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CNN NEWSROOM

NYC Doctor Being Tested For Ebola; Canada Hails Sergeant-at- Arms As Hero; UNC: Athletic Scandal "Shocking"; Police Update Of Ottawa Shooting Investigation

Aired October 23, 2014 - 15:30   ET

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


POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know he returned to the United States within the last ten days. What we also know as I said he's a doctor here in New York City, we know that he called the FDNY this morning saying, he had a really high fever and then they went to his apartment using all of the hazmat suits, et cetera, put him in an ambulance, and transported him to Bellevue here in New York City.

Very important that is the designated hospital in a situation like this. They are prepared. He's in isolation now. They are doing a test. It's going to take up to 12 hours for us to know if this is a positive case of Ebola or not.

What we also know is that he was showing a number of symptoms including according to a law enforcement official briefed on this, nausea, fever, pain and fatigue. Now those symptoms can be symptoms of Ebola. They can also be symptoms of something else. So we don't want to jump to any conclusions.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Which we have seen many false alarms in multiple hospitals across the country. It's good that he, pro- actively as a doctor, called up authorities to try to see what's going on. How recently did he return?

HARLOW: What we're hearing from our sources is about ten days ago. So remember you are talking about a 21-day period when someone can be affected by this or starting showing the symptoms. So he would fall within that.

This is very important always, but this is New York City where people live very closely together. We all ride the subway, et cetera. So obviously there is heightened alert when you talk about something like this.

We also have some interesting details in terms of what he's been doing while he's been home. A law enforcement source with background on this said that investigators are taking this very seriously because they are concerned that he didn't self-quarantine.

We know that last night apparently he took an Uber cab to a bowling alley in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We also know that he was out in public and that the authorities are now looking at possibly quarantining his girlfriend, who he, of course, spent time with.

They haven't done that at this point in time, but the issue here is if he does have Ebola, he was out in public with other people as recently as last night.

BALDWIN: OK. Hope it's a false alarm. Hope it's a false alarm. Now we have this testing happening and they should know in 12 hours. Thank you, Poppy Harlow. Appreciate it very much.

Now to that Ottawa shooting attack. We want to return to that any moment now. Live pictures here. We're waiting for Ottawa police, Royal Canadian Mountain Police to give us an update as far as the gunman, anything that they know as far as motive and also just the details filling in some of the blanks from the shootings yesterday.

The 24-year-old Corporal Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed as he was standing guard at Ottawa's war memorial. As for the gunman himself, this was the young man who was shot and killed, as for the gunman himself, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, he was already on the radar prior to that shooting yesterday.

What we're hearing from U.S. officials is this the Canadian authorities had confiscated his passport. As we wait for that press conference from Ottawa police, let me just take a moment and just play something for you.

This is an emotional tribute for the man responsible for shooting and killing the gunman, Sergeant-At-Arms Kevin Vickers being hailed a hero at Canada's House of Commons earlier today. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN HARPER, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not conclude in acknowledging specifically the work of the security forces here on parliament and the great work of our sergeant-at-arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Those are moments earlier this morning. This is the Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Kevin Vickers. I talked to his little brother earlier on the show, John Vickers.

And he told me, his big brother was always a visionary and spectacular individual. In fact, he recounted back in the days when they would drive their father's milk trucks saying his big brother, Kevin Vickers, commanded respect even at 17 years of age

We will take that police conference live coming up next from Ottawa. Also ahead, a story about my alma mater that has everyone shaking their heads, this massive cheating scandal at University of North Carolina.

CNN broke the story involving thousands of students and athletes, fake classes, automatic grades. I'll talk live with a former basketball player who was involved in this next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The cheating scandal at the University of North Carolina, let me be transparent, my alma mater, broken wide open with the school now admitting to a long running scheme to keep athletes academically allegeable.

The school's latest investigation shows the academic fraud includes requests from counselors granted by contacts in the African Studies Department for passing grades and sketchy courses to keep these tar- heel athletes qualified to play.

Now the university's chancellor isn't mincing words about the stain the scandal has left. She calls it shocking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL FOLT, UNC CHANCELLOR: It was an inexcusable betrayal of our values and our mission and our students' trust. The length of time that this behavior went on and the number of people involved is really shocking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: She says it went on for a little while. This report says the scheme started way, way back in 1993. Went for 18 years and was blatant. Here's one example. Let me show you something.

This is an e-mail, a counselor to a basketball player writing this go- to source for passing grades in this African Studies Department. You see how it's written, yes, a D will be fine. It's all she needs to stay eligible according to this counselor.

CNN's Sara Ganin is with me now from Chapel Hill. She broke the story. Sara Ganim, I mean, are people there surprised at the breath of this cheating this report exposed? I mean, 18 years, 3,000 plus students.

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here's the thing, Brooke. You know, on campus this has been talked about for five years since this was originally announced as some kind of scandal. UNC officials were trying to say up until about a couple months ago that there was no possibility that this was bigger than just a few people.

So when you say are people surprised, well, some people on campus are not. Some people on campus always believed that this was much, much bigger. You know, I talked to some people today who track these kind of scandals and say this is by far the largest academic fraud scandal in all of college sport history.

This involved almost 1,500 athletes, you know, 1,700 classes that were fraudulent that were taken. Surprised, that depends on who you talk to. One of those people that I talked to today was the whistle-blower who has been talking about this for five years, who we talked to in January.

Shortly after we talked to her, UNC was forced to reopen their investigation. She's been saying for years, look, a lot of people knew about this. This was an open secret so to speak that people talked about all the time. I want you to take a listen to what she had to say today about how she feels now that everything that she has said has now turned out to be true.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY WILLINGHAM, UNC WHISTLEBLOWER: Everyone keeps using this word validate. It's just the truth because we all worked there in this together. It was a system of eligibility. It was in existence for close to two decades. So it was just the Carolina way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GANIM: So I asked her if she felt validated. That was her answer to that question. You know, some of these people she worked with. Five people are being disciplined today. Four people were fired yesterday.

And that doesn't include the head of the department and his assistant who were fired four years ago when this broke and Butch Davis, the former football coach who was fired shortly after the scandal broke.

You know, we talked about these counselors that knew about it, two head coaches admit to knowing about this too.

BALDWIN: It makes me cringe as a tar hill. Sara Ganim, thank you so much for bringing this to light. It's so important to talk about. We have to go to Ottawa.

But just quickly, let me tell who is standing by. We'll go there in a matter of minutes. Tar hill, former UNC basketball superstar, Rashan McCant, he is standing by. He is talking openly about what exactly he participated in when he was at Carolina. We'll talk to him in a second.

But first to Ottawa we go to get a little bit more information on the shootings from yesterday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Our first speaker will be Ottawa police services chief.

CHIEF CHARLES BORDELEAU, OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE: Good afternoon. Ottawa is a safe city. The members of our service are committed to protecting this community and all residents. Just as members of the Canadian forces protect our country abroad, we're here to protect them at home and to keep this city safe.

We have strong partnership with the RCMP and all of our security partners and law enforcement partners. We train together. We work and operate together on a daily basis to deal with threats to public safety.

That partnership is strong and residents can be confident in our abilities to protect them. Yesterday, we saw the reality of the threats that cities across Canada face. Following the senseless events, we work to secure the area in the downtown core and Parliament Hill. First, to eliminate the threat and then to ensure that no other suspects or threats were in the area. When that was confirmed, and the area was safe, we lifted the safety perimeter.

I want to extend my condolences to family and friends of Corporal Cirillo. I also want to thank the police officers and members, fellow soldiers, paramedics, security staff on the Hill, and the citizens who responded yesterday.

Their actions are a testament to our common resolve to protect our city. At this time, the area around the National War Memorial continues to be cordoned off. It will be reopened soon.

All Ottawa police facilities have been reopened to the public with our regular services being offered. As the investigation continues, in the days ahead, we must continue to remain vigilant to the realities that we face.

Our officers are supporting the investigation into this matter. I have reached out to our multi-faith community leaders with a message of support and a reaffirmation to a commitment to everyone's safety and security.

We ask the entire community be vigilant as well as to report suspicious incidents by calling police. You have already seen an increased presence of police in key areas of the city.

That increased presence will continue in the days ahead as we ensure all necessary resources deployed. Our members are fully committed to the security of the community and we will keep this city safe. (Inaudible)

BALDWIN: Quick break. We'll take you back to Ottawa just after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Let's take you back to Ottawa to this police conference on yesterday's shootings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us. (Inaudible) we want to provide an update on certain aspects of the terrible events that unfolded yesterday in downtown Ottawa and on Parliament Hill.

Foremost, I would like to extend condolences on behalf of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to the friends and family of Corporal Nathan Cirillo. Our deepest sympathies are with his friends and our friends in the Canadian forces, who have tragically lost another member of their family this week to senseless violence.

Our thoughts are also with those who sustained injuries in yesterday's incident and those who were kept from their loved ones during the tense hours of lockdown while police searched for other possible suspects. (Inaudible)

BALDWIN: All right, we're going to pull away, speaking in French, obviously. But just briefing members of the media here more than 24 hours after the deadly shootings on Parliament Hill and that war memorial in which a 24-year-old soldier was shot and killed. We'll stay on it and bring you more information.

Want to pivot back to the disgrace that has befallen UNC Chapel Hill. So with me now from Atlanta, former UNC basketball star, Rashad McCants. He starred in the team. We were all watching you and that team.

In 2005, you guys beat the fighting Illini in that national championship. So thank you so much. I truly appreciate you taking a couple of minutes with me.

RASHAD MCCANTS, FORMER UNC BASKETBALL PLAYER: No problem, thank you.

BALDWIN: You have been very outspoken. You have said, yes, I was part of this. I enrolled in these phony classes at UNC and had tutors do some of my work. Can you just begin by explaining, how did that work, those classes?

MCCANTS: I think all those things were pretty much discussed in all the ESPN "Outside The Lines" interviews. I think right now, we need to --

BALDWIN: Can we just focus on that for people who are not aware and were not on ESPN? Can you explain to me just briefly what that involved?

MCCANTS: That involved all the athletes that were high-profile athletes being steered to these no-attendance classes, called paper classes, to keep our GPAs up to stay eligible to play and continue to bring in revenue for the university and the coaches and the ADs and things like that.

So those classes, the process was pretty much go to the adviser, an adviser has the classes for us. And we went to those classes and those classes as far as attending those classes or pretending to attend those classes all existed for all athletes.

BALDWIN: So you said the word -- you were steered toward those classes. You had the option of saying, thanks, but no thanks, I want to do this the right way, right?

MCCANTS: I don't think so. I think once we went to these advisers, these were the classes that they'd given us. And once we found out exactly what the capability of these classes were compared to our work schedule that you can say as far as academic schedule, it made sense for us.

I think any athlete and any student as you see the report stated that there were regular students that attended these classes also.

BALDWIN: Absolutely.

MCCANTS: It made sense for you. BALDWIN: I understand. We shouldn't just say it was all athletes. It was almost half athletes, half regular students. And I applaud you 100 percent, Rashad, for having this conscience and coming out and being honest and forthright about it now.

But forgive me, I'm pissed off about this because I got my degree from Carolina. I love the basketball team, you guys are gods on campus and to think for so many years you all were complicit in this whole -- it was a lie, it was cheating. At any point did you say, I should raise my hand and say something?

MCCANTS: It was a system. You have to understand. This is not just at Carolina. This is at all universities all across the country. This is just an example of what the NCAA allows and it's not excusable at all. It's not excusable for Carolina or for any other university.

But this is the main university in America that gets a lot of prestige, that's been hidden under the rock a lot. So I think it commends the authority to allow this thing to come out and allow it to be exposed, allow it to be so naked and how it to have room to take the band-aid off and allow the solution process to start.

I think that everybody's accountable at this point. And raising your hand when it happens and raising your hand ten years from it happens, I think right now it's about thinking about the youth, thinking about the future of athletes that are coming about, knowing when I was there, I didn't get educated. So now I think that --

BALDWIN: Would you go back? Would you be willing to go back and get a legit degree? Would you take real classes and get a degree? Would you actually like to do?

MCCANTS: It's not something that I considered. I think that right now, my time and my experience that I had at University of North Carolina has gone. I think if I would have gotten the right education, I would be ahead of the curve right now of business, finance and economics and the things I was interested in.

It's always beneficial to go back and get that degree or that stamp of approval for society. But right now, there needs to be reform. There needs to be change.

There needs to be athletes and their parents coming forth saying, look, my kid needs a real education, not some hidden agenda for economic advancement for universities and their sponsors and so on and so forth.

BALDWIN: Rashad McCants, my fellow tar hill, thanks for spending a couple of minutes with me. I truly appreciate it. Forgive me. I get emotional. I love my alma mater.

MCCANTS: No problem.

BALDWIN: Want to take you back to Ottawa. More information on that police shooting, take a listen. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have learned that this individual has been in Ottawa since at least October 2nd, 2014, that he was in town to deal with a passport issue, but that he was also hoping to leave for Syria. We also learned yesterday that the beige vehicle used by the suspect was purchased on October 21st, 2014.

There were concerns at the initial stage of the emergency response that there may have been more than one individual involved. Our partners at the Ottawa police service and the RCMP agreed that yesterday, Zehaf-Bibeau acted alone.

And that he is the same person that perpetrated the attacks at both acts at the National War Memorial and on Parliament Hill. The investigation is ongoing and we'll rapidly determine if Zehaf-Bibeau received any support from the planning of his attack.

We have no information linking the two attacks this week -- our investigation has not revealed any link between Zehaf-Bibeau and the individual who perpetrated the attack against the member of the Canadian forces in Quebec.

(Inaudible) these are difficult threats to detect. There is no way of knowing where or when such an attack could take place. I can provide you with a brief time line of events as we understand them at this point.

Let me start, though, by playing for you a video on how events unfolded yesterday. And then I'll explain more in more detail. The video you'll see is the scene at the entrance to the parliamentary precinct on Elgin.

You'll see individuals who seem to be recoiling westward down the street from the incidents at the memorial. You'll see shortly a vehicle pull up. This is the suspect carrying a weapon, running up towards the east block.

Another view of the same transaction, again, the individual seemed to have recoiled or backed away from the disturbance at the memorial. The same entrance, different view.