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CNN NEWSROOM

Kentucky Policeman Killed in Ambush; Snow, Flooding in Parts of U.S.; Obama to Honor War Dead Today; New Rutgers Athletic Dir. Accused of Abuse; Tornado Survivors Remember, Rebuild

Aired May 27, 2013 - 09:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, ambush. A Kentucky Police officer killed in the middle of the night.

CHIEF RICK MCCUBBIN, BARDSTOWN POLICE: It wasn't a traffic stop that went bad. It wasn't an arrest that went bad.

COSTELLO: Shot and killed from a hilltop as he was removing debris from the road.

Also, snow, flooding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We received nearly 200 calls for high-water rescue.

COSTELLO: Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. So where is the sun?

And fans injured at the Charlotte Motor Speedway as an overhead television camera cable plunges to the grand stands.

Plus, Amanda Bynes.

AMANDA BYNES, ACTRESS: Club scene and drinking doesn't appeal to me. I've never even been offered drugs. Birds of a feather flock together. And I --

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sure.

BYNES: I definitely don't with that crowd.

COSTELLO: So what happened? A random Rihanna smack down, wigs, bongs, court. Can anyone stop Bynes meltdown?

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Good morning. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Carol Costello.

This morning police in Kentucky are tracking a cop killer at a small town police chief minces no words.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCCUBBIN: I can assure you we won't give up on this person until we have him either in custody or in the front sight of one of our weapons. And I personally hope the latter is the choice.

COSTELLO (voice-over): The ambush as cunning as it was cruel, a gunman opens fire when a Bardstown Police officer gets out of his vehicle to remove debris from a roadway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROOPER NORMAN CHAFFINS, KENTUCKY STATE POLICE: Someone planned this. Someone planned this and someone planned to shoot somebody at that spot at that location at that time.

COSTELLO: It was around 2:00 in the morning that Bardstown, Kentucky, K-9 Officer Jason Ellis got out of his vehicle to remove some debris from the road. But police say someone intentionally put that debris there, hid, and then opened fire shooting Ellis multiple times. He never even had a chance to pull his gun. It was still in his holster.

MCCUBBIN: It wasn't a traffic stop that went bad, it wasn't an arrest that went bad. That someone actually took the time to plan it and set it up makes it that much more obviously hurtful, but it makes you mad.

COSTELLO: Kentucky State Police say the killing was premeditated, but have not determined if Ellis was the target. They say the shooter may have shot anyone who stopped to remove that debris. Passing motorists found Ellis' patrol car and used his radio to call police. Now the search is on for a suspect.

CHAFFINS: About the only people we've eliminated are those conducting the investigation.

COSTELLO: Ellis leaves behind a wife, Amy, and two young sons. His church honored his memory at Sunday service.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you know a guy like Jason who is just a great man and a wonderful guy, you just don't expect this to happen.

COSTELLO: Ellis was a seven-year veteran of the Bardstown Police Department, his colleagues are vowing to bring his killer to justice.

MCCUBBIN: An eye for an eye. You kill one of my guys, I'm not going to rest until I have you in cuffs or on the front sight of a weapon. And I mean that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right. Let's get the latest on the investigation now. Joining me by phone, someone you just saw in that report, Trooper Norman Chaffins of the Kentucky State Police.

Welcome, Trooper. CHAFFINS: Thank you.

COSTELLO: First of all, what was the debris in the road?

CHAFFINS: You know, there are certain details of the investigation that we're not releasing at this time. That's one of the crucial parts of our investigation. And we like to keep that within our own investigation so we don't release any details that we shouldn't to possible suspects. Because if they know things that we know, then that gives them -- keeps them a step ahead of us. So we like to keep that to ourselves at this time.

COSTELLO: I understand. Where was the gunman?

CHAFFINS: Well, once again, he was a distance away. And it was obviously -- obvious that he was laying in wait for someone to stop and pick up that debris. And you know, as reported earlier, you know, Officer Ellis never had a chance. He got out of the car and we've all done that. We've all gotten out of the car and removed debris from the roadway and not even gotten on the radio to tell our dispatchers that we're out of the car.

Sometimes we do it so quickly that, you know, it's almost more of a -- traffic hazard to wait to radio than it is to get out of the car and remove the debris.

COSTELLO: What kind of weapon was used?

CHAFFINS: Well, we know it was a shotgun. And we're pretty certain we know what type of shotgun. But you know that's once again that's another detail that we're keeping within the investigation.

COSTELLO: And you don't know whether this police officer was the target of the shooter. So what are you telling motorists in Kentucky?

CHAFFINS: Well, I mean, we put it out, you know, one of the questions that was asked to us was, you know, is the public at danger. But we've got -- we've got a dead police officer. And if a gunman is willing to shoot an armed police officer in a marked state -- in a marked cruiser, then, you know, they're capable of killing anyone. And these people are a danger to the public. And you know we're telling motorists to be vigilant when they're driving and, you know, to look out for something out of the ordinary.

And that's the same thing in this case, where the location of this was. Anything anyone saw, in this Memorial Day weekend, maybe there were, you know, tourists, and I know it was 2:00 in the morning, but you never know. If it was days leading up to this, you know, just seeing anybody parked there, anybody around the area. Even in other agencies.

Anything similar in other agencies that may have occurred. You know, we're looking into every possibility and asking the public's help, you know, if they're in this area at the time of the murder to please come forward with any information they may have. COSTELLO: All right. Trooper Norman Chaffins of the Kentucky State Police, thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

CHAFFINS: Thank you.

COSTELLO: An Oregon teenager accused in a plot against his school is due in court tomorrow. Investigators say Grant Acord was planning a Columbine-style attack at West Albany High School. A search of his bedroom turned up multiple explosives hidden in a secret floor board compartment, that's according to police. The local district attorney says the suspect's plot was designed to be deadly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HAROLDSON, BENTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: That includes preparation, that includes a written plan, that includes a diagram of the school, that includes all sorts of checklists, including a list of items that are needed to be able to execute this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Albany superintendent released a statement saying the school has been searched and nothing suspicious has been found. Students will return to classes tomorrow after Memorial Day holiday.

Another cruise ship mishap. This time it's Royal Caribbean, it says a fire on one of its ships has now been put out. The Grandeur of the Seas ran into problems en route to the Bahamas. It's now headed to Freeport for evaluation. The cruise line tweeted that no one was hurt and that the ship has full power. Royal Caribbean says the fire began in a mooring area.

Some really, really weird weather has put a damper on a lot of Memorial Day plans. Parts of the country are wading through floodwaters, other areas are shivering through heavy snow.

Here's CNN meteorologist Indra Petersons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): The unofficial start of summer looking nothing like it's supposed to. Torrential rain and historic flooding blamed for at least three deaths in the San Antonio area. The body of an 18-year-old missing since Saturday was recovered from floodwaters on Sunday night.

DAVID HARRIS, SCHERTZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SUPPORT: Whether it's the floods of '98, 2002 or again this year in 2013, powerful force of water comes down that creek, and it takes out homes, disrupts lives, in this case, took a life of a young man.

PETERSONS: Drivers had to be rescued from floodwaters. Submerged in more than nine inches of rain that fell in less than seven hours. Even this bus was no match for flooded roads. Riders escaped the bus through the hatch in the roof. Drenching rains and flooding washed away any outdoor plans in the Central Plains.

In Iowa, residents breaking out their shovels, instead of their grill, to make sandbags to protect from rising waters.

The final week of May looking more like a winter wonderland in parts of the northeast. The Memorial Day weekend storm brought chilly temps and dumped nearly three feet of snow on a New York ski mountain in the Adirondacks. And in Stowe, Vermont, more than a foot of snow recorded on Sunday. The latest in the season it's ever had that much snow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Oh, my gosh. A foot of snow in Vermont, Indra? Crazy.

(LAUGHTER)

PETERSONS: A little cold, right? I mean, makes me cold just looking at it. Here is the good news. They're definitely warming up in Vermont. Temperatures there will be, in fact, towards the 60s, but we're still dealing with a lot of heavy thunderstorms out there. In fact we're looking at these thunderstorms pushing through Iowa.

Keep in mind the National Weather Service slogan, turn away, don't drown. That still stands. Six inches of water, that is all it takes to knock you off your feet. Two feet of water, that is all it takes to sweep away a large vehicle. People miss that all the time. They really underestimate the power of those flash floodwaters.

Here's what it looks like there. There is the warmth that we need finally feeling so much better in the northeast. Look at these temperatures, (INAUDIBLE), Albany, 13 degrees warmer. We talked about almost 30 degrees warmer out in Vermont where they had that snow. And that means over in New York we're going to be feeling some 70s. We were wrapping ourselves up in scarves and boots, the whole thing over the weekend but finally it will feel like that holiday weekend, we'll see some beautiful weather out there.

Things also drying up in Texas. So that's some good news. But the couple of days, they'll see clearing, but unfortunately it looks like some more severe weather will be headed their way by the middle of the week.

Currently here's the slight risk right now. We're talking in the Dakotas down through Texas and even through Illinois. We'll continue to watch for the thunderstorms. They could melt in the afternoon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Indra. We appreciate it.

In Washington, the forecast is for sunny skies on this Memorial Day as President Obama set to mark an annual tradition for commanders in chief. You're looking at -- actually you're looking at a picture of the Tomb of the Unknowns. The president later this morning will be laying a wreath there.

White House correspondent Dan Lothian joins me now with more on the president's day ahead.

Good morning, Dan.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Well, you know, the presidents has always talked about these men and women who always serve quietly away from the limelight, but risk their lives. And sometimes give their lives. And so today the president and the first lady will be honoring them as you pointed out, will be laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown soldiers.

And then the president will also deliver some remarks. We expect that his message will echo what we heard in his weekly address where he talked about the heroes who always respond when called on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Every time a threat has risen, Americans have risen to meet it. And because of that courage, that willingness to fight and even die, America endures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: Now the president also using this Memorial Day to get some attention for support for veterans returning, make sure that they have the jobs and the benefits that they need but also pledging support for the family members of those who have lost their lives in the battlefield or those who are still serving.

And other point about 20 minutes or so, the president and first lady will be hosting in the State Dining room here at the White House the Gold Star family. These are relatives of those who lost their lives in Iraq -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Dan Lothian, reporting live from the White House.

And we will have live coverage of the president's visit to Arlington National Cemetery. That's coming your way 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Just ahead in the NEWSROOM, new controversy surfaces at Rutgers. A report says the just hired athletic director was once herself accused of abusing players.

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COSTELLO: Fifteen minutes past the hour. Time to check your top stories.

In Washington state, crews have recovered a semi trailer -- semi- tractor trailer, I should say, that may have triggered the collapse of the Interstate 5 bridge. Witnesses say the oversized load slammed in to the structure moments before the truck plunged in to the water. In the meantime, crews are scrambling on a temporary fix that could allow the busy span to reopen within the next two to three weeks. A television cable fell on the tracks at the grand stand at the Coca- Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ten fans were injured. None of them seriously, though. The race was stopped for a half hour as cars hit by the cable were repaired. FOX Sports says it has not figured out what went wrong.

Former teen star Amanda Bynes exhibiting more bizarre behavior days after she was jailed for allegedly tossing a bong from her window. She went on a vicious Twitter rampage against Rihanna tweeting, quote, "Chris Brown beat you because you're not pretty enough. No one wants to be your lover, so you call everyone and their mother."

Bynes deleted those tweets later, but not before Rihanna heard about the messages. Rihanna tweeted back, "See what happens when they cancel intervention?"

Rutgers University is in the spotlight again and not in a good way. The university's new athletic director brought into mop up Rutgers scandal plagued sports program is not exactly squeaky clean.

It turns out Julie Hermann was once accused of being an abusive coach at the University of Tennessee. And as you know, Rutgers got into a boatload of trouble for its own abusive basketball coach.

More now from John Berman.

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, after everything that happened at Rutgers, this is the last thing that university needs. Two officials tell "The Newark Star Ledger" that what to do next is still being considered. And that the hiring of the new athletic director is an issue right now of grave concern. And what happens next, again, still not clear.

(voice-over): Rutgers University faced tough criticism in the days after a video surfaced of its head basketball coach being abusive towards players.

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)

BERMAN: The video captured former Coach Mike Rice's aggressive behavior, hurling basketballs at players and yelling homophobic slurs.

The university fired Rice after a public outcry, and the athletic director was also forced to resign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was deeply disturbed by the behavior the video revealed.

BERMAN: This time, the university's president will have to answer to Governor Chris Christie, after reports surfaced that the new athletic director, hired to turn the university's image around, is herself accused of being an abusive coach.

The governor's spokesperson said in a statement, "He's not going to be making any judgments at this time, but he expects to be talking with the Rutgers administration this week to get the details."

It has emerged that back in 1996, all 15 members of Julie Hermann's volleyball team at the University of Tennessee wrote her a letter. The players wrote, in part, "The mental cruelty that we as a team have suffered is unbearable. We have been lied to, publicly humiliated, and ripped apart as both players and people."

They said the coach had called them "whores, alcoholics and learning disabled." One of the players provided "The Star Ledger" with a copy of the letter. The paper says Hermann responded, quote, "I never heard any of this. Never name-calling them or anything like that whatsoever."

Hermann has promised she will bring a new era to Rutgers.

JULIE HERMANN, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: It is a new day. It is already fixed. And there's no one that doesn't agree about how we treat young people with respect and dignity and build trust.

BERMAN: But at that news conference, Hermann was asked about a jury award of $150,000 to former assistant coach Ginger Hineline back in 1997. Hineline claimed she was fired because she was pregnant. In 1994, Hermann was a bridesmaid at Hineline's wedding and in the video, the coach said this about her becoming pregnant.

HERMANN: I hope it's good tonight. I hope it's not too good because I don't want you to come back in February with any surprises. You know, the office and all, and it would be hard to have a baby in there.

BERMAN: Hermann responded.

HERMANN: There's a video? I'm sorry, did you say there's video? There's no video, trust me.

BERMAN: Hermann is even seen here catching the bouquet. The university says its attorneys had investigated that case before Hermann was appointed. But as it prepares for the Big 10, Rutgers has another big headache.

(on camera): ESPN has talked to people involved with the University of Tennessee volleyball team. There are some people who say they simply did not know any of these things were going on. They say they never saw what these teammates accused Julie Hermann of doing, so there are differing stories out there.

And again, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says he is going to take a look at this, this week. Clear that the governor of New Jersey doesn't want these scandals at Rutgers to continue -- Carol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right. John Berman reporting. And we'll keep you posted.

Still ahead in THE NEWSROOM: President Obama returns to a familiar role, comforting Americans in the wake of a natural disaster. Inside his tour of Moore, Oklahoma, after this.

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COSTELLO: Their lives have been forever changed in the wake of those devastating and deadly tornadoes. And now through church services, a high school graduation and even a visit from President Obama, Oklahoma residents are attempting to heal and rebuild.

Nick Valencia has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands gathered at the First Baptist Church in Moore Sunday night to remember the 24 lives lost.

Last Monday's tornado was the strongest and deadliest to strike Oklahoma in years.

GOV. MARY FALLIN (R), OKLAHOMA: Our spirits have been shaken this week. Our hearts have been broken. But our resolve is strong. And we will rise again.

VALENCIA: President Obama saw the devastation left by the powerful tornado.

OBAMA: Obviously, the damage here is pretty hard to comprehend. Our hearts go out to the families who've been impacted. Including those who've had loved ones who were lost.

VALENCIA: The president offered solace and aid to those hard-hit by the tornado.

OBAMA: It's going to take a long time for this community to rebuild. So, I want to urge every American to step up.

VALENCIA: This weekend, the parents of Bethany Pate joined her at what was once her house. The cleanup has just begun.

BETHANY PATE, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Now, we're just getting real and starting to clean up, starting to take the next steps.

VALENCIA: Bit by bit, piece by piece, the residents of Moore, Shawnee and other cities impacted by the recent outbreak of tornadoes, are beginning to put their lives back together. And they're not doing it alone.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin offered her help to the residents of this Moore neighborhood.

FALLIN: For those that are just overwhelmed and it's just too much to do, get their personal belongings out, and then we'll come in and then we'll take care of it as a state.

VALENCIA: A bittersweet yet familiar sound of pomp and circumstance provided a needed respite from the devastation as seniors from three area high schools graduated.

SAWYER TUMBLSON, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE: I mean, it kind of seems we're ending our senior year like this but then again it brings us all a lot closer and more together. So, I mean, that's always a good thing, too.

VALENCIA: It's a closeness that will bring renewal to a community ravaged by the storm and provide them the courage to rebuild.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And Nick Valencia joins us now from Moore, Oklahoma.

So, I'm wondering, there's a lot of debris there. So, where will all the debris go?

VALENCIA: Well, Carol, I asked the governor, I spoke to her one-on- one yesterday, and she told me that there is a plan for where this debris will go. There is a designated landfill where the city of Moore will begin slowly but surely she says to start taking the debris and dumping it.

But you see behind, this stretches for block after block after block, mile after mile. The tornado 30 square miles, 17 miles in it pathway about a mile and a half at it base. And for so many people here, Carol, their lives will forever be divided by what happened before the storm and what happened afterwards.

As far as the debris removal is concerned, if could take weeks, months, perhaps everyone the rest of the year -- Carol.

COTTELLO: Nick Valencia, reporting live from Moore, Oklahoma, this morning.

Coming up next, anger grows across Britain after one of the country's soldiers was killed by an alleged Islamic extremist. Now, a new task force will target those groups.

We'll take you live to London next.

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