of pink iguanas. and catch up with all the news we are covering on our website al jazeera come. homes are washed out and streets have been turned into rivers. over police abuse and the day at the beach turns into chaos when a bounce house look at this, goes air born, there were children inside.

this is al jazeera america life we are following two big stories this hour. the justice department is said to announce in just a few moments detailed of a settlement. in cleveland ohio there you can see where the pressed conference will take place. we are expecting the mayor of cleve land and then representatives of the justice department we will of course take you there when that news conference begins. let's start in texas where days of rain have led to flooding. have been declayed disaster areas president obama spoke about the damage just a few moments ago. >> i assured the governor that he can count on the help of the federal government we

have a team of personnel already on the ground, they are coordinating with texas emergency management authorities and i will anticipate that there will be some significant requests made to washington. >> needless to say, there is a lot of damage in san marcos texas that's near san antonio, heidi joe castro is there for us. >> the city was under a othernight curfew for fear that the waters behind me would once again rise, it saw catastrophic flooding over the weekend, because of the rains last night there was fears of the repeat disaster, but thankfully, that flash flood warning for this part of the river has since expired although the danger still exists south of here in the town, in further south as for the town of wimberly, the search for 12 missing people from two families has shifted from rescue now to

rest coverry now this group and three young children were among them. witnesses say early sunday morning they saw floodwaters sweep this home off of the foundation, and smash it into a bridge downstream where it split into pieces. rescue workers did find one man swept 12 miles downstream from that group, he is the only one to be found alive and rescue workers expect today that they will find bodies rather than those missing family members and friends. now elsewhere the emergency continues in more than 30 counties. there were othernight recoveries and rescues from roof tops and in houston people awoke this morning to news they should stay home in order to avoided the danger of floods on the roads.

let's get you now to cleveland where the justice department is announcing a settlement over claims of police abuse, that is the mayor speaking let's listen in. >> student groups, business and philanthropic organizations, elected officials as well as police unions and the division of police itself. over though there were differences on specific points we all agree that we wanted to a strong and safe community where policing by the citizens and the police officers are done in the a way that it has respect and accountability associated with it. >> police reform has been my focus and that of the city since i became mayor in the 2006 and we made some

meaningful changes. examples changes in use of force and creating a timetable for investigation of the force we are changing our recruiting in hiring procedures to achief the goal of having a more diverse police force that is representative of the population it serves. more than 500 police officers and dispatchers have received crisis intervention training with additional 100 officers to be trained by the end of this year 2015. body cameras have been fully employed deployed, in the fourth district and it's currently being deployed in the second district, in the all of our police officers will have body cameras by the end of this year.

this agreement gives us the structure in the tools that we need to have comprehensive reform, this agreement gives us the structure now to really implement comprehensive reform. in addition, disagreement takes police reform to another level, and we will rapidly allows us to rapidly accelerate our programs. buying free policing and search and seizure training. there will be accountability and transparency through the office of professional standards.

civilian review board policing commission, reform and police investigation of the use of force, upgrade of equipment and technology, and again, in crisis intervention. this is not for us a program this become as way in which we do business, as i said before it becomes part of our dna. finally i want to say that this is a defining moment for the and i, and before the citizens in the city. it will define who we are as a people, and who we are as a city. over the last several days the general peaceful response to the verdict is reinforced my belief that it is a community, where peaceful demonstrations and dialog will and can provide for

clang and will make a lasting difference for the people of the city of cleveland. in spite of what i have said, we have to continue to recognize that we still have canisha anderson, and tamear rice case before us, and decisions on that will be coming probably in the next future. but disagreement will serve as a catalyst, for us to do those things necessary to ensure that we would not have to do these kind of things again. or have the results that we have had in the past with the division of police and the citizens. cleveland is one cleland, we are here and we do with one voice despite our differences in views and points of view, and despite our differences in emotions veteran have been able to be peaceful and united in the way in which we

dealt with things things that have confronts us and the challenges. as we move forward, it is my strong belief that when other cities across this country address and look at their police issues in their communities, they will be able to say let us look at cleveland, because cleveland has done it right. but i will say to you that doing it right is not a matter of any individual or just one entity it takes an organization. anything we have done that results in positive change that has been substantial and sub tan tiff is meant to be a commute involvement and one of the partners in that has been the department of justice and the local u.s. attorney whoa i once introduced to you now.

good afternoon. i am honors to be here with mayor jackson. the head of the civil rights division and with our police chief calvin williams. to announce what i agree is a historic agreement that will transform the way that the city of cleveland is policed for years and years to come. although we have been working at this and we are here after two years even more, this is not the first time that we have stood together. we stood together in 2013, to announce that the department of justice was opening an investigation one that was caused by a series of incidents and requested by the mayor and others and to weather the police enganged in a pattern of unconstitutional policing. therein we stood together again to present the public of justice's detail findings

and to announce that even on that incredibly difficult day, we remained dedicated to working in the partnership to improve community police relations. and to make policing in this city safer constitutional, and more effective. and as each and every step, as this group stood together, before during and after our investigation, we have all received a outpouring of support. information, partnership from the people of this great community. from city hall, to police union halls. from board rooms to living rooms, to police squad rooms. from churches, to bar associations and even just plain bars.

you have shared with us your stories, your passions, your insights and most important you have shared with us your ideas. your ideas of how to bring this community together to improve policing and community police relations. and we have listened. immaterial so say that again i think it is the key. we have listened as a city. we have listened as a department. we have listened to each other. we have listened to people with whom we agree. and we have listened to people with whom we have disagreed. sometimes strongly disagree. because these are difficult and critical issues. and there is disagreement. and the best ways to reach our goals for a better community. mayor that is aless san that

i learned from you. over these last difficult months. that. so of us maybe need to talk less. and we all need to listen more to the many voices of our community and nation, and that mayor that's leadership and i want to thank you for that. >> thank you. now, today the department of justice and the city of cleveland are speaking. and we are speaking side by side still together. for everyone to hear. to hear what can be truly accomplished when a community listens, and stands together for progress. even in the face of very difficult times the mayor said we have signs and are filing. that once approved by the federal judge. will not only serve as a road

map for reform in the cleveland, but as a national model for any police department that is ready to escort a great city to the forfront of the 21st century. and even though we are speaking what we are announcing here today is way more than just talk. the consent decree this consent decree has detailed provisions that will transform the police department. by building on the best of what already exists. so much that is good and working to improve policing in the areas that may have lagged behind. the provisions will help ensure that the phd bray men and women of the cleveland division of police can do their jobs not only constitution nally but more safely and effectively.

the cleveland division of police will establish, train on and implement new policies and principles that require one that any use of force is constitutional and lawful. 2, that officers receive state of the art training on the use of force and it's lawful limits. and 3 that all officer uses of force are properly and fully reported and reviewed. second in the area of community engangment and community policing. the cleveland division of police is going to establish a community wide community police commission. that will work with enharassed.

providing meaningful input. they are going to work side by side, these groups are made up of both police and community members to establish a come hence i community policing plan going forward. the area of support equipment, and resources. we spent a lot of times speaking with people in the police department and speaking with officers and in this agreement you are going to see that working with those kinds of officers and community members that the cleveland division of police is going to complete and submit both a full equipment and a full staffing plan. for instance, the cleveland division of police is going to commit to modernize it's i. t. abilities and they are already working on this, and approve the early intervention program even more to make sure that the men and women of the cleveland division of police, are poised to succeed in the twenty-first century. next, in the area of accountability.

the city will both reform it's existing watchdog offices and form new ones to ensure that all allegations of officer misconduct are fully, fairly, and promptly investigated, for instance. these reforms are going to include revamps of the office of professional standards and the police review board in addition to creating new mechanisms such as a new police inspector general to the appointed by the major and requiring going forward that there is a well qualified civilian, a civilian who is overseeing the cleveland division of places internal affairs unit. >> sometimes biases of people

unaware of, that causes problems and the city is also committing to collect and analyze data on all it's stops. searches, and seizures. aimed at identifying and eliminating any unconstitutional practices or actions in this area. and the area of crisis intervention. the cleveland division of police is going to work side by side, with the leaders of the mental health community. including by tomorrowing a new mental health advisory committee. to train it's officers on dealing safely with people in crisis. the cleveland division of police is going to nape as a new position a senior officer to be the crisis intervention coordinator. and it's going to develop a plan over time to ensure that specialized crisis intervention trained officers are available to respond city

wide and 24/7. to all incidents that involve people in crisis. automobile of these reforms i have mentioned and more are going to be accomplished under the watch of an independent monitor, and the consent decree will only terminate after the city can demonstrate to a federal judge, sustained and substantial compliance with the terps of the decree. and you can see in the decree, there are very specific metrics for that. now the challenges that cause this agreement that this agreement addresses they didn't rise in the a day. and we aren't going to get rid of them overnight. compliance with this agreement which means taking on truly systemic change, is going to be and i says says this a clevelander, it is going to be hard work. and just as the commercial says there's only one way to

accomplish this kind of work, this hard work going forward together. that does not just mean the people and groups who are standing up here at this podium. and so today i am issuing a call to action to our entire community. to support this hard work together. today, we are seeing courage and leadership, that is worthy of more than just lip service. so together, we need to step up and together we need to keep it up to ensure the success of this effort. and different people can support this transformation in different ways. community members can support this effort by continuing to be enganged. and giving their time, and their innovative ideas. to help improve policing and community police relations.

community leaders can set a tone of dialog and partnership, encouraging residents to be respectful of the incredibly difficult job that the vast majority of police officers do with honor, distinction and with courage. police officers, the officers, they can continue to strife for excellence every day. and police leaders police leaders can continue to raise up those efforts of excellence but police leaders also have to be open to the honest truth that as long as police officers are human beings, they will not always reach that standard of excellence. and that the people who might criticize the police, are not the enemy. they are part of the community. that the police officers are sworn to serve and they out

to be listened to. the wonderful business, receivic, and philanthropic community, both in this city and in this state, which have had so many constructive things to say along the need for this type of reform, they need to step up and keep it up as well. and to those leaders here in cleveland and around the state, i say this effort needed your support before now, and now with the specific plan for success it needs more than ever to support the implementation of that plan. with today's agreement the department of justice has come together, to position this community for long term and positive transformation.

way need you more than ever. >> man he just went on and on and on didn't he. he is the u.s. attorney for the northern district of ohio he spoke longer than -- than the mayor of the city. >> he said too much. so there he is. we want to get into this a little bit reef have martin is with us now. she is an attorney and legal analyst, she is on skype there from los angeles john herry smith is with me as well. >> good to see you. >> and john henry has been covering this for us. anything in that long monologue, that sort of stuck out at you. >> definitely, the tone i have been watching how this is playing out with respect to our new attorney general and this local u.s. attorney

consistent with what we are seeing from the top from loretta lynch, which is a whole new approach to these cases and what we saw -- >> what is that approach, what did you hear? what is it going to be. >> i saw a love fest. i saw the u.s. attorney embracing each other saying you know what we had problems but we are partners we are attached a t the hip and we will get this done together. he was so conciliatory, i started to forget what the problem was in the first place. >> i am getting a calfty just listening to him let me get to john henry smith, it is important to remember here, the impetus for this investigation. undertaken by the justice department. michael brelo and the decision on that case was rendered over the weekend.

>> that's right. 31 at the time, he was involve one of 13 officers involved in a shooting that can only be called a hail of bullets. 137 shots fired by unarmed african-american, he was 43, melissa williams. >> this is after a high speed chase. >> a high speed chase that began with what sounded to the officers present at the time as a gunshot. turns out to be the backfiring of the vehicle. >> right. >> so classic case of misunderstanding that led to all of this, and of course wound up with this shooting and michael brelo was in particular trouble, because he was accused of the last office tore keep on firing. >> he is the officer who was on the roof of the vehicle. >> he got. >> firing down -- >> on the hood of the vehicle. >> shooting straight down into the windshield 15 shots at least 15 shots.

point blank range. >> and you weren't surprised you talked about this yesterday, you weren't surprised that the judge that heard this case came back with the decision he did? >> not surprised. it is incredibly difficult to get a conviction for a police officer. he found it credible that he still believed those two pose add threat to the police officers that's a pretty incredible statement when you think about the number of officers that responded the number of bullets that were fired the fact these two were unarmed. you think about 60 police cars chasing a car that backfires. so if a little incredible, when i listen to this i am doing the mast here, that mayor has been in office since 2006, and all of these sill rights violations happened on his dime. yet, the attorney didn't address any of the leadership

issues and we can't ignore the fact that something has gone awry. >> interesting. >> there's only carrs here we are talking about tamear rice, a couple of other cases here since this major has been in offer. >> there was an office tear used a stun gun on a suicidal death man posing very little threat. a handcuff 13-year-old boy and of course the one that really caught our attention last i believe it was november the shooting of tamear rice, the 12-year-old with the toy gun. >> and last words what you think of the 105 page plan, you haven't read it i know moving forward. a commissioner in that position. deescalation, deescalation training a crisis intervention. new policies for the use of force. expensive and time consuming

i have to ask does the justice department have to go into every police department before they will police themselves and take positive actions to stop violating their citizens civil rights? is if they have to do that, pity on the u.s., and it will never get to the end of this. >> thank you so much, john henry thank you we will see you back at 7:00.

>> being a mus

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