450 years.

BERMAN: So, the process, though, at least here in Baltimore, in this case, you believe, at this point, is working? These officers have not been convicted. The president, --

MORRISON: Sure.

BERMAN: -- a short time ago, said that they deserve due process.

MORRISON: Right.

BERMAN: That's what our system calls for. What do you want to see in this case going forward? MORRISON: But I want to address that real quick. You say they

deserve due process and they do, as do the youth of Baltimore who are called thugs for rioting on Monday, never convicted of everything. But everyone from Ray Lewis to the president all called them thugs. But I haven't heard anyone yet lash out at the police officers who've been indicted now and call them thugs --

BERMAN: Well, the system --

MORRISON: -- for murder.

BERMAN: -- I'm sorry. The system, in this case, has lashed out against them. The system has charged them with crimes that could convict one of them with 30 years in jail. That is how the system, in fact, lashes out. Is it not?

MORRISON: Yes, but that system has also failed us many, many times. And we are really quick to put our youth out there as bad examples and bad words. But we're very slow to point fingers at bad policing and bad police.

BERMAN: And this time, though, as you say, you're going to be out there in support of this decision. We appreciate the work you're doing with the young people here. We wish you luck in the days --

MORRISON: Thank you.

BERMAN: -- ahead.

MORRISON: Young Minds Can, YMC.

BERMAN: Thanks, Jay. Thanks, Jay.

MORRISON: All right.

BERMAN: Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, John, we're going to get back to you. I know you're going to get some more reaction to what's going on. We're also standing by for that news conference. The mayor, Stephanie Rawlings- Blake, getting ready to make a statement reacting to what the state's attorney announced today, the indictment of the six Baltimore police officers in connection with the death of Freddie Gray.

Let's get more reaction. Joining us now is Marc Morial. He's the president of the National Urban League who's joining us. Were you surprised, Mark, at how forceful she was? A lot of us thought maybe she'd convene a grand jury first. But she's gone ahead now, the state's attorney, and indicted these six police officers. They face very serial -- serious charges. Can you hear me, Mark?

MARC MORIAL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: Wolf, I got you. Good morn -- good afternoon.

BLITZER: Yes. I was just asking, I don't know if you could hear me, were you surprised how forceful the state's attorney was that she went ahead and formally filed these charges against these six police officers? A lot of people thought, including me, maybe she'd convene a grand jury first.

MORIAL: You know, I got the sense yesterday when I was in Baltimore that there was, I think, an effort to be quick and decisive but thorough. And this prosecutor, of course, is a newly-elected prosecutor who ran on and I think has the mandate from the people to both root out crime in Baltimore but also to hold police accountable. So, it's clear that while all of the police investigations are being undertaken, she was doing her own parallel investigation.

And I think -- I'll be curious to take a look at the medical examiner's report which, I think, is going to be a crucial piece of evidence as this moves.

[13:10:04] So, this is a step, Wolf, in the criminal justice process, the bringing of charges. But there's a lot more if justice is going to be attained for the death of Mr. Gray.

BLITZER: When you say a lot more, what else do you want? Let's say the process goes forward. There's a trial against these six police officers. What more do you want to see?

MORIAL: I think -- I want to make sure that the process is clear, it's unambiguous, that there is a trial, that a jury is seated. I mean, we know that there have been cases in the past where charges have been brought but somewhere along the way no conviction is attained. So, applaud the prosecutor for -- she's been very quiet up until now. And they are very much focused on doing her job as a state's attorney. And no one expected this which means that there clearly were no leaks from her office, from her operation or from her investigation.

And I think yesterday's piece of information that floated out that I suspect that came from police sources who may have been trying to issue what I call a preemptive defense. But all of this also shows, Wolf, the -- this continuing issue of not only these incidents occurring, but it seems to be a systemic effort by some police to either cover it up or to, if you will, paint a picture of what happened that's inconsistent with the truth. That concerned me in North Charleston. It certainly concerns me here in Baltimore. But the prosecutor saw through that. And I think she's been swift and decisive and I think this is an important step.

BLITZER: And you see crowds gathering in Baltimore. They're reacting and we're going to check in with those crowds, Marc, to see what they're saying. And we're standing by for the news conference of the mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. I believe she's going to be joined by the Maryland Congressman, Elijah Cummings, as well. He's been in -- really there out on the streets of Baltimore these few days. This is his district where the death of Freddie Gray occurred.

What do you want to see happen now in the short term, Marc?

MORIAL: You know, I think it's important -- I was pleased to hear the prosecutor call for, if you will, peace. And I clearly -- yesterday, being in Baltimore at New Shiloh Baptist Church with the mayor, with a broad cross section of religious and political leaders there in Baltimore, a sense that the overwhelming number of people in Baltimore do not wish to see violence, but do feel the need to continue peaceful demonstrations and peaceful protests to keep the attention on justice for Freddie Gray.

But also, I think, attention on the long-standing need there in Baltimore for the entire Baltimore police department to be reformed. And I think, and I've said this to you and certainly to the public, this very important need to address the joblessness issue, the poverty issue which has become exacerbated in America since the great recession.

BLITZER: I want you to stand by if you can, Marc, because we're standing by to hear from the mayor of Baltimore. We're going to have that news conference if you can stick around. We'll get your reaction to what she has to say, as these six police officers now face charges in the Freddie Gray case. We're going to get the police perspective as well and we're going to take you back to the streets of Baltimore where crowds, you can see them, they're gathering right now. Lots of breaking news happening today. We're covering it all. Stay with us.

[13:13:55]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:17:13] BLITZER: People are reacting, they're gathering in the streets of Baltimore following the announcement just a little while ago by the state's attorney that six Baltimore police officers have been charged in Freddie Gray's death. We're getting reaction from the Mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, she's getting ready to hold a news conference momentarily, we're told. We'll have live coverage of that coming up from City Hall.

In the meantime, let's go to the streets of Baltimore. Brian Todd is getting reaction there. What's happening, Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a spontaneous, loud, very joyous celebration has been going on here, really at the epicenter of where the protests have been taking place over the past few days. This is Pennsylvania and North Avenue in West Baltimore.

Here's the theme. You have people across the street over here chanting on bull horns, doing some spontaneous street performances almost. This gentleman over here in the white T-shirt has been interesting. He's been kind of helping direct traffic and dancing at the same time. You got people performing dual functions out here, he's a volunteer.

And just, you know, look, it's a very happy atmosphere. A lot of horn honking, as you can hear, but people are, by and large, being very responsible, they're adhering to the police wishes to stay at least on the corners and street corners. On occasion, they'll come in and block a little traffic. That really is mostly to celebrate with someone in a vehicle who is honking and then they'll move away from it. Right now just a joyous occasion here on the streets and hopefully it

won't escalate beyond that. What I can tell you also - well, if we can make a distinction here, we can say that the police are out in numbers, as you can see over there, they're out in numbers, but they are not out in force. They've really kind of hung back and let these people have their space.

Over here, here's what - here's the extent of what they're doing. They're moving in and directing traffic to try to keep this a functioning intersection. As crazy and loud as it is out here, it is still a functioning intersection. Let our photo journalist, Jordan Gazardo (ph), just kind of show you this picture.

Here you have it, Wolf. We'll see how long this goes. The curfew, of course, will be at 10:00 tonight. I anticipate a lot of these people will be out here until that time.

WO: Yes. They say the curfew will remain in effect through the weekend, 10:00 p.m. Eastern until 5:00 a.m. Eastern as well.

Brian, we're going to get back to you. Brian is not far from that CVS Pharmacy that was looted Monday night.

Six police officers, once again, they're facing charges now in the death of Freddie Gray. Among the charges, second-degree murder and manslaughter. Here's part of what we heard just a little while ago from the state's attorney, Marilyn Mosby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARILYN MOSBY, BALTIMORE STATE'S ATTORNEY: Lieutenant Rice, Officer Miller and Officer Nero failed to establish probable cause for Mr. Gray's arrest as no crime had been committed by Mr. Gray. Accordingly, Lieutenant Rice, Officer Miller and Officer Nero illegally arrested Mr. Gray.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:20:12] WO: Mosby also blamed the police officers for ignoring Gray's repeated pleas for medical help.

Joining us now from Atlanta is Cedric Alexander. He's the president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, he's also a key member of President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, and Tom Fuentes, who is joining us as well. He's our CNN law enforcement analyst, former FBI assistant director. Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League, is still with us as well in New York. We will all get reaction to the mayor when she makes her statement.

Cedric, first to you. Were you surprised what you heard from the state's attorney today?

CEDRIC ALEXANDER, PRES., NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES: First of all, I certainly did not expect anything so quickly but obviously they had what they needed in order to make a decision and, you know. The process is what the process is, Wolf, and I'm quite sure that she and her staff had to sit down and look at that evidence over and over in order to come up with those charges in which they feel they can proceed in a court of law on. So, yes, I was surprised that it was as quick as it was but the system and process is exactly what the process is. That's due process under American law.

WO: It certainly is. She was impressive in her statement. Tom Fuentes, as you know, she also went out of her way to say she has her own independent investigators looking into all this, she wasn't simply relying on what the Baltimore Police Department was telling her.

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: No, Wolf, but it sounds like a very coordinated investigation. You have Baltimore police in the beginning saying that they were dedicating 50 detectives to the investigation and then you have the Baltimore county police, probably another 50 or more, detectives and then you have investigators that are already assigned to most states' attorneys officers who are either retired police officers or they're detailed over from another agency. So really, you have a small task force -- not small -- pretty large task force of officers working on this case from the beginning and working diligently to make this happen so quickly.

WO: Marc Morial, what do you think the mayor now needs to say, as you know, she's come under some criticism over the past few days. But what do you think she needs to say now reacting to what the state's attorney has done, the indictment of these six police officers?

MARC MORIAL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: I think she should support the actions of the state's attorney and continue to reassert the need for this community to unify and come together and move forward. I think it's certainly important that she signal her dual responsibility to keep the peace and protect the continuation of peaceful protests.

But I think there's going to be a point very soon where there needs to be a pivot towards fixing the overall problems of the Baltimore Police Department because Freddie Gray's unfortunate death and these charges are symptomatic of a broader problem with the Baltimore Police Department and her charge and the commissioner's charge and the city council's charge and the community's charge is to work to fix and reform the Baltimore Police Department. So I don't know if she should address that today, but I think in the near future, I think that is what is important, because that, I believe --

WO: Hold on a second, Marc, because the mayor is about to speak.

MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE, BALTIMORE: I have said from the beginning that no one is above the law in our city. I was sickened and heartbroken by the statement of charges that we heard today. Because no one in our city is above the law. Justice must apply to all of us equally. With today's official indictment, I have ordered Police Commissioner Batts to utilize the full extent of his legal authority and immediately suspend all officers facing felony charges.

In fact, warrants have been executed and five officers are in custody. We know that the vast majority of the men and the women in the Baltimore City Police Department serve our city with pride, with courage, with honor, and with distinction. But to those of you who wish to engage in brutality, misconduct, racism, and corruption, let me be clear, there is no place in the Baltimore City Police Department for you.

Today's indictments are the next step in the legal process that is running its course. And as mayor, I will continue to be relentless in changing the culture of the police department to ensure that everyone in our city is treated equally under the law. There will be justice for Mr. Gray, there will be justice for his family, and there will be justice for the people of Baltimore. Thank you.

[13:25:12] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayor --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayor --

WO: Short statement from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. She's not answering reporters' questions right now, but she is certainly expressing her solidarity with the state's attorney, Marilyn Mosby.

Let's get some reaction to what we just heard. First, Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League.

MORIAL: It was positive to hear her send a message to the remainder of the Baltimore Police Department and state that she will not tolerate brutality, corruption, racism, or any of the ill practices that created the climate under which Mr. Gray lost his life. I think that was a very important thing for her to say today because it means that the steps that are necessary, that are going to be necessary in the future, Wolf, to repair the Baltimore Police Department and unify the community, I think she sent a signal she's prepared to take those steps today.

Her sense of disappointment and outrage that these public servants, these officers who have been sworn to protect and serve, are now facing criminal charges, I think it was important for her to say that, but it was a forceful statement, it was a short statement and I think it's best that she did not take questions so that there could be focus on exactly what she said.

WO: Cedric Alexander, she said five of those six police officers indicted today are now in police custody. I don't know about the sixth police officer, I assume he or she will be relatively soon. She said she was sickened and heartbroken when she heard the charges being leveled today by Marilyn Mosby, the state's attorney. Your reaction to what we just heard?

ALEXANDER: I found the mayor's statement very strong, very bold and, of course, very sincere. And not only did I hear her statement, Wolf, I felt her statement as well too. It was short, it was right to the point, and what she clearly made reference to, to me, as I interpret it, she's about fairness for every citizen in that community. Not some citizens, all citizens. And that was a remarkable, very short-pointed and very strong and well-felt statement made by that mayor. It just speaks to her leadership. WO: Let me see if we can get some reaction from the streets of

Baltimore. John Berman is on the streets of Baltimore right now.

The mayor, you just heard, John, saying five of those six police officers who have been charged in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, they're now in police custody. What's the mood over there? What's the reaction on the streets?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ACNHOR: It's interesting. This mayor has been criticized from both sides politically, she's been trying to manage the city as the person in charge, as a manager, but she is also an elected official, a politician. And early in the week, Wolf, she was criticized for not being quick enough in her response. Later in the week she was criticized for calling the people who participated in the riots thugs. Today what you saw is a mayor, I think, trying to get her legs under her to move forward in the coming days, to make a decisive statement that city will not stand for the kind of action that these police officers had been charged with, but trying also to move forward and set expectations for what will happen next.

She said she is sickened, she said she is heartbroken, she said they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. It was very interesting to see, because she's been having a difficult time calibrating her public appearances and I think this appearance was designed to close the book a little bit on those difficulties.

I'm joined right now by Brandon Scott, city councilman, correct? Counselor, I don't know if you just had a chance to hear the mayor.

BRANDON SCOTT, BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL: I heard most of it.

BERMAN: What's your reaction?

SCOTT: My reaction is that mayor, as always, is saying what she should be saying and moving forward. We know now that the wheels of justice and the wheels of the law are now out of the city's hands and as far as the Executive Branch, and now (INAUDIBLE) we have a wonderful new state's attorney and she's going to do the job that she was elected to do. That's my immediate thoughts.

And I often say that for me, and I know the mayor feels the same way, no matter, I say all the time and I continue to say, anyone who unjustly takes someone's life in the city of Baltimore should meet the fullest extent of the law no matter who it is.

BERMAN: They are facing the judicial process, the president has called for due process and said these officers now deserve due process. Five of them are in custody, I imagine the sixth will be in custody sometime very soon. What do you expect to see in the coming days? The police officers' union has actually called for a special prosecutor to take over the case.

SCOTT: I think they do deserve -- look, they're just like everyone else, they deserve due process and folks have to give them, understand that they are police officers but they're also American citizens so they have to have a process as well. [13:29:53] Moving forward, we're expecting (INAUDIBLE) Lawyers are going to be lawyers. Right? We know the legal process, we know the wheels of justice and how there will be emotions and things going forward. And that's just what we should expect in a city. What folks have to do is, I've been saying all day long, folks have to understand that this is not justice nor injustice.