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Former CNN Anchor, Husband Survive Firefight; Former Senator Jim Webb Announces Democratic Run for White House; More Details on Shooting of Escapee Richard Matt; 10 Shark Attacks So Far Along Carolina Coast; Chilling New Details About February Taiwan Plane Crash. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired July 2, 2015 - 14:30   ET

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


[14:30:00] LYNNE RUSSELL, FORMER CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): I backed up and slipped one of the guns into the purse and handed it to Chuck and said, take a good look inside, do you see anything for him, that we can give to him? And Chuck said, yes, I do.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, wow.

RUSSELL: And put his hand on the gun and then, you know, I went to the other side of the room to get the guy's attention and he was brandishing the gun at both of us. Very agitated. He decided he wanted Chuck's briefcase and we didn't really want to do that. And then he grabbed the briefcase and went over to where Chuck was and opened fire.

BALDWIN: So the gunman opens fire. Chuck opens fire. How many times was Chuck hit?

RUSSELL: Lots of rounds were exchanged. Lots of rounds were exchanged. And all I can say is that, soaking wet and with absolutely no clothes on, Chuck outgunned a guy who had already drawn his pistol. It just had to be that way. It was pretty clear during the course of this encounter, he had done this before, this guy, and that it wouldn't bother him at all to pull the trigger. He got ready to get rid of the witnesses and we decided that wasn't going to happen.

BALDWIN: Lynne, my goodness, this gunman was killed. You were at the police department. Just quickly, what conversation did you have with the police? This is self-defense, I imagine.

RUSSELL: Well, they still had some questions for me and I answered them and they haven't -- they are not publicly identifying this person and they didn't tell me either. So it was kind of an exchange of information but it was mostly just from my side to them to clarify some things from before. And that's it. And that's it. It's really, you know, frustrating.

It's my personal opinion, not theirs. I don't know. Maybe it is theirs. But I think that something like that doesn't happen with just one guy. I think there must have been somebody else somewhere there. I just feel it. I really do. So --

(CROSSTALK) BALDWIN: As you mentioned, there --

(CROSSTALK)

RUSSELL: You all, be careful now, you hear?

BALDWIN: We will. And listen, give Chuck our best.

And thank you so much, Lynne Russell, for picking up the phone during what, I imagine, is a very trying time.

Lynne Russell, thank you.

All right. This just in to CNN. News of another Democratic candidate for president throwing his hat into the ring.

Let's go live to Washington to our senior political reporter, Nia- Malika Henderson with the news.

Who is it?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Jim Webb, former Senator of Virginia, announced via Webber he is in this thing. He posted a lengthy note to his website as well. Jim Webb, 2016, saying he knows he has long odds, but wants to draw attention to the America's foreign policy and domestic issues. He, of course, has a history in the military. Fought in Vietnam, was the secretary of the Navy under Reagan. Also, he spent time writing novels. He won in 2016 in Virginia by the slimmest of margins in that Senate race there. Didn't run again in 2012. Some say he doesn't really like politics, he's said. It will be interesting to see what lane he tries to carve out.

We have Hillary Clinton in this chase, Lincoln Chafee, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley as well. Where does Jim fit? That's going to be on folks' minds as he has officially made this announcement that he's running.

BALDWIN: Bernie Sanders actually drew 10,000 last night. All right, Jim Webb is in it.

Nia-Malika Henderson, thank you so much.

HENDERSON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Next, we'll take you to the hiding spot of those final days where Richard Matt spent time in the woods in upstate New York, and that abandoned trailer where he slept as he waited out police was almost visible from the road. Do not miss our Correspondent Gary Tuchman's report from inside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't even know if this door has been opened, since this all happened. Let's take a look.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:38:12] BALDWIN: A reversal from the family of the escaped killer who led police on a three-week manhunt. CNN has now learned that Richard Matt's body is being turned over to his family after previously saying they would not come forward and claim it.

Matt's partner in crime here in this escape, David Sweat, revealed this to the police, that the two split after arguing about Matt's drinking and Matt being out of shape. We are learning that Matt was shot dead after aiming a .28 shotgun at the officer.

Gary Tuchman takes you inside Richard Matt's final hideout.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN (voice-over): It's one of the busier roads in Franklin County, New York, a road that had regular police patrols during portions of the three-week-long manhunt.

(on camera): Richard Matt and David Sweat spent a lot of time in the wilderness but we know, on the last day of Matt's life, he was not in the wilderness. He was very close to hundreds of motorists here on State Highway 30.

This is where he spent the last day before he was killed. This trailer, which is only about 100 feet from this road.

(voice-over): But it can't be seen from the road, although the road can be seen from the trailer. It's been abandoned for years. A state inspection sticker on the window is from 1998.

Inside, it's dilapidated and smelly, broken benches and a sink full of insects, silverware still sitting in a mason jar, a tea pot still on the stove. All in all, a very disgusting scene.

(on camera): I don't even know if this door has been opened since it all happened. Let's take a look. Nothing. But there are a couple blankets in here.

[14:40:00] (voice-over): Upon closer examination, there are sleeping bags. And on the side of the closet, a bunch of newspapers from 1994.

Right across the street from this trailer lives Jon Choldatt (ph).

JON CHOLDATT (ph), LIVES ACROSS FROM TRAILER MATT SLEPT IN: To my knowledge, he had been staying there a few days and on the day after his birthday, on Friday, he decided apparently to shoot at a passing camper, probably to slow them down and maybe commandeer it and take them somewhere, but they kept driving.

TUCHMAN: The driver of that camper called police and the trail got hot. Police were told that camper was hit by what appeared to be a gunshot and authorities had a big clue. Ultimately, they headed in the direction of the trailer. By that point, Matt had already headed back into the woods. He made a fatal mistake when he coughed, tipping police off to where he was hiding.

(on camera): This is where police found Richard Matt and shot and killed him, about a five-minute walk from the trailer.

(voice-over): And this was his final hiding place, only 200 feet from the people traveling on Route 30.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Malone, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Next here on CNN, with 10 shark attacks all on the east coast in a matter of a few weeks, what are officials doing to keep people safe? We'll live on the beach, next.

Next, investigators now know what the pilot of the plane said moments before the crash. Remember these pictures? We now know what the pilot said could give huge, huge insight into what happened.

Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:45:44] BALDWIN: Just days before the Fourth of July holiday weekend, perhaps many of you will be headed to the beach. There has been yet another shark attack. The latest happening just yesterday on North Carolina's Outer Banks on Ocracoke Island. Follows a string of shark attacks along the eastern seaboard. 10 -- look at them on your screen here -- 10 so far off the Carolinas.

Have CNN's Alina Machado along the shores of North Carolina. Also with me, Dan Abel, a professor of Marine science at Coastal Carolina University.

So welcome to both of you.

Alina, since you are there on the beach, the victim was bit multiple times. It was a six-foot long shark. Will that beach be closing for the weekend or no?

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, we have not heard about any beach closures along the North Carolina or South Carolina or even the Florida coasts. Authorities feel that they are isolated incidents and they don't typically close beaches for shark bites, shark attacks in this area unless there's a reason for it, if they feel like there's an area that is of particular concern. So far, Brooke, they have not said that.

BALDWIN: Dan, to you.

Let's bring the graphic back up, Marty, along the coastline.

Because when you look into average, both North and South Carolina, they get about six attacks per year. Thus far here, there have been 10. Why do you think this is happening, Dan? DAN ABEL, PROFESSOR OF MARINE SCIENCE, COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY:

Well, first, thanks for having me on. It's always a pleasure to talk about these magnificent beasts.

There's a food web going on off our shores and we happen to interact with it. 10 bites is a little bit high-normal for the season. It's lots of bait in the water. You talk to fishers, you talk to surfers, there's lots of shark food in the water. Sharks are supposed to be there this time of year. There may be a few more if you talk to some of the surfers. And occasionally they mistake people for something that they are trying to eat. The water is very murky. They don't see very well in that murky water.

BALDWIN: Why -- you say the fish web. Why would there be bait --

(CROSSTALK)

ABEL: A food web.

BALDWIN: Food web, rather. Why would there be more in the water now than any other given time?

ABEL: Well, there may not be. There's always a lot of bait in the water. But fish -- the water is a little bit warmer than it typically is at this time. Sometimes oceanographic conditions bring nutrients up and more animals come to feed on them. It's not definite that there are more sharks out there but it appears, talking to people, that apparently there are.

BALDWIN: Sure. Just knowing that it's summer time and there's more swimmers, so maybe the probability in that regard would be higher.

But talk to us about shark behaviors. We were reporting on these recent attacks and it sounds like the swimmers haven't been that far out in the ocean. Is it typical that sharks come in that close in on the coastline?

ABEL: Yes, it is typical. We see sharks in water that is basically calf deep. They will chase food near shore, occasionally. And, you know, I've seen unsuspecting bathers within feet of a black tip shark that swims harmlessly by them.

BALDWIN: Alina, to you quickly. I'm sure you spent your day at the beach, and I know that's not a particular beach where this happened, but are you talking to swimmers? Are they aware that this is happening? Do they care?

MACHADO: Yeah. I mean, people know that the shark bites happened. But just from talking to people here -- I'm going to move out of the way, Brooke, just so you can see. There are people in the water. If you look over there, just straight down there, you can see people swimming, somebody even beyond the waves over there a little deeper. People say they know that these bites happened, these shark attacks happened. But they are not fearful. They are saying, if anything, they are just a little more aware.

BALDWIN: OK.

Dan, last question to you. Alina was making the point that rarely do you shut a beach down. You had 10 attacks here. At what point do you think they should say no swimming?

ABEL: It's a good question. It's way beyond my pay grade. I'm a college professor.

(LAUGHTER)

I don't have to make those types of decisions. But shark attacks are still low-likelihood events.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: But you know a heck of a lot about sharks.

(LAUGHTER)

[14:50:00] ABEL: Well, shark attacks are still low-likelihood events. I mean, you're more likely to get melanoma from the sun at the beach or be hit by a jet ski or get some sort of an infection in the water column, and yet we still go in the water. More people are getting injured by car crashes, and yet we still drive. So I don't know. There are some experts who are calling for beaches to be shut down. That's a public policy decision that mayors and city councils need to make.

BALDWIN: Perspective. I hear both of you.

Dan Abel and Alina Machado, thank you very much.

Coming up next, do you remember this video? This plane spiraling out of control, flipping a taxi on that highway before plunging down into the water? We're now hearing what the pilot said moments before the crash.

Also, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are calling for vigilance as we head into this Fourth of July weekend. And this morning, definitely a scare at the Navy Yard this morning in D.C.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:55:] DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): The Golds may look like a typical family, but look closer. 7- year-old Edie can't walk or talk or do anything that a girl her age should be doing.

(on camera): She has a progressive neurological deficit, known as mucolipidosis type IV. And it's a relatively rare genetic disorder but it's more common among Jews.

(voice-over): Edie's development stopped at 18 months. Doctors say she will be blind by 12 and probably not live to adulthood.

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER OF EDIE: Every dream we had for our daughter was ended with one phone call.

GUPTA: The Golds thought they had been properly screened before diseases before they got married.

Her first child was born healthy.

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER OF EDIE: My doctor tested me for a total of eight diseases and Randy's doctor tested him for a total of two diseases. None of our doctors tested us for ML-4.

GUPTA: The couple didn't want other families to suffer so they started an online education and screening program for genetic diseases that are common among Jews. At-home screening tests are mailed out and a genetic counselor delivers the results over the phone.

UNIDENTIFIED FATHER OF EDIE: J Screen's mission is to provide information on how to have healthy children of their own.

GUPTA: Just like the Golds, who added another daughter to their family.

UNIDENTIFIED FATHER OF EDIE: Edie is here for a purpose. She saves lives every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now to this. Chilling details about the final moments of the deadly plane crash in Taiwan. Remember this video? This is a plane clipping a bridge. Remember the taxi riding along before going down into the river down below? 43 people died in that crash in February. Eight seconds before the plane hit the bridge, the pilot said, "Wow, pulled back the wrong side throttle."

Let me bring in CNN aviation analyst, Les Abend, who has flown 777s for many years.

As a pilot, explain to me, you have two engines, two throttles, how do you pull the wrong one?

LES ABEND, AVIATION ANALYST & PILOT: That is a great question. This is a training process that we go through that is just ingrained with us. Every recurrent training, we deal with an engine failure, and that's what they had, because that was the enunciation that they had on the panel.

BALDWIN: What do you mean?

ABEND: It said right engine failure. The propeller feathered itself into the wind, which makes it more aerodynamic. The plane was taking care of the problem. The problem the crew had is they didn't recognize what engine failed. The captain mistook the wrong engine, and what he did, as part of the procedure, you identify that particular throttle and confirm, and that's what they didn't do. Said confirm -- the co-pilot should have looked over and said, that's the correct throttle. Instead, they pulled back the wrong one. Now they had virtually no power.

BALDWIN: I have more. This is what we have on the timeline. The report says less than a minute after takeoff, a warning sound, flameout on engine two. And then the engine stalled. They don't notice their mistake until about a minute later and it's too late and 15 seconds later they crashed. To me, if I'm in that plane, even if we're talking about minutes or seconds, that's a bit of time.

ABEND: They compounded their problem by having the autopilot on for a period of time when the accident initially happened they had already connected the autopilot as part of their procedure. Once the engine failure occurred, then they disconnected the autopilot. Now they have that. They've identified the wrong engine and now the air speed is slowing down to the point where the airplane does what we call an aerodynamic stall. And with no power, it's lucky, with the video that you're seeing, that buildings weren't hit as opposed to the aqueduct that you see.

BALDWIN: And then this cab careens around the corner and they were OK, other than the people on board.

Quickly, you talk about training. The captain failed a simulator check, particularly in responding to a flameout at takeoff, but he later passed at a different session.

To your point, training is everything.

ABEND: This is a basic part, as I mentioned earlier, of your training process. It should be what we call muscle memory.

BALDWIN: Yeah.

ABEND: And the important thing is don't rush. You take your time. And you confirm with the other individual what's happening.

[14:59:58] BALDWIN: OK, Les Abend, thank you very much.

Now this. Top of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin. You're watching CNN.