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At Least Three Police Officers Dead After a Morning Shootout on a Busy Street in East Baton Rouge. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired July 17, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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


[15:00:00]

COOPER: And you're watching CNN's Breaking News coverage. I'm Anderson Cooper in Cleveland. If you are just joining us, we are obviously here ahead of the Republican National Convention that starts tomorrow. But right now, the breaking news to tell you about is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At least three police officers are dead, after a morning daylight shoot out.

This video recorded at the scene by a civilian watching the police response and the fire fight this morning. It happened on a busy street in East Baton Rouge, near a number of businesses, stores and homes. Police responding to reports of a man with a rifle, apparently exchanged fire with one, possibly more suspects. Witnesses say at least one of the men shooting at police officers was dressed head to toe in black and wearing a mask. But right now, we know at least one suspect, one shooter is dead. The situation is definitely not over. Police are on an area wide manhunt for other possible suspects.

They're advising everyone who lives in that area of Baton Rouge to stay inside and lock their doors. I want to be very clear, there is a lot we do not know about this incident that took place this morning. Police have given out some details but it is very sketchy about whether there was a prior shooting, that the police came in on or whether this was something targeting police. We simply do not know. Today's shooting is what Baton Rouge Police have feared most. It comes amid threats and protests of course sparked by the Alton Sterling shooting a week and a half ago. CNN's Polo Sandoval joins me know from CNN Center in Atlanta. So Polo, what do we know exactly about the shootings that took place?

SANDOVAL: Well Anderson, as you mentioned there are still a lot of questions here. But this is what we do know, after speaking to authorities and several sources there on the ground, that this shooting initially happened there on Airline Highway, which if you look at a map, it's essentially a highway that splits Baton Rouge geographically. Officers there engaged an individual with a rifle, according to authorities, and that's when the suspect was shot and killed.

But of course, in the long run, now we do know that six officer, at least six officers were attacked. Three of them fatally and three others still wounded, in the hospital at this point. We are told that there are several reports that have surfaced suggesting that these officers might have been called out there purposely to potentially be targeted. This is one of several theories that investigators are working with. But then, on the other side here, as you mentioned, there is at least one witness who has come forward saying that he reported that there was a man lying on the ground there at the scene, even before officers arrived. Suggesting that there could have been a shooting that these officers were responding to, when things turned extremely violent here.

So again, these are two different outcomes here but ultimately what we do have to remember here. We now have at least those three officers killed amid that growing tension that we have seen nationwide, sweeping several cities. And finally Anderson, I can tell you, after just returning from Baton Rouge when we were there to cover the funeral for Alton Sterling. The man that was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police officers about a week and a half ago. There was tension in the air, people were concerned about law enforcement to the extent that they were stopping by the police department and asking police officers to be extra careful. And to keep their head on a swivel as they went on the beat, Anderson.

COOPER: That's right. Baton Rouge police have been on the receiving end of what they consider credible threats over the past week or so.

SANDOVAL: At least two of them Anderson. We did report on two of them. One of which was a break in at a pawn shop, in which several suspects, at least three of them, young men, reportedly stole about eight handguns. One of them, according to police, claimed that he planned to target police officers using those stolen handguns. Now I should mention though, after being on the ground and speaking to several individuals and obtaining some information.

There is at least some details here that are casting, or at least we are skeptical of some of those reports. But ultimately, that is what authorities used on the ground, to be able to explain a major police presence that we witnessed at some of these demonstrations. Some of which, Anderson, actually took place on that very highway that is now considered a massive crime scene.

COOPER: Al right. Polo Sandoval, I appreciate the update. We'll continue to check in with you. I want to bring in Brady Vancel, he, says he witnessed a shooting and told our affiliate WAFB, that shots were being fired even before police arrived. He also says he locked eyes with the shooter. He joins us by phone. Brady, if you can take us through from the beginning. What did you see, what did you hear?

VANCEL: Well, a little bit after 8:30 a.m. this morning, I was pulling up over here off the street behind the crime scene and the shooting to come over here and you know, do my normal day of work. And when we pulled up in the driveway, I heard a bunch of ruckus, a bunch of loud noises, you know, wasn't certain but maybe gunshots. Or after about the 20 to 25th shot, you know, I, OK, well maybe it's not a someone working over there.

[15:05:00]

So I figured, let me go take a better look to make sure it's OK. Because it wasn't no pattern in the sound of the shots, so it was a little bizarre. So when I walked around the corner, down the street. I walked up the street maybe 30 yards, and I walked around a little corner by a fence and when I looked off in the far about 70, 80 yards from me, was a man who was laying on the ground.

He was, he was by himself. There wasn't nobody chasing him, there wasn't nobody behind him, affirming he was a civilian because he was in regular clothes, or he had different color clothes on than a uniform. And I was kind of in shock, in awe of the situation, trying to figure out what I was looking at that second. But by the time my mind clicked back to what was really going on, I looked to my right and there was a man, dressed in all black with a mask on and a rifle in his arms, running towards me, away from the body.

And when he got about 30 yards from me, 35-40 yards from me, he realized, OK, well this, I guess he looked up and he saw me, we stopped. I froze, he froze for a second and then he turned around and ran in the opposite direction at the same time I turned around and ran in the opposite direction. And during that time, there was still shots being fired from multiple handguns. I mean, I could hear the police officers coming. I could hear their sirens on Airline Highway and around the corner. But at that time when I was looking into the parking lot, there was nobody but a man lying on the ground and a man running with a gun away from that man lying on the ground. And there wasn't officers on the scene until after I had gotten back in the house, you know, locked all the doors and then watched through the windows and watched for the cops to then pull into the parking lot and try to contain the situation.

COOPER: So Brady, let me just walk you through this again. I just want to ask you about a couple of details and we'll talk to what you actually know, you saw and you may not be able to answer some of them. And that's totally fine. So you, you said this was around 8:30 a.m. is that correct?

[15:10:06]

VANCEL: A little bit after maybe. Maybe between 8:30 and 9 o'clock.

COOPER: OK. And the man you saw laying on the ground, where was he laying on the ground?

VANCEL: Directly behind Party City, next to the dumpster. He was in that parking lot was completely empty there was nobody in the parking lot, other than the gunman. And he was lying right behind the store.

COOPER: And what did he look like? The man laying on the ground? Did you see blood? Did you see him moving?

VANCEL: I couldn't make it out completely you know. I was in shock at the moment. All I could see was red clothes and a body lying, that was all I could make out of it. And by the time I started to realize what I was looking at, was by the time I looked over and saw someone else running in my direction.

COOPER: This may be a dumb question, but you're describing him as a body. How do you know he was dead or a body as supposed to somebody just sleeping?

VANCEL: Well, that many gun fire, you know, that many gun shots, and then, you know, in that type of situation, anybody in their right mind would know, OK. Well this is a still body back here lying on the ground.

COOPER: OK.

VANCEL: You know, in the middle of a parking lot. No one would just randomly sleep right in the middle of a parking lot next to a dumpster. And then with the man running away with the rifle in his arm, it was just completely led me to assume or believe that this was, you know, a body laying on the ground. Because there was no movement whatsoever. He was not moving at all. He was just complete - -

COOPER: And you said the man on the ground, you said the man on the ground was wearing red, a red shirt, red pants?

VANCEL: A red shirt, I'm pretty sure.

COOPER: OK. And the gunman, you said was wearing all black with a mask. What kind of a mask, do you remember?

VANCEL: Possibly a ski mask or just a thin mask of something of that sort. It wasn't a Halloween mask, any of that. It was an actual mask. I don't know the motive behind this. I can't really come up with (inaudible) assumption from the matter you know. But, and from what it looks like is that it was a planned attack. And it doesn't necessarily mean that it was on the police officers. But it was, I think it was a planned attack being that he had a mask and an assault rifle on his person. I mean, that's my only reason to believe, explanation.

COOPER: Did you get a look, Brady. OK. Brady, did you get a look at the rifle? What kind of a rifle it was?

VANCEL: I did not get a look at the rifle. I mean, I seen it, I seen the rifle and that it was a rifle. And from the sounds of it, I assumed it was an AR, a semi-automatic. But I couldn't - -

COOPER: Brady, you also, you also, Brady you also said that you then heard, as you started to leave you locked eyes with the person. You said, I think you said, that as you were leaving there was more shooting that sounded like handguns, but you were saying that was before police arrived? Is that correct?

VANCEL: I'm not sure man. The first second I pulled up into the driveway that there was different, different guns being shot off rapidly, you know, back to back, back and forth. So you know, three shots here and then three shots from another gun and you could tell that they were different guns. I mean, there was definitely - -

COOPER: So you're saying before you actually saw the man laying on the ground, you were saying before you actually saw the man lying on the ground, the shots you heard, you felt, were from multiple fire arms? VANCEL: Yes sir, they were. They were, for sure.

COOPER: OK. So, its - - OK. And then when you left, you heard police coming, what, did you hear anymore shots before police arrived? Because you said police got there once you were already inside. As you were leaving - -

(CROSSTALK)

VANCEL: When I got back in the house, I heard more gunfire, over and over, rapid gunfire. They're just going off, back to back to back, from the same gun is what it sounded like. Like the same gun, maybe he was hiding off in the far, and he was firing towards the police, I have no idea. But yes, more gunshots.

COOPER: That was once police were on the scene?

VANCEL: I guess that was when they were pulling up. They could have been pulling up at the moment that I was going inside or, but the man that turned around and ran back in their direction.

COOPER: Well Brady, I appreciate you talking to us. I know it's a chaotic and confusing situation. I appreciate you telling us what you know. I appreciate it, Brady Vancel. President Obama just released a statement on the shooting. We may not yet know the motives for this attack, he said. But I want to be clear, there's no justification for violence against law enforcement, none. These attacks are the work of cowards, who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes. The officers in Baton Rouge, the officers in Dallas, they were fellow Americans, part of our community, part of our country where people loved and needed them. And who need us now, all of us, to be at our best.

We also heard that this afternoon the President placed separate phone calls to the Louisiana Governor John Bell Edwards and Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden to hear the latest on the investigation. The President pledged any support from the Federal government that is needed by local authorities. Joining me now, our CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Art Roderick, a former Assistant Director of the U.S. Marshalls and Bob Reid, a former Sheriff for Cuyahoga County in Ohio.

Appreciate both of you being with us. Art, let's start out with you. Obviously, I mean, this witness, again this is one single witness, and we all know witness testimony is, you know, difficult to sometimes follow at best. So, given what the witness said, do we, what's your sense of what's happened?

RODERICK: My sense if it, he's viewing from his perspective obviously. I mean, he was a good witness, he had a lot of details. But, I don't think he actually knew when law enforcement showed up. There's a lot of conflicting information come out, which generally does. I think, at this point, usually five, six hours into this we would have a pretty good idea as to what's going on. The thing that concerns me here, is we've got to get to the reason why as quickly as possible, so if there's an alert that's got to be put out to law enforcement nationwide, than that information has got to get out as soon as we can get it.

COOPER: Right. What we don't know, it seems like at this point was, was this some sort of dealings between two people, one with a long rifle wearing black, one who was lying, you know, ended up dead. And then the police come upon it or was this something else? Specifically targeting police, at this point we don't know.

REID: Sure, this could be a robbery gone bad, or a drug deal gone bad or is bizarre as it may sound, there killing of a civilian to get police to come to the area. If it's - -

COOPER: These are all possibilities.

REID: Yes. Sure, it's all possibilities. If it was a, you know, a coordinating ambush situation.

COOPER: In a case like this, you have three officers confirmed dead. I believe two are from the Baton Rouge Police Department, I think one is from the East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Department, others in surgery and wounded. How chaotic, I mean this is incredibly chaotic scene for, this is the worst possible situation for law enforcement?

RODERICK: This is, and of course, again, we don't know the reason why this occurred. But this is not an average in the life of any police officer. When you have three officers down, another three, or four, or five wounded, this is an absolute worse case scenario, especially in this city. This police department is stressed out already as it is. And I know a lot of their Federal partners and a lot of the state and local partners are coming in to assist them.

[15:15:00]

I know the U.S. Marshalls are now providing security around the police department and they're also assisting with the investigation when it comes to, you know. I believe they found a phone on the dead individual and they're trying to track information out of that phone.

COOPER: And, but police have said, they've put out very scant information, maybe they have very scant information. But they are basically appealing to the public's help, if people have seen anything. Because they don't know, frankly, if they believe it's possible there are at least two other suspects out there. But that, those are early reports, again unclear.

REID: I'm confident they're keeping the identity of the suspect confidential right now for specific reasons of law enforcement. Because they want to do, leads on the house, or whatever. But Art is right, we need to know right away if it's an ambush situation for law enforcement all over this nation, and in Cleveland specifically, and what direction we're taking with it.

COOPER: Got to take a quick break. I appreciate both of you being with us, you are watching breaking news coverage, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: It is breaking news on CNN right now. A deadly shootout in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Three police officers are dead, three others in the hospital right now. One suspect is dead. Police are searching for possible other suspects right now in Baton Rouge. On the phone with me, joining me, the former Governor of Louisiana, former Presidential candidate Bobby Jindal. Governor, thank you for being with us. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. Your reaction, first of all, to this deadly incident, in your hometown.

JINDAL: Anderson, obviously a tragic awful day for the people of Baton Rouge, of Louisiana, for our entire country. You never think this would happen in your home town. It literally happened near police headquarters. This is the time for us to offer our thoughts and prayers to these families. It's also a time for us to come together. It's time for us to say all lives matter, black, white, brown, red, it doesn't matter, blue lives, all lives matter. It's a time for us to be united, not divided.

[15:20:00]

COOPER: Have you, I mean, do you have any more information about exactly what happened here? Whether this was some sort of an incident that was targeting police? Or whether this was some sort of incident that occurred that police then responded to? Do you know?

JINDAL: I've talked to law enforcement. I know the Governor and Cornel Edmondson are going to be doing a press conference so, I don't have the information to share beyond what they've told the public. Obviously, this follows what happened in Dallas. I will tell you, where this happened, I just happened to be on the road near that area and very quickly saw multiple police cars with their lights and sirens race towards that scene. I was driving near Our Lady of Lake Hospital and very quickly police raced there and within about an hour, you had the long guns out, the tents out and they were obviously controlling access to the emergency room.

There will be more details. Obviously, the police were targeted in this case. This is an area of town where it's right next to the headquarters, where city police is. The sheriff's have a big presence there. It's around the corner from where the state police headquarters is as well. So, it's near the main library, it's near an area where my kids go to play baseball and soccer. It's down the road from one of the cities shopping malls. So it's an area where, you know, it's just a normal part of town. It could be anywhere in America quite frankly.

COOPER: How stretched is the Baton Rouge Police Department at this point? As law enforcement in Baton Rouge, given all that's been going on for the last several weeks.

JINDAL: Look, it's been a very tense several days. We've had police officers from all over the state. Police resources from all over the country, but especially that police resources from all over the state come in, spending the nights in Baton Rouge, to help supplement local law enforcement. Troop A, which is a local state police, had called in sheriff's deputies, other police officers, other troopers and they've been literally coming in for several nights sleeping in Baton Rouge, to help provide security and help protect the community.

Ironically, things had begun to quiet down. And the last few days has been more normal. Obviously, with the memorial, the service on Friday, there was a lot of attention. But I think police had actually felt they were beginning to turn a corner and unfortunately we saw this tragic, tragic situation today. We saw this awful shooting. Just a reminder, these police run towards danger not away from it, for us every single day. They really are heroes, when you support them. Again, I reiterate, it's time for us to be united. I know, many people are going to be leaving church services, state services. I know our own pastor this weekend, even before this shooting, preached the need for us to be united, to offer prayers for the community and to come together instead of being so divided.

COOPER: Yes. No matter what the circumstances of this particular shooting and we don't know exactly how it began, but the bottom line is three officers are dead and three other are wounded right now. And certainly our thoughts and our prayers are with them. Former Governor Bobby Jindal, thank you so much for being with us.

JINDAL: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: You're watching breaking news coverage. We're going to take a short break. We'll have more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Now we continue to follow breaking news in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Three officers have been shot and killed, three more are wounded. A gunman or gunmen may be on the run. The deadly shootout happened on a busy street in broad daylight. A witness captured this video.

COOPER: One suspect is confirmed dead. Police say the suspect was dressed in all black, wearing a mask but may not have acted alone. They're warning people in Baton Rouge to look out for anyone wearing similar clothing or carrying a quote "long gun". I want to show you more witness video from the shooting.

Right now we are told nearby businesses are on lockdown. Our affiliates in Baton Rouge say at least two hospitals are also on lockdown, with armed police standing guard outside. The city of Cleveland was already on a heightened state of security ahead, obviously of this weeks Republican Convention. Today's shooting in Baton Rouge only adds to the concerns obviously, of law enforcement tasked with protecting the protestors and convention goers. We're joined now again by our panel, CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst and Former Assistant FBI Director Tom Fuentes, retired L.A. Police Sergeant Cheryl Dorsey, also join me.

Tom, first of all, the situation in Baton Rouge, what do you make of this? Because, you have this eye witness who says he saw somebody down before police arrived but then the police are also saying that only one suspect has been, has been killed. And that person was dressed in black. FUENTES: Well, I think the problem I have with that report Anderson,

is that you know, when you listen to that, you hear at least 20 shots. And so, did the person dressed in black that the witness saw, is that the person that gunned down the individual on the street and caused him to be killed? Now, he's coming down the street and the witness says they made eye contact. He was walking toward him and then turned around and went the other way. Does that mean he was only looking to shoot at police officers? And when he saw a civilian, he didn't want to kill the civilian, turned and went in a different direction. I mean, that's all part of the confusion of the witness accounts right now.

COOPER: Yes. And I think we should be very clear. You know, we simply do not know the details of exactly how these officers were killed, how the others were wounded. There's still a lot to be determined. Obviously, the Baton Rouge shooting draws a response from the presumptive Republican nominee. Just in the past hour Donald Trump sent out this tweet saying, we are trying to fight ISIS and now out, our own people are killing our police. Our country's divided and out of control the world is watching.

In terms, Cheryl, in terms of what this means for Cleveland. Cleveland's police union had asked the Ohio Governor John Kasik for an end to open carry here during the convention. The governor has said that's just not possible. How difficult is this security situation in Cleveland?

[15:30:00]

Obviously, when you look at what's happened just over the last week or so.

DORSEY: Well Anderson, let me first start off by expressing my condolences to the men and women of the Baton Rouge Police Department and the families who have lost a loved one today. And so with regards to what's going to happen at that convention with people having the ability to open carry. I mean, it just makes no sense to me, because with everything that's going on, we already keep our head on a swivel. And what I can tell you, wearing a uniform for 20 years in LAPD is that complacency kills.

And when we conduct ourselves with business as usual in the mindset, then we set ourselves up to be hurt and so we know who the bad guys are by in large. But if you've got a random citizen with a weapon, is this a good guy or a bad guy? Because I may not be able to make that kind of determination in a moment, right? And so I just think it makes no sense to have people who aren't really required and necessary to be armed at a convention, to be armed at a convention.

COOPER: Tom, I mean, it certainly makes it difficult for law enforcement, it's, you know, more people you have to keep eyes on.

FUENTES: Yes. And my fear is that, if you have all of the protestors that support Trump open carrying long guns. Then you have all the protestors that oppose carrying long guns and then you have law enforcement carrying long guns. You know, one stray shot and you could have a situation like that biker bar in Texas, where 100 people get shot because of just one shot and you don't even know who fired the first one.

COOPER: In terms of the investigation Cheryl, in Baton Rouge, what's going on right now? I mean, obviously the whole area is on lockdown. You have three police officers dead, you have three others who are in the hospital right now. You have law enforcement agencies coming in from all around to a police force which has been stretched thin over the last week or so already, with all the protests and all the conflict that has been going on. This has got to be an incredibly chaotic situation.

DORSEY: Well absolutely. But listen, for the trained professionals, this is what we do and this is what we train for. And so what I believe is going on right now, and there's a lot of information that hasn't been shared and rightfully should not be shared with the public with regard to the young man or young woman, I'm assuming it was a male that was shot and killed.

The suspect that was shot and killed. So, I believe that the officers are probably working backwards, from that individual to try to determine whatever they can with regards to associates, acquaintances , what may be on social media for that individual and others that are related to him. To help find out if these other people who are believed to be at large are within close proximity and are able to be put into custody as well, safely.

COOPER: And again, police have appealed for the public's help. Anybody who has any information, has seen anything suspicious in the Baton Rouge area. They want to hear from you. Cheryl Dorsey, we appreciate it, Tom Fuentes as well. We're now told President Obama is going to be speaking to the country at 4:30. He's going to be making public, a public address. We'll obviously bring that to you live. You're watching breaking news coverage. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Three law enforcement personnel, three officers killed in Baton Rouge, three others wounded, say Baton Rouge Police. We just received a statement from Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The Attorney General says, for the second time in two weeks, multiple law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty. There is no place in the United States for such appalling violence and I condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms. I pledge the full support of the Department of Justice as the investigation unfolds. Our hearts and prayers are with the fallen and wounded officers, their families and the entire Baton Rouge community in this extraordinarily difficult time.

We also have learned that the Governor of Louisiana is going to be appearing with the Louisiana State Police at 4 o'clock, making statements. President Obama will be making a statement at 4:30 this afternoon. All of those, of course, we'll bring those to you live. We continue to follow this breaking situation. Unclear exactly how many suspects may still be out there. If in fact there are any. Three officers are dead, we know that after the shootout in Baton Rouge.

Three others in the hospital, at least one in critical condition. As for the suspects, behind this one gunman is dead. And joining me by the phone, is retired Lieutenant General Russell Honore. General, you're a native of Louisiana, a Baton Rouge resident, what was your first reaction when you heard the news?

HONORE: Well, I said not again. I thought it might have been a burglary or a robbery gone bad. Then as the pieces started coming together with the long rifles, it sounded more and more like a shootout with police. Whether they were attempting to move toward the police headquarters which is about a half a mile away and assault that headquarters. You remember we had one of those happen in Texas a couple years ago. I don't know what their intent is but this city was on edge already. And as you know we just went through an emotional few days with the burial of Mr. Sterling and protests that had gone on last week.

A lot of work by the local politicians, from the governor to the mayor to the local legislators and city officials to try and keep a calm and a peace in our city. But what happened in Dallas and what happened in Nice, I think people are more and more on edge. And this crazy idea you can carry a gun anywhere (inaudible) open carry has got all police on full alert. They're on full alert Anderson.

COOPER: For residents in Baton Rouge, as you said, this city has been, this police force has been stretched thin over the last week plus. What is it like in Baton Rouge right now? How chaotic for residents, how stressful is it?

HONORE: The call for our people to stay home and people went down the street about 30 minutes ago and pretty much just two cars running around the street. Particularly that area, the crossroads of Olham (ph) and Goodwood (ph) and Airline, that's a go to church road there on Sunday morning. It's a primary thing happening there, but come tomorrow morning that's a major thoroughfare that connects east-west and north-south of the city, that intersection.

But, again the tension, you can cut it with a knife and there was just another incident where a person coming through. He told the police he had a gun in the car and that started almost another incident, getting him out of the car and securing the gun. So this open carry is going to drive American police crazy. I spent nine and a half years overseas, and none of the places I spent in Asia and Europe had open gun, and you could walk the streets in peace.

[15:40:00]

It is other than when we were deployed Kuwait and Iraq. This is absolutely crazy to think you can carry a gun anywhere and anytime because it's putting the police hyped up and then people get confused. I don't know how they're going to handle this mess at the convention but that is totally stupid, totally stupid.

COOPER: Lieutenant General Russell Honore, appreciate talking to you. Thank you very much. Again, I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. We are waiting to hear from the governor, from the state police at 4 o'clock. Just about 20 minutes from now. What we're really trying to find out is obviously, not only details on the conditions of the three officers who have been wounded, who are in the hospital at this hour. Also, obviously, as much as we can about those three officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. But also are there other suspects out there. The police, several hours ago, appealed for any information, anybody who has seen anything unusual.

One suspect was seen wearing black, was said to be wearing a mask with a long gun. That suspect believed to be dead, but are there others out there? That is the question right now. The police are actively investigating. We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:00]

COOPER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage of the, of the killing of three police officers in Baton Rouge as well as the wounding of three others. Essentially, right now, there are two scenarios, according to our Evan Perez, being examined in Baton Rouge. This according to multiple law enforcement sources via our Evan Perez. Where number one that the officers were responding to a legitimate crime call, stumbled upon, or came upon the suspects and were shot in the course of that, or that this was some sort of a set up with a fake crime call or gang activity to actually draw the police in.

The sources express skepticism about some witness accounts that other shooters were involved and on the loose. So, again, still a number of scenarios being explored by police. Really, the whole area still obviously a very active crime scene. We're following the breaking news in Baton Rouge. Three officers confirmed killed, three more wounded. According to police early on, they said other suspects could be at large, other gunmen could be at large but that is not clear. They didn't have any hard information about that. The deadly shootout happened on a busy street in broad daylight. A witness did record some video, police say they are investigating that as well. Let's take a look at the video.

We'll get you that video shortly. We expect to hear from Louisiana's Governor John Bell Edwards in the coming minutes, about 15 minutes from now. He's supposed to appear with state police. President Obama's scheduled to speak at 4:30 p.m. eastern. We are here in Cleveland, Ohio, where the Republican National Convention begins tomorrow. The shooting obviously in Baton Rouge, prompted concerns here. The head of Cleveland's largest police union called on Ohio's Governor John Kasik to temporarily restrict the state's open carry gun laws, saying and I quote "he, Kasik, could very easily do some kind of executive order or something, I don't care if it's Constitutional or not at this point. We can fight about it after the RNC or they can lift it after the RNC but I wanted to absolutely outlaw open carry in Cuyahoga County until this is over."

The governor though says he cannot do that. CNN's Martin Savidge, joins me now. Martin, at least one group of protestors said it would be carrying weapons openly at it's protest. In light of what happened today, police are obviously concerned.

SAVIDGE: Right, they are. I mean, this whole open carry is proving to be a nightmare for law enforcement as they try to, of course, provide security here in Cleveland. There's two things. There's the citizens for Trump. They have a big protest that is tomorrow, and of course that is in support of Donald Trump. But many have been planning as part their show of agreement with the Second Amendment and the open carry law they were going to bring their own guns.

Now, the organizers of that have put out a message telling, no, leave your guns at home. This is proving to be a security nightmare, so they're asking, don't bring your guns. If you do bring your guns, we're going to write down and keep track of who you are. And on top of that there's the New Black Panthers. They had also stated that they had intended at one point to bring guns to their demonstrations here in Cleveland. Now they're backing off of that statement as well.

So there seems to be this realization that bringing weapons into this kind of a tense security situation, in light of what has happened, is almost suicidal. You heard, Steve Lumus (ph), he's a good friend of mine, he's the head of the police union. He's very passionate about the men and women of the Cleveland Police Department. But the reality is, it's in the Ohio Constitution. It's not something you can just suspend for say, a week, during a political convention, and it's not something you can snap your fingers and get done.

It may make sense and certainly law enforcement would like to see it happen. But constitutionally, the governor of the state has his hands tied, he knows that as does the head of the union. Meanwhile, there hasn't really been a change in the posture of Cleveland police. We're just at the end of a demonstration here, it was very peaceful, Circle the City with Love actually. You don't see more police officers. It's hard to imagine how you could see anymore. But one thing is certain, they're going to be hyper vigilant. Their emotions will be on razor's edge, Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, understandably. Martin Savidge, thank you very much. We're going to take a short break. We'll have more coverage of the shooting in Baton Rouge in a moment.

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COOPER: Welcome back. Three police officers in Baton Rouge have been shot and killed, three more are wounded. Early on, said multiple gunmen could be at large. We are anticipating a press conference from the governor and state police in just about eight minutes. We hope to get the latest update. The deadly shootout happened on a busy street in Baton Rouge. Police say they are investigating two scenarios. One, that the officers may have stumbled onto an ongoing crime. The second, that the officers were lured there and then ambushed.

Joining me now are Art Roderick, the former Assistant Director to the U.S. Marshalls, also Bob Reid, a former sheriff for Cuyahoga County in Ohio and CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Cedric Alexander. Art, they have not given out a lot of details, you think that's obviously intentional, not they don't have details? RODERICK: I think what's happening now is, when you work these types of high profile cases, you don't want to blow leads that you've got, really good leads, by just blasting it out in the public. So, I think they're working through a lot of good information that they have. They're not going to come forward and tell us all the good stuff that they've got. But I think they have some fairly good information at this point, and they're just working those leads to the end, and hopefully we'll have an outcome. Maybe we'll hear something at 4 o'clock.

COOPER: Yes, certainly something hopefully from the governor. President Obama is also going to be making a public address, or public statement at 4:30 p.m. Bob, you and I were talking about the open carry here. The Sheriff of Cuyahoga County, I mean, how big of a challenge is that for law enforcement here in Cleveland?

REID: I think in light of this, it's a huge challenge. Anyone that's, that has an open carry, has a firearm during these demonstrations are going to be looked at in a hostile way by law enforcement. And if something happens, an accidental discharge, some fights between two people, two groups, it's just, it doesn't to me common sense dictates that if in fact, over a next five day period of time that this can be Constitutionally saying, it's a state of emergency. Let's suspend those rights. I think it makes common sense. It just makes common sense to do that.

COOPER: The Governor of Ohio has already said point blank, that's just not possible, no matter what the police union would like, or others may want. Cedric Alexander, we haven't talked to you in the last hour or so, that the shooting has occurred. What do you make of what we're seeing out of Baton Rouge?

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ALEXANDER: Well you know, here again Anderson, information is continuing to emerge and I think, hopefully, from this conference, we're going to hear from the governor here in a few minutes. We may learn some things, and I certainly do agree with Art. There's going to be certain information that's going to be held very close to the chest. Really, because you don't, in any kind of way, want to jeopardize the integrity of this investigation. So, regardless of who or rather they have identified, who these perpetrators may or may not be, what was the motivation behind this, I think, is what we all really want to hear about.

And I think, that's going to determined over time. So, we don't know whether this was a deliberate attack upon these officers or we don't know whether these officers ran up on this. In some kind of way, or come up on it some type of way, but at the end of the day Anderson, we have three dead officers. And the attack on them is an attack on every American in this country. And that is to rub for me and many other law enforcement officials across the country, along with other Americans citizens out there who are just civilians.

COOPER: Yes. It is an attack on America. Cedric Alexander, appreciate that, Art Roderick, Bob Reid as well. We're going to take a short break. Again, we are anticipating the governor as well as the state police giving a news conference at the top of the hour, in just several minutes. We're going to take a short break. Hopefully we'll have that live for you when we come back.

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