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Press Conference Expected on Wilson Employment Status; Wilson Support: All Cops Relieved by Decision; Clergy Helping Ferguson Residents Keep Calm; Protesters Protect Ferguson Business; Backlash Against Timing of Ferguson Decision.

Aired November 25, 2014 - 14:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Just minutes from now, the mayor of Ferguson will be holding a news conference on the status of Officer Darren Wilson, in terms of what Darren Wilson is going to do next, whether he's going to resign from the police force, or not. We'll take that live.

Meantime, one of Wilson's supporters says the grand jury's decision to not indict him brings a relief for all men and women in uniform. The woman spoke on CNN's "New Day," declining to give her name because she says she's been threatened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CO-HOST, NEW DAY: When you heard the words from the prosecutor that there's not going to be an indictment, what was that like?

UNIDENTIFIED WILSON SUPPORTER: Relief. I think there was a sigh of relief across the entire law enforcement community.

CUOMO: You think it's not just him. You think this extends to the brothers and sisters in blue?

UNIDENTIFIED WILSON SUPPORTER: Absolutely.

CUOMO: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED WILSON SUPPORTER: Because they're all fighting in the aftermath of this now and it could have been any one of them.

CUOMO: Now, in your hand, you have a letter. It is from Officer Darren Wilson.

UNIDENTIFIED WILSON SUPPORTER: Correct.

CUOMO: He wrote it himself?

UNIDENTIFIED WILSON SUPPORTER: Correct.

CUOMO: And what is the message in it?

UNIDENTIFIED WILSON SUPPORTER: The message is a thanks to his supporters. Would you like me to read a little bit of it?

CUOMO: Sure, please.

UNIDENTIFIED WILSON SUPPORTER: OK. "I'd like to thank all of you for standing up for me during the stressful time. Your support and dedication is amazing. And it's hard to believe that all these people I never met are doing so much for me." He closes with, "Please keep my family in blue in your heart and prayers. They've all made a sacrifice to their own life in order to work the excessive hours through the heat and rain to ensure that the riots and protests in Ferguson were as safe as they could be."

This was given to me back in August, when it was heat and rain. And to clarify, we're with the weareDarrenWilson Facebook page. There are many support groups and everything. And weareDarrenWislon on Facebook.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Wilson supporter says the group's been raising funds that go to law enforcement who have been working the demonstrations in Ferguson and other areas.

By the way, Darren Wilson has given an interview to George Stephanopoulos. It has not aired yet, but we'll obviously bring you excerpts from that as soon as it does.

Meantime, Rudy Giuliani lashing out on CNN against those who disagreed with the grand jury's decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, (R), FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: 93 percent of blacks are shot by other blacks. They are killing each other. And the racial arsonists who enjoyed last night, this was their day of glory, the racial arsonists. They don't talk about that. When do you hear them talk about how do we really reduce crime? What are the causes?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, the St. Louis-area clergy have played a prominent role, obviously, here in Ferguson. They've been a voice for the community. They've also tried to keep residents calm, lawful, help residents learn about the law and how to demonstrate peacefully.

Joining me now are two pastors, serving urban communities, Bishop Raphael Green, senior pastor at the Metropolitan Center in St. Louis; and Bishop Harry Jackson Jr, senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Jackson, you were brought in by Bishop Green to be part of this.

Bishop Green, first of all, your thoughts on what you witnessed last night. Obviously the verdict is what it was. I mean, the lack of indictment. BISHOP RAPHAEL GREEN, SENIOR PASTOR, METROPOLITAN CENTER, ST. LOUIS:

There are a couple of things. One is that it was a disappointing verdict for many of us. We were expecting a different one. I do empathize with the heart and anger and rage. But secondly, taking a step back and trying to really take a look at the process where there needs to be remedies and how we can respond in a positive and, for us, a Godly way.

COOPER: It seems like there needs to be obviously short-term solutions and longer more entrenched solutions. In terms of short- term, even in terms of tonight, is there something that clergy leaders, local and others, can do to try to help stem some of the violence that we saw? And, again, most of the protests last night were peaceful, but obviously, you know, we saw buildings being burned to the ground, local businesses destroyed, locally owned businesses being destroyed.

GREEN: Sure. More than likely they've already proceeded. Most pastors have been talking with their congregations and encouraging them to live what they've been learning from the word of God. Certainly, tonight, the word will get out even more, friends telling friends, family telling family. And essentially prayer. That seems like inactivity, but it is primarily the activity that we're engaging in right now.

COOPER: It is one of the things we saw over the summer when there were demonstrations. We saw community leaders, you know, days into the demonstrations, clergy leaders out with the demonstrators --

GREEN: Exactly.

COOPER: -- really trying to police things as much as possible themselves. Obviously, you can't do it all. Some people are going to do what you're going to do. But do you see that happening tonight?

BISHOP HARRY JACKSON JR, SENIOR PASTOR, HOPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: I do. Social media's also really, really powerful. Remember, Martin Luther King Jr talked about a beloved community. And the community of faith can be a force. But sometimes we have this tendency, Anderson, to be spectators to feel that peacemaking is actually passive. But we need to be aggressive making peace. So social media, phone calls, as he said, many have been doing that. But we need to make sure that folks know, pray and act. Pray and dissipate the violence. Pray and let's look a little bit toward the future.

GREEN: Exactly.

ANDERSON: It's a tricky situation, because anger is an understandable response to injustice. And if you believe there has been an injustice, whether it's this case or a pattern of injustice -- you know, I've gotten tweets from some African-American males who say, you know, I wish people on TV would stop telling us to be calm and just settle down.

JACKSON: Wow.

ANDERSON: Because, you know, that anger is understandable.

GREEN: Certainly, and the relationships that have been developed prior to now are really key. And it's very important to really focus in on that. Much of what we're seeing today really has to do, not only with the unjust decision, but also the broken-down relationships. And so, our step forward really would be relationship building and capitalizing and leveraging what we've already been able to establish.

COOPER: Do you believe this was an unjust decision?

JACKSON: I believe, at this point, it was a hurtful decision. I don't think it was totally unjust. If the man didn't intentionally kill this boy and the grand jury believes that, I'm saying we've got to accept the decision and go with it. And we may have a difference of opinion here in the community. I'm thinking, you've got to trust the process.

One of the problems, Anderson is that people have not been invested. Only three African-American on the jury, and 68 percent of the people black in the community. Blacks got to show up. We've got to participate. We've got to be told by church leaders and civic leaders engage and make the community what you want it to be.

ANDERSON: Well, it's one of the things I remember during the summer over in the Barbecue Place. There was a voter sign-up after several days. And that was one attempt to extend this into something that is more lasting. It captured that anger that something would get people to go out to the polls.

But you look at the school board here, the police force here, the local government here, you know, it is not representative of the ethnic make-up of this community.

GREEN: And most of the time, we really need to consider, as well, that part of the reason for what appears to be apathy is because people really have run out of their -- they're at their wits ends and tired of a process that has repeatedly failed over and over and over again.

Please understand that we're not broad brushing this and saying there's not been attempt made and people are not serious on all sides. It's just that it has not yet worked. Once it works and continues to work, you'll see more people investing in the community.

(CROSSTALK)

GREEN: There is a difference we've noticed, even amongst ourselves. We're still in relationships and we're going to go through this together. We're going to make it through it together.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: People have asked him to be here even though he has a different opinion?

GREEN: Exactly. JACKSON: We didn't know how it was going to turn out. What we believed is, we need dialogue, talk. It can't just be blacks only talking together. It has to be a community, like the church, coming together saying we're going to make things better in the future. And, Anderson, that's going to be a several-year process.

ANDERSON: We're also seeing there needs to be a conversation that happens among many communities and not just in the wake of violence, a conversation that happens when there is no violence. That it shouldn't take something like this to --

(CROSSTALK)

GREEN: Exactly. And I really wanted to add that our primary focus here is to understand that this is the real reason for the gospel, that there was a real death of Jesus, there was a real resurrection. This power is available to bring about those kinds of changes that economic, political and social legislation just can't do. This is the matter of the heart. And so this is why we're involved.

ANDERSON: Bishop Green, I appreciate you being here. Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

JACKSON: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Bishop Jackson, as well. Thank you so much.

Bishop Harry Jackson, Bishop Raphael Green.

Just ahead on this program, more from here in Ferguson. Prosecutor facing criticism for the timing of the announcement. Now we're hearing why he did it at night, why he says he did it at night.

Plus, one couple at a restaurant that was vandalized. Though it was not as bad as it could have been, because protesters themselves came out to protect that locally owned business. We'll hear from the owner next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: While much of the violence last night in Ferguson is in the headlines today, there's at least one story of protesters actually protecting a business. And we've heard a number of stories like this. Cathy's Kitchen, a diner located very close to other businesses that were either burned to the ground or looted, but last night, a group of protesters linked arms to stop others from hurting the restaurant. You hear them saying, "Leave this alone." It escaped with one broken window.

The owners of Cathy's Kitchen, Cathy and Jerome Jenkins, are with us now.

It's so great to have you here.

When you saw that video of people from the community linking arms to protect your business, how did that feel?

CATHY JENKINS, OWNER, CATHY'S KITCHEN: It was overwhelming. I had hoped, you know, to see something like that. You know, you do good, you know.

ANDERSON: You were feeding protesters all this time?

CATHY JENKINS: Yes, they come in the restaurant, you know. And we have the freedom of speech, so you know, you can say how you feel and talk. And I don't know, I just did good, and I'm thankful that good followed.

COOPER: You must have been worried about what might happen. Did you have any idea that people would take it upon themselves to protect the business?

JEROME JENKINS, OWNER, CATHY'S KITCHEN: Would've never thought that. I mean, we expected the worst in our case because we were right next door to the police department. So the crowd was large, and we figure, hey, it's no way we could escape. That was a pleasant surprise. We had no idea that they may even recognize the place, let alone protect it.

COOPER: Did you know that had happened last night? When you got there this morning, did you know the business had been saved?

CATHY JENKINS: Well, not to that extent. Someone had, like I said, sent the video and said they were protecting the business. And when we pulled up this morning to see only a window was broken out and then see -- I thought I was going to have to call my friends and family to come help with the cleanup, and see my customers, the Ferguson residents, out cleaning up broken glass and --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: This morning, when they -- they beat you --

(CROSSTALK)

CATHY JENKINS: They were there.

(LAUGHTER)

And every time I grabbed the broom, they took it.

COOPER: Is that right?

CATHY JENKINS: Yeah.

JEROME JENKINS: Yeah. And they were everywhere. It was very impressive, as I told you. We were opening another restaurant, maybe a few doors down, not that far. And, man, they surrounded the restaurant. And the residents, customers, and everybody were out there boarding it up.

CATHY JENKINS: And it's twice the size. COOPER: That's got to be an incredible feeling to come to your

business in the morning, thinking you have a whole day ahead of you cleaning up and seeing customers cleaning up.

CATHY JENKINS: It was awesome.

JEROME JENKINS: Well, to me now, it represents Ferguson. Represents what people don't know about Ferguson. And --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: That's the Ferguson you know.

JEROME JENKINS: That's the Ferguson. We've been here 24 years.

CATHY JENKINS: That's the Ferguson we love.

JEROME JENKINS: It's the reason we came here. We're both from Indiana and came here after college for that reason alone. And it's a very diverse community, but they stick together.

COOPER: When I walk around to the spot where Michael Brown was killed and, you know, people are friendly, it's families, they want to talk to you, happy to see you. They want -- you know, they're obviously unhappy about what has occurred.

CATHY JENKINS: Right.

COOPER: It's not violent images you see. Clearly, there is -- there are folks out there perforating acts of violence, burning down businesses. But those aren't the people I run into constantly throughout the day.

JEROME JENKINS: No --

(CROSSTALK)

CATHY JENKINS: No. I'm sorry. We're normal citizens like any other community. We're normal. And the people that were doing that they weren't protesters, you know, those were criminals.

COOPER: Did you ever think about closing down, you're starting a new business. Did you ever think about not starting a new business?

JEROME JENKINS: Not at all. We've been here for 24 years, as I said, and we own a small chemical company here. I coach for the high school here down the street. I coach for another school down the street. And our children, they're here, and we're here. So for us, this is a moment in time that has to be addressed. It's not something you need to shy away from.

Change has to happen. And what the world is seeing today is that the residents of Ferguson get it. We get it. We understand what it takes to change and live together. What has to happen is the police department and our government has to catch up with the residents. They have to change. We have to enforce the change. And it used to be a time in our life where we could not eat together.

But we have changed through our children, and the past has taught us things. The one thing that hasn't changed over time is the way we conduct business as the police department. So they have to alter the way they do things so we can all improve together.

COOPER: Well, it's such a pleasure to talk to you. Really a pleasure to have you.

CATHY JENKINS: Thanks for having us.

COOPER: When do you hope to reopen?

JEROME JENKINS: Well, we're going to communicate with all of the other restaurants on the street.

(CROSSTALK)

JEROME JENKINS: And we all want to try to open up at the same time.

COOPER: I've heard good things about the food.

(CROSSTALK)

CATHY JENKINS: Well, come on down, please, please.

COOPER: Thank you.

JEROME JENKINS: Thank you.

COOPER: Appreciate it.

CATHY JENKINS: Thank you.

COOPER: Up next, we're getting breaking news. Officer Darren Wilson speaking out for the first time, as I mentioned. Hear what he told ABC in a sit-down interview.

Plus, in just minutes, the mayor of Ferguson is going to hold a news conference on the status of Officer Wilson. Will he resign from the force? Has he resigned? Will he rejoin the force? More on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back. The decision to release the grand jury's decision after dark has been criticized and questioned. When CNN asked why the prosecutor's office waited so late, we were told they needed time to, quote, "coordinate with law enforcement, the media, and to give schools and businesses time to get to a safe place."

Joining me now, L.Z. Granderson

Great to have you here.

What do you think happens now? What -- how do things move forward now?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The important thing to remember is that the anger that you saw and anger you saw around the country was not strictly about Michael Brown or about Ferguson. It's much larger than that. And so the question becomes, how do we move forward. Has been pushing hard for the Department of Justice. There's $400 million to be set aside. Dispersed around the country to go to the police department. Somehow time, more training, better de- escalation strategy and tactics. Then you can begin moving from anger and frustration to actual solutions to avoid this.

COOPER: It's interesting, though, because Darren Wilson, in his testimony, talked about the area where Michael Brown was, hostile territory. You know, obviously -- look, it's a tough job being a police officer. It's tougher than I can imagine. But that kind of -- if you're viewing part of your own community you're working in as hostile territory, that's not a great statement.

GRANDERSON: Well, part of the problem is that's not his community. If you know his background, you know where he grew up, how he lived, where he is still living, an area that has very, very few minorities in it.

COOPER: And this police force -- 90 percent -- I think there's three African-Americans --

(CROSSTALK)

GRANDERSON: Absolutely. And we know from studies, we all have implicit racism. If you have implicit racism and you live and grew up in an area where you haven't interacted with anyone, and all you have is the news and all you have is, in your work, dealing with people that are hostile, then, yes, if you go to an area predominantly African-American and your only interaction with them is in a hostile environment or situation, you can interpret that as being hostile. It doesn't mean just because you're white, you can't work with the black people, but if you don't expose yourself to different cultures and minorities, you haven't been exposed to training. Then, yeah, I could see how you would interpret that as being more hostile to someone else.

COOPER: I was telling our viewers, Darren Wilson had an interview, I believe, today, with George Stephanopoulos at ABC. We just got an exert of that. I want to play that and talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORG STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC ANCHOR: I asked him directly, did he shoot towards his back? He said, no, Michael Brown reached into his car, grabbed for his gun and that's why he feared for his life. He also said later, he actually charged toward Officer Wilson, did not raise his hands in surrender, and that's why Officer Wilson said he had to shoot Michael Brown on that day.

While, he did say he was sorry for the loss of life, the loss of Michael Brown's life, he said he would not do anything different that day that he did what he was trained to do he was simply doing his job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And they'll play more and we'll be able to broadcast it when they do.

I mean, I do think it's interesting that Darren Wilson deciding to speak out and wanting to speak out. He held meetings with a number of reporters. I was one of them. It was an off-the-record what was discussed. But it was basically seeing -- I asked him if he wanted an interview, and he choose Stephanopoulos. Do you think it's wise for him to speak?

GRANDERSON: I think so. It's wise for him to speak because we haven't heard from him, right? And what you don't want is someone else to write your own narrative. It's good to get in front and try to get as much of your story out. Even though we have his testimony, you know, many of us aren't going to read all of those pages. We will watch the interview to try to hear his side of the story and get a sense of what the grand jury may have heard from him.

But just in the brief excerpt, he could understand why so many African-Americans, in particular, are upset. What we know, the way we teach our black boys to interact with police officers, just isn't consistent with what that testimony, what he is telling George Stephanopoulos there. Charging at bullets being sprayed at you isn't something that as a black dad I've taught my son.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: If you read Wilson's testimony, which I have read a good deal of it, especially about that initial encounter, according to Wilson, the encounter was almost hostile on Brown's part from the get go, unilaterally, according to Officer Wilson. So, again, people should read it and make up their own minds.

L.Z., it's great to have you on. We'll speak to you again.

We'll take a short break. And when we come back, we'll expect to hear from the mayor on exactly the status of Officer Wilson, whether or not he has resigned from the police force or whether is it possible he could remain on the police force in Ferguson. Details on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)