Return to Transcripts main page

WOLF

Dallas Police Shooting Investigation. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired July 8, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


[13:00:01] W. KAMAU BELL, CNN HOST, UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA: That she shouldn't be surprised if one day she comes home and finds out her daddy has been killed by a police officer.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Oh God. I really was hoping you're not going to say that. Kamau's thank you. I appreciate you being on and that picture is spectacular.

Donnell Rawlings, thank you as well. I appreciate both you.

And thanks everyone for watching legal view. My colleague, Wolf Blitzer is going to continue the coverage for CNN right now.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

So, right now, people are gathered at Thanks-Giving Square in Downtown Dallas, Texas. They're praying for the victims of the tragic ambush. Five officers were killed. Seven others were injured in the shootings. Two civilians were also hit.

We also now know the name of the shooter, Micah Xavier Johnson. And much more have in a few moments.

The shots rang out near at the end of at black lives matter protest over the recent police involved shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana. Here is how it looked from the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(NOISE)

CLARISSA PYLES, WITNESS: I see police officers, you know, also running for their life. I see some of them with masks. I see some with the S.W.A.T. team and I see some with the shield. I see some grabbing their arms, huge guns that I've never seen before. I saw like a hummer truck like rolling through. And at that point, I thought to myself, this is real. Like this isn't a game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZ: And here's the police phone call from the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Assist officer. Shots fired, code 3 got the radio, officer down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we got a guy with a long riffle. We don't know where the hell he's at.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Parking garage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slow down. He's in the damn building right there. I don't know where he's heading. He's in that building. We're hearing shots from that building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got to get (inaudible) right now, 169 get them here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on our way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe possibly in the El Centro College building.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Suspect is inside the El Centro Building, inside the El Centro Building.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Police took cover behind their cars as the shootings continue. They also sprang into action to move protesters and the news media away out of the possible line of fire.

We also have video of the shooting taken from a window across the street. It shows one person firing at police. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISMAEL DEJESUS: Right there, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And here's what the same area looks like today. You can see all the small yellow markers on the ground, each marks a shell casings which shows you just how many shots were fired.

The suspect was later killed by police but not before he explained his motive. Here is the Dallas police chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID BROWN, DALLAS POLICE CHIEF: The suspect said, he was upset about black lives matter. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he want to the kill white people, especially white officers. The suspect stated he will eventually -- that we will eventually find the EIDs. The suspect stated he was not affiliated with any groups. And he stated that he did this alone.

[13:05:08] I'm not going to be satisfied until we have turned over every stone. We've got some level that this one suspect did, do some of the shooting but we're not satisfied that we've exhaust that every lead. And we're not going to be satisfied to every lead that is exhaust. So if there's someone out there that would associate with this, we will find you. And we will prosecute you and we will bring to justice. We don't from fell much support most days. Let's not make today most days. Please we need your support to be able to protect you from men like this who carried out this tragic, tragic event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Strong words from the Dallas Police Chief David Brown. Let's talk about what's happening right now in Dallas. What we're learning about the shooter in this massacre.

I want to bring in CNN's Sara Sidner, she's on the ground for us in Dallas also Kyung Lah she's at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas where victims are being treated. Ed Lavendera's on the phone joining us from Mesquite, Texas. Our Dallas suburb actually is joining us live. He's at the Dallas suburb the house of this man. The shooter identified as Micah Xavier Johnson. Ed what do we know about this individual.

ED LAVENDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have been here in the neighborhood where officers started arriving. We're told by various neighbors around 1:00 this morning in the house behind me serving out warnings throughout the morning here Wolf. We have seen officers pulling out many brown bags of evidence that we spoken with some neighbors who say that Micah Johnson was a recluse. That after his time serving in Afghanistan, he had returned as a different person.

One neighbor told us that Micah Johnson had told them that he had a large amount of rifles and other weaponry with him. We're chasing down the leads on trying to get more specific information on all of that as well. But it has been a chaotic and hectic morning here in this neighborhood just east of Dallas where the shooting took place. But this a neighborhood were met several residents to tell us they didn't know much about Micah Johnson and that someone that they routinely saw wondering in the neighborhood or saw outside of his home very much. But obviously, a great deal of interest from at the law enforcement agencies that have been here. They just finished wrapping up their work here a little while ago and removing the last bags of evidence.

As I mentioned, they've been here since about 1:00 in the morning, perhaps a little bit after that. Interestingly enough all of that going on while the suspect was engaged in that standoff with officers in downtown Dallas, so those officers arriving here and converging on this neighborhood very quickly early this morning, Wolf.

BLITZER: What else do we know about his military background? I take that he served in the U.S. Army Reserve but he was activated and sent to Afghanistan. What else do we know?

LAVENDERA: Right, in 2013 to 2014, he served a year in Afghanistan and had spent about six years or so in the military. This is a run down of his history that has been provided by Pentagon officials here this morning. But we haven't heard much from people who served alongside of him that the neighbors here that we've had a chance to speak with here in these initial hours after learning the name of the suspect in this case. You know, don't say much about him other than a few people who say that he was a reclusive and that they didn't know much about him. Obviously, this has come as a stunning surprise to many people who live around him.

BLITZER: He certainly knew how to fire a weapon. Standby Ed, Sara, the original belief was they're probably were multiple shooters given the amount of volume, the amount of shots that were fired. But what are you hearing from police right now?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the amount of shots and also the witnesses saw the shooter. He had so much ammunition. That it was literally falling out of his pocket. We just talked actually to witnesses. Police have said what they are going to say about those who they have taken into custody. And the man is the suspect too is dead who said to police that he acted alone. And so police are going to that but they're also still in the midst of an investigation and you heard the police chief talking about the fact that if anyone else is involved in this in any way, that they will be found and brought to justice.

But we talked to a witness just now who was above all of this looking down from a hotel room with his 13-year-old son. He said that he is African-American, he's son is African-American. He was going to take him down to let him get an idea of what the black lives matter movement is all about and what the marching was all about, the anti- police brutality march is all about. And as he was thinking about bringing him down here shots rang out. And he had his son. And they ran up to their hotel room and they looked down and his son being 13 with his phone decides, "Oh, I'm going to take some pictures." And he starts videotaping and he sees something that will never leave him now.

[13:10:27] He said he doesn't think he can ever forget what he saw. He saw the gunman shooting someone down. He saw the blasts from the muscles from his room and he heard the sound. He was terrified and his father yanked him away from that window. And these are some of the story that we're hearing time and again. A father now trying to deal with how to teach his son not only how to engage with police but why someone would decide to kill police in this way, a dual lesson with his father is now grappling with this 13-year-old son.

And we're going to start hearing some more of those stories. There are people who were in the protest, who were there talking about police brutality. And yet some of them said look, police officers saved our lives pushing us out of the way as this gunfire was coming. And you heard the police chief today say something saying, let's stop being divisive and that is the big lesson that we're hearing both from the police department and from some of those were protesting in from the residents here in Dallas, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, standby. I want to go to Kyung Lah over at the hospital. We know about the victims some of that about the victims, the police, the civilians. What are you hearing at the hospital right now about the conditions for those who are being treated?

KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We don't have any specific conditions on all the people that are being treated here. We don't have an exact number in fact. The city really trying to take that extra step in trying to protect these officers' families and the reason why, when I reached out to the city, to the mayor's office, they said, if you sit there and you talk with these families, you get a sense of shock there, simply stunned. They are shocked. They are overcome with grief. And we saw that spilling out of the emergency room in the early morning hours as ambulances were still arriving here and as police officer's bodies were being removed from here.

We are told that seven of the police officers who were wounded, they in various stages are expected to be released. And that they are expected to survive. But five of those police officers did not survive. Today, in the overnight hours last night in today, this is the deadliest incident for police, for law enforcement since 9/11, five law enforcement killed.

And that is among the people, 43-year-old Brent Thompson. He is a Dallas area rail transit officer. He is 43-years-old. We know that he spent some time overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. And his police chief said he had just recently been married. Wolf?

BLITZER: Standby, I want to go to the vigil that's underway right now. The Dallas Police Chief, David Brown, he is speaking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: In the police profession, we're very comfortable with not hearing thank you from citizens especially who need us the most. We used to it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Thank you.

BROWN: So today it feels like a different day than the days before this tragedy, because you're here, because Dallas is a city that loves. Our officers want to say that we're hurting and we need this community. We need citizens to show officers that they appreciate their sacrifices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need you.

BROWN: I'm going to have to say some short, very brief comments and then head back to police headquarters to continue our investigation. But just to give you an update on what is transpiring, through our investigation of some of the suspects. It's revealed to us that this was a well-planned, well thought out, evil tragedy by these suspects. And we won't rest until we bring everyone involved to justice.

[13:15:10] I want to say thank you to our federal law enforcement partners. I want to say thank you to our state law enforcement partners, to our state, political delegation, to our federal political delegation for all the offers of support and help that you've given. Our officers are going to need counseling for a very long time. Our officers are going to need to hear from you more than just today that you appreciate their sacrifice. So I want to say what I've experienced during these last 24 hours is heartfelt from you all. But we are determined to not let this person steel this democracy from us. And to finish out the comments, I really want to say to the mayor, to

the city manager, to the city council, thank you for the support. Thank you. Thank you.

And to the citizens of Dallas, this is my hometown. I'm a third generation Dallasite, home grown, big "d." I want to say thank you to all of you for your show of support today. We feel this today. This is something that you've shown us that you really do care. So thank you so much and God speed, God speed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Chief Brown.

And let us bow our heads and pray for our first responders, the men and women who give their lives protecting and defending each one of us.

We know that both love and charity abound in this world. And even in times of violence, God does not turn away from us. We lament the senseless loss of life since last night. And we stand in solidarity with all those who continue to suffer the effects of this tragedy in the city of Dallas, especially the men and the women of our police department.

In the words of the psalmist (ph), "Lord, my God, we call out to you by day. At night, we cry aloud in your presence. Let our prayer come before you. Incline your ear to our cry. For from our souls is filled with trouble."

All day long we cry to you, Lord. And on this day we stretch out our hands to you. Together, this day, with the knowledge of the tragedy that our city and especially our law enforcement community has experienced, let us place our trust in God and ask for a renewal of God's love and generous protection. May the leaders of this city know of our support and confidence and may those who protect us, let us show that we support them each and every day.

Prompted by the goodness that is within each of us, we pray as the old St. Francis prayer teaches us, that each person in our community will become an instrument of peace, that we walk away today bringing love where there is hatred, and hope where there is darkness, and joy where there is great sadness. May Almighty God hear the prayer of this community on this day and may he stretch out his hands to touch the men and women who give their lives for each one of us.

It reminds us of the words of scripture, "there is no greater love than one who gives his life for the protection of others." Our police officers deserve our support and our prayer. May God stretch out to them in their pain and in their suffering on this day.

[13:20:11] It gives me great pleasure to -

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A prayer service underway in Dallas in memory of those five police officer slain overnight. Seven other police officers injured. Two civilians injured as well.

We also just heard from the Dallas police chief, David Brown, saying this was a very well-planned operation, a sophisticated operation. And he also used the word "suspects." That the sniper was killed, but there may be other suspects at large. He says they will not rest until all the suspects, all the people involved in this operation are arrested and brought to justice. But he did suggest there may be other individuals at large right now. We know other individuals were arrested, detained. We're following this part of the story, a very significant moment right now. The Dallas police chief saying this was a well-planned operation.

We're also getting reaction from the White House right now in the form of flags being lowered to half-staff over at the White House. Lowered to honor those five police officers murdered in Dallas. Last hour, the attorney general of the United States, Loretta Lynch, offered her condolences to the families of the victims. Shortly after the shooting, we heard directly from President Obama, who spoke about the tragedy from the NATO summit he's attending in Warsaw, Poland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We still don't know all the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Police in Dallas were on duty, doing their jobs, keeping people safe during a peaceful protest.

I believe that speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and that we stand united with people and the police department in Dallas.

There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks, or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The president of the United States speaking in Warsaw.

Coming up, campaign events here in the United States put on hold after this tragedy in Dallas. We're going to tell you what Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have to say about the shootings. They were shootings that resulted in the deaths of five police officers. Much more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:27:17] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: Our hearts are with the Dallas Police Department. Our hearts are with the victims, and especially with their loved ones. They wear the badge too.

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters. If not, we will perish at fools.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: Just heard from the House speaker, Paul Ryan, Congressman John Lewis up on Capitol Hill, responding to the horrific Dallas shootings of these police officers.

The presidential campaigns have reacted as well. Hillary Clinton postponed today's campaign rally with the vice president, Joe Biden, that had been scheduled for Scranton, Pennsylvania. And Donald Trump canceled campaign stops in Florida.

Both of the presidential candidates, they've put out statements on the shooting. Hillary Clinton tweeting, "I mourn for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters, for their families and all who serve with them."

Trump's campaign put out a statement that called the shootings a, quote, "attack on our country and that our nation has become too divided. Too many Americans feel like they're lost hope." That statement from Donald Trump.

Congressman Pete Sessions represents the Dallas area. He's joining us now live from Capitol Hill.

Congressman, let me offer our condolences to you, to everyone in Dallas, all the people that are suffering, especially the families. What can you get - tell us about the conditions of those other police officers who were injured and the civilians, two of them, who were injured. Have you been updated on their respective conditions?

REP. PETE SESSIONS (R), TEXAS: Chief Dave Brown spoke pretty plainly about them, that he expects those that did not pass away, that he expects them to recover and expects them to be out of the hospital quickly. So they were - they were lucky by all accounts that we can see. And we too, as a community and a country, are lucky that we did not lose more police officers.

BLITZER: When you heard overnight about these horrific killings, the massacre of these five police officers, what was your immediate reaction, congressman?

[13:29:26] SESSIONS: Well, I was watching - I was actually in my - in my home here in Washington. I ran up to the office very quickly and watched it unfold directly in front of us. And it took a while for the development of this to happen. But what was very apparent to me quickly was, the police officers, the Dallas police department, the DART, which is our - which are our transit police, these two agencies were participating with the citizens in a peaceful march. They were, in essence, I believe, doing some of the basic elements of things, of being with people who are expressing themselves about a problem. And they were showing that they not only understood it, but that they gave credence to that. And we want officers to be able to have the empathy to be able to understand the needs --