thanks very much for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." you can follow me on twitter. @wolfblitzer. @cnnsitroom. the news continues next on cnn. next, new details about actor robin williams' death. his friends and fellow comedians are out front to remember the man who made so many people laugh. the breaking news. more military personnel heading to iraq. chaos and violence reigning in that country. will the u.s. put boots on the ground? and the president weighs in on an unarmed black teenager shot by missouri police. let's go "outfront." good evening. i'm erin burnett. "out front" tonight, police late today revealing the heartbreaking details of robin

williams' death. williams hanged himself with a belt inside the bedroom of his california home. there is evidence that he had also tried to cut his wrists. there's been a day full of tributes to the great actor. you are looking at the flowers piling up on williams' star on the hollywood walk of fame. in just a few minutes in san francisco, the giants will honor the man they call their greatest fan. one of the landmarks continue today. the bench where williams and matt damon filmed a scene for "goodwill hunting." ted rowlands is in california. what more can you tell us about the heartbreaking news that we learned today of how he took his own life? >> reporter: well, we know for sure now that robin williams was indeed seeking help for depression before he died. and we also know now for sure that he took his own life. according to the coroner robin williams was found in his home

with a belt around his neck. >> the preliminary results of the forensic examination reveal supporting physical signs that mr. williams' life ended from affix ya due to hanging. >> reporter: his wife left the next morning thinking her husband was still asleep. a personal assistant found williams at 11:45 a.m. monday morning. >> reporter: the forensic examination did not reveal any injuries indicating mr. williams had been in a struggle or a physical altercation. >> reporter: at comedy clubs across the country tributes have popped up. >> i was so shocked when it happened like so tragic. >> robin williams was honestly one of a kind. >> robin williams has passed away. >> reporter: celebrities are remembering him as a sweet man, a one of a kind comedic and artistic genius. his 25-year-old daughter zelda also tweeting a heartbreaking

tribute. when you look at the sky at night, you, only you, will have stars that can laugh. i love you, i miss you, i'll try to keep looking up. what we don't know tonight is whether or not robin williams left a note. investigators say they will not comment on that at this time. they also say that the investigation does continue pending toxicology results which aren't expected for two to five weeks. >> ted rowlands, thank you very much. so many questions out there with why, with so much talent and so many people who have idealized the man that he would take his own life at 63 years old. comedians are mourning one of their own. and that includes our next two guests. actor andy kick was friends with robin williams and legendary talk show hosts kick cave s dic of the first to showcase williams' talents. there he is. what's your reaction to what the police are saying.

so hard when people look at this man -- and people today are describing him to us as sometimes shy and not always comfortable with the adulation that younger actors may have felt around him, but he had become such a lion in the industry, and to hear this happening at age 63, what goes through your head? >> yeah. everything. i mean, the man, first of all, 63 is so young, to me. i mean, kidick cavett's still going strong. i saw dick cavett on broadway, i don't know if you remember. what was that. >> yeah. >> the vampire transvestite. rocker horror picture show. >> rocky horror show. >> there you go. >> now you have two dicks on your show. >> no waiting. >> no waiting. seats available. robin was the first time i met him, i was doing a show in san francisco, and they came back to my dressing room and they said

robin williams is outside in line to buy a ticket for your show. i said, first of all, hang on, man, are you sure it's robin williams? and they said yes. secondly, just bring him in. don't make him wait in line to get a ticket. i did my show. my show is very much like his but a poor man's version of what he does becausy kind of stream of consciousness. i looked up to that man. always have. when i was 12 years old, i would listen to, reality, what a concept. his first album. over and over and over with my friends on vinyl. and here he is at my show. i went up to him after the show, which is always a little bit like this, just crazy. i said why did you come to see my show? and he said, i had to. and i think that spoke volumes to me. i knew exactly what he meant, and because i talk a lot about -- i wear my heart on my

sleeve and i talk a lot about addictions. i know towards the end he talked about his. then we came friends. it was almost like secret friends. he actually took care of me a few times when i was not at my best, and he continued to come and support me when i would do my shows. >> and would help you out, which is incredible how he would do that and connect with people who also suffered from some of the same demons he did. mr. cavett, i want to play a clip from when robin williams was on your show back in 1979. here it is. >> look, toys all over the set. don't be afraid, mr. cameraman, we're going crazy. whoa. mother gave this so i could write my new book. an ode to fred silverman. let's talk. props, let's go.

oh, look -- i'm not going to touch that one. >> i see you laughing there, but looking a bit bemused as well. i mean, did you ever imagine that would be how it would end? >> it seems a little odd to say that i'm not totally surprised. robin probably had one of the most difficult talents to be -- to have living inside you because of its incredible explosiveness and the volatility of it and his almost world class energy. sitting beside him on two legendary half-hour shows that i did with him on pbs years ago, it was like sitting in the barge with the macy's fireworks display. you felt this energy exploding all over the place. the one thing i was sorry with the two shows -- though they were hilarious right from the top. i would have loved to get robin

to talk so people could see not only what a great clown he was, but what a personable, superintelligent man he was. but i could never shake him out of the comic mask. >> that's amazing. he had to put that on. you know, you said -- you've been open about having to deal with depression yourself. and that a number of comedians have come forward and talked about how this has been a struggle for them, jim carrey, rosie o'donnell are on that lest. why do you think it is that comedians struggle with depression? is it because, you said that you always have to feel that you have to be funny and you have to be smiling even when inside you feel anything but? >> depression is a chemical thing. that's not news to anybody. but it does seem to me that it does strike an inordinate number of people in the business. i can give you a list of who's who names, many not known to be sufferers and many who are, and suicides in the business. and i don't know.

if somebody would do a great research project on it there's some chemical ling between the talented brain and some other aspect of that brain that is susceptible to depression, it would be very interesting. as andy knows, people go to booze, to drugs for alleviation. alcohol is the wrong way to go because although you will feel a little better for a few moments, alcohol, as we know in school, is a depressing of the central nervous system and makes you worse. there's really no way out except a good treatment. it bothers me to keep hearing the words "he sought help." did he get it? >> well, that's a big question. andy, you struggle with alcoholism. i know even back even 25 years ago, robin williams had struggled with some of these issues for a long time. he had sought help. hurt his personal relationships, hurt his marriages.

what would he say to you that explained how much he was struggling with it and how much he wanted you not to go through what he was going through. >> i continue to struggle with alcoholism. i went through rehab 17 times. i used to be mad when we see guys that i knew that also struggled died and i would actually refuse to do this kind of thing. now i see it helps. you know what he would do, to be just very simple about it? he would laugh. you know, i can still hear him laughing with me just sitting one on one or sometimes the only one when i'm on stage, he'd be the only one laughing. so the gift of laughter was not only -- he gave it by laughing. he was always laughing. much andy. oh, excuse me. >> no, go ahead. >> once robin came off from a

club where he had just killed them in new york. we went back in the dressing room and they were still cheering. and he said, isn't it ironic that i can bring all that happiness to those people but not so often to myself. >> oh, i know, i know. >> that's kind of touching. people will be saying how could he do it? how could they do that to his wife and children? listen, when you're in deep depression, it's the easiest world to do anything to anybody. you don't care. you can't make intelligent decisions. your judgment is gone. your brain foal feels broken. and you can't be blamed for what you do. >> thank you both so much. >> and people will say what have you got to be depressed about? you're rich, famous, wealthy. that's like saying what do you got have flu about? it's an illness, anybody can get it. >> can i say one more thing? >> yes, of course. >> i just wanted to let people

know that if you have somebody that you love and you appreciate, just tell them because i feel -- i almost feel guilty that i didn't call more often and just tell anybody you love. >> get treatment as fast as you can. >> thanks to both of you. just that you all knew him but also when you think he got to 63 and had been fighting and fighting and then succumbed. did robin's heart surgery have anything to do with his depression. doctors out there say yes. the u.s. announcing additional mission personnel to iraq. is this mission creep? is it a big military involvement in iraq? is it another trayvon martin? another unarmed black teen shot dead by police.

♪ ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ sweet, sweet st. thomas nice ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ st. croix, full of pure vibes ♪ ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ st. john, a real paradise ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ proud to be from the virgin islands ♪ ♪ and the whole place nice to experience your virgin islands nice, book one of our summer packages today. virgin islands nice, book one it's monday. a brand new start. your chance to rise and shine.

with centurylink as your trusted technology partner, you can do just that. with our visionary cloud infrastructure, global broadband network and custom communications solutions, your business is more reliable - secure - agile. and with responsive, dedicated support, we help you shine every day of the week. centurylink your link to what's next. the ca♪illac summer collection is here.

♪ during the cadillac summer's best event, lease this 2014 ats for around $299 a month and make this the summer of style. for over 19 million people. [ mom ] with life insurance, we're not just insuring our lives... we're helping protect his. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. transform tomorrow. transamerica. this is kathleen. setting up the perfect wedding day begins with arthritis pain and two pills. afternoon arrives and feeling good, but her knee pain returns... that's two more pills. the evening's event brings laughter, joy, and more pain... when jamie says... what's that like six pills today? yeah... i can take 2 aleve for all day relief. really, and... and that's it.

this is kathleen... for my arthritis pain, i now choose aleve. get all day arthritis pain relief with an easy-open cap. tonight the world is mourning the loss of a comedy legend robin williams. police revealing today that williams hanged himself with a belt inside his california home. there were cuts around the actor's left wrist. it was no secret that williams battled depression for a long

time, but what ultimately was the thing that made him kill himself on this day? deborah feyerick is "out front" with williams' own words on his personal struggles. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome robin williams! >> reporter: perhaps it was no coincidence that robin williams' hbo tour was called weapons of self-destruction. >> tah-dah. you are an alcoholic. and some people say robin i'm a functioning alcoholic. you can be one like being a paraplegic lap dancer. you can do it. just not as well as the others really. >> reporter: and perhaps it was no coincidence either that williams did that tour in 2009, a year after a major operation. >> please, i've had heart surgery. thank you. >> reporter: surgery that he says triggered mood swings. >> after the surgery, you get very emotional. it's like we're, people go how are you? >> reporter: for williams it was all fair game.

>> when i was growing up, they used to say, robin, drugs can kill you. now that i'm 58, my doctor is going, robin, you need drugs to live. >> reporter: self-deprecating humor in which he shares his struggles with alcohol and drugs. >> i had a little problem with alcohol. i wasn't a problem. everybody had it. >> you were a drunk. do you thing you'k you've beate? >> no, larry, it's always there. yeah, i kicked it. no, i'm fine. no, the idea is that you always have a little bit of fear like you have to just keep at it. it's a day by day. >> reporter: in 1992 as a young comedian he partied with pal john belushi hours before the blues brother star overdosed on heroin and cocaine. >> cocaine, what a beautiful drug. anything that makes you paranoid and impotent, give me more of that. >> reporter: he soon quit cold

turkey and remained sober nearly two decades until 2003 then relapsed and rehab. here in 2006 for comic relief. >> always good for me to come to vegas after rehab. i love that. >> it's a good time for you. >> a good time for me. like going to colombia. where are you going for detox? colombia. just going to take it easy in this 24-hour alcohol town. >> reporter: in 2008 when his second marriage ended as a result of alcoholalcoholism, he he again went to rehab. >> i was violating my standards quicker than i could lower them. >> reporter: with that came unbearable pressure. he suffered manic depression. >> no, i'm not always fun to be around. and that there is this thing of, yeah, the world sees one thing. what am i like at home? different because i can't always be on. >> reporter: surrounded by millions who adored him, loved him. yet in the end could not save him. >> good night!

>> reporter: deborah feyerick, cnn, new york. >> "out front" tonight a psychiatrist who met robin williams and a neuropsychiatrist. you know, from what we know and what you just heard robin williams saying there, obviously his demons and his addictions destroyed at least two marriages, but he had a supportive family. his daughter adored him. friends adored him. but the depression took over. what could have happened to trigger this now? after fighting it for decades and decades. he's 63 years old. what would have made it happen now? >> well, i think there's actually stacked stresses. so a number of them. what we know is cocaine abuse, alcohol abuse, all damage the brain. the heart surgery that he has, there's evidence that that can damage the brain. aging. and then if you take his show being canceled.

you see the stacked stresses that weigh on him so get him to a point where he feels great pain is hopeless and then he kills himself. >> doctor, you mentioned the open heart surgery that he had in 2009, that he just referred to in deb's piece. he talked about that surgery and how it affected his mind and emotional state. i wanted to play that for you. >> with guys we armor up like i'm a dude, i'm a dude. you have a heart surgery and literally they open you up. they crack the box. and you get really vulnerable. you get i can't -- oh, and you get very emotional about everything. >> you can talk about something to serious and yet it's funny when he says it. is there a link between open heart surgery and mental health issues? >> absolutely. you look at the mental health

pieces of yourself. you are not just getting your body back in shape, you're getting your mind back in shape. i'm not infallible. i could die. it really wakes you up. it's very scary. men don't typically emote like that. they want to be tough. with all that, you hide a lot. >> the cleveland clinic, that's where williams underwent his surgery, one of the top places in the world. they say open heart surgery patients who have life transitions going on are especially susceptible to depression. in williams' case is this even more apropos, the fact that he was divorced twice, struggling with addiction, that would make the heart surgery even more risky? >> no question about it. all of them matters. when we evaluate people, we look at biological, psychology, social and spiritual influences. if you have trouble in any of those circles, it makes you more

vulnerable to depression and all of the consequences of it. at the clinic we do imaging. we can see the damage or the evidence of those stresses, and most people don't know that, i mean, depression really is a brain disorder and brain rehabilitation can be so helpful, diet, exercise, simple supplements, medication, a newer treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation. there's so much hope to rebuild and repair the brain, but a lot of people, when they get depressed, they get to such a dark place that they lose hope. and they actually lose things, as dick cavett was talking about, empathy, so they don't really understand what this is going to do to the people they love. >> what about this issue that we've heard and i think our viewers have seen just watching these clips from robin williams

over the past 24 hours. he was always so funny. even when somebody asked him something serious, he would answer in his mode, right? he would have the comedian side turn on. and the study from the british jourm of psychiatry says comedians are more inclined to have -- i want to quote it -- high levels of psychotic personality traits. is there a link between great comedians and depression? is it as simple you think you have to be funny all the time but you're still a human underneath it. is it that simple? >> no, i think there is a link. but it is as simple as saying that humor is used as a defense mechanism for people who are uncomfortable about where they are emotionally and they don't feel safe enough to do it in a vulnerable way, they do it in a funny way. because that ends up becoming like their thing, they end up making money from it, they're good at it. it becomes a way of life and a self-soothing tool. yes, it's good to have humor as a mechanism of defense, however,

you can't use it at your own detriment. >> thanks very much to both of you. for more resources on coping with depression, go to cnn.com/impact. still "out front" one of robin williams' most famous movie, one of my favorite, "dead poet's society." i want to share with you my personal connection to the film. how many more americans will go into iraq to defeat isis? is this a war? [ male announcer ] ours was the first modern airliner, revolutionary by every standard. and that became our passion. to always build something better, airplanes that fly cleaner and farther on less fuel. that redefine comfort and connect the world like never before. after all, you can't turn dreams into airplanes unless your passion for innovation is nonstop. ♪

captain obvious: tell your travelgrandmother with the. unless your passion for innovation is nonstop. hotels.com loyalty program, she'll earn free nights. so they're not the same, because they're different. woman: jimmy's not my grandson, captain obvious. woman: man: he's my lover. no. ♪ ♪ abe! get in! punch it! let quicken loans help you save your money. with a mortgage that's engineered to amaze! thanks, g. hey, jake! come on over here for a sec. why you wanna touch my dart so bad? ♪ [ high-pitched ] why's he wanna touch it? ♪ who said i wanted to touch it? ♪ jake, you know they've got affordable leasing programs ♪ yeah, i know. i was just... ♪ just think, jake, you could get your own ♪

♪ and you could touch it whenever you wanted ♪ ♪ you could touch it all the time ♪ ♪ all the time i don't want to touch your dart. ♪ i know you're mad, jake, but you've got to get your own ♪ i'm not mad. ♪ i know you're mad, jake ♪ ♪ but you've got to get your own ♪ ♪ i know you're mad, jake i'm getting mad, but wasn't... ♪ but ya gotta get your own ♪ ♪ but ya gotta get your own ♪ [music] defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. easily absorbed calcium plus d. beauty is bone deep.

that's why i always choose the fastest intern.r slow. the fastest printer. the fastest lunch. turkey club. the fastest pencil sharpener. the fastest elevator.

the fastest speed dial. the fastest office plant. so why wouldn't i choose the fastest wifi? i would. switch to comcast business internet and get the fastest wifi included. comcast business. built for business. breaking news. we're just getting word that more u.s. military personnel are headed to iraq tonight. approximately 130 new military advisers are going to northern iraq. that will bring the total number of american military personnel on the ground to more than 900. the advisers are headed to the area where tens of thousands from the minority group called the yazidis are stranded as they flee persecution by isis. near mt. sinjar, that's where the yazidis are right now

desperately trying to get assistance on the top of this mountain. they're firing at them trying to come off of that mountain. just one day after we brought you the dramatic rescue and supply mission on the mountain our ivan watson with a brave, incredible reporting, helicopter used to bring aid crashed today. now, the pilot, an iraqi general died, everyone else did survive. ivan watson was on that helicopter flight yesterday. and he joins us now from iraq. the yazidia who made it off the mountain like ones you met yesterday who were rushing you trying to get help and assist eps, where are they going? >> reporter: well, i would say the majority of them, erin, are sleeping out in the open basically camping out on roadsides on the medians of highways and in the shells of unfinished and abandoned buildings. we watched thousands of them crossing, you know, some of them, handful got out on those

helicopters that were flying off the mountain, an overloaded helicopter of which crashed that had many of these refugees on it, but far more were coming out on foot and coming across a bridge into iraqi kurdistan. some of those people are just literally camping out on the banks of the river at the border where they walked in. these people exhausted. tired, hungry. one of them described how on a marathon march through the desert he had to bury two of his infant brothers who expired as a result of exposure to the elements. >> i mean, this is just so -- it's impossible to imagine when you hear these things that they're happening in this year 2014, ivan. but the war thatord that's been out there is genocide and that's that's a risk. and that's the only thing that could cause more u.s.

involvement. it is a word that's appropriate to use? >> reporter: it's certainly a word that the leadership of iraqi kurdistan is using a lot, that the members of the different ethnic and religious groups that are being pushed out en masse from their homes, that they're using as well. from my vantage.i haven't seen bodies, i haven't seen mass murders, but i've certainly seen what looks like a systematic policy of ethnic and sectarian cleansing where people are pushed en masse from their communities largely based on their religious or ethnic identity. and these vast numbers of people from a wide variety of different groups, kurds, christians and turkimen and yazidis. there's one thing in common, they're fleeing one group that's armed called isis and they all

seem to be getting shelter here in iraqi kurdistan even as its troops seem to be involved in an existential battle against the immigrants. >> incredible and great reporting from iraq. joining me is former deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism. now that we hear we'll have another 130 u.s. personal headed to iraq. we've now got more than 900 americans on the ground. is this enough to make the difference? or when you hear what ivan's talking about, about a policy of ethnic cleansing, a drop in the bucket and do we need to be more honest, if the united states is going to do something about it, it's going to require a lot more people and combat? >> i think it depends on what our objective is. if it's to stave off the offensive against our kurdish allies in peshmergar nen the

additional advisers could be helpful. it won't be enough to dislodge isis and certainly won't be enough to defeat them and dislodge them from the safe haven they've created in both iraq and syria. i agree with the latter part of your question which is we have to take a step back and ask ourselves what are we trying to achieve here? and if we're trying to dislodge and defeat isis, it will take more than 130 additional advisers and more than just air strikes. >> that leads to the question of boots on the ground and what isis is fighting with. the chief of staff told cnn, isis has all sorts of sophisticated weapons. we've heard reports that isis is fighting with a lot of american-sourced weapons that they've gotten from somewhere or from syria, versus the kurds who don't have the same quality of weapon. i mean, how sophisticated is their weaponry and how well armed are they with american weapons? >> isis i think has been underestimated. they're well resourced, they've

obviously held territory. they've taken major cities like mosul and tikrit. they've overrun iraqi security installations, picked up weaponry, the humvees and the tanks that we left behind for the iraqis. they'll well resourced. they run a war economy. they've inspired not just donations but foreign fighters to fight for their cause. this is a realequipped, they ha mission and they need to be pushed back. i'm not sure it requires american boots on the ground but it requires our kurdish allies who are willing to fight and are currently fighting this group. >> when you talk about the need for the united states to take a step back and an honest evaluation of what this might entail, it made me think about the president back in january talked to the new yorker about isis. the analogy we used around here sometimes and i think it's accurate is if a jv team puts on lakers uniforms that doesn't make them kobe bryant. here's how the pentagon described isis just yesterday.

>> they're very well organized. they're very well equipped. they coordinate their operations. and they have thus far shown the ability to attack on multiple axis, this is not insignificant. >> they didn't just get all that ability in a few months. why did the u.s. government underestimate them? >> i think part of it is we don't have a footprint on the ground the way we once did in iraq. we don't have the intelligence inf infrastructure, the military footprint in iraq. we've been absent largely from syria. isis has really gained strength and territory. and so this is a group that is serious. they're piggybacking off of the al qaeda narrative and inspiration and even infrastructure. and the reality is as you listen to american officials, there's real concern that this is now becoming a platform for potential attacks against the west. so this is not just a group threatening the yazidis on the

mountain or even the kurds, this is a group that's becoming an inspiration to the global jihadi movement and that's really what has american officials worried. still to come, police brace for violence in missouri after an unarmed black teen is shot by police. is this trayvon martin all over again? president obama has weighed in. and much more on robin williams including his friendship with a gorilla named coco. we fill our freshly baked flatbread, with bold, unflat flavors. like taste inspired by the freshness of the mediterranean. so you always get flavor that's anything but flat. new flatbread sandwiches, try one today. ugh. heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and are proven to taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm. amazing. yeah, i get that a lot. alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief.

do you guys have identity theft protection? [ male voice ] i'm sorry, did you say identity distribution? no. protection. identity theft protection. you have selected identity distribution. your identity will now be shared with everyone. thank you. no, no, no -- [ click, dial tone ] [ female announcer ] not all credit report sites are equal. [ male voice ] we're good in here, howie. yeah, have a good night, brother. experian.com members get personalized help plus identity theft protection. join now at experian.com. with enrollment in experian credit tracker. join now at experian.com. it's been that way since the day you met. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure.

do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

that's why i always choose the fastest intern.r slow. the fastest printer. the fastest lunch. turkey club. the fastest pencil sharpener. the fastest elevator. the fastest speed dial.

the fastest office plant. so why wouldn't i choose the fastest wifi? i would. switch to comcast business internet and get the fastest wifi included. comcast business. built for business. breaking news on the unarmed black teenager shot and killed by police in missouri. tonight, president obama has weighed in calling the death of 18-year-old michael brown heartbreaking. anger over brown's death has exploded into chaos and violence. president obama addressed that in his statement saying in part, quote, i urge everyone in ferguson, missouri, and across this country to remember this young man through reflection and understanding. we should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. tonight police are bracing for more violence for a second night

in a row. shots already have been fired. police using tear gas to disperse the crowds. now the president has weighed in, is this trayvon martin again? david mattingly is out front from police headquarters. now the president has weighed in on this, it's very significant. another case of white on black violence that he did not weigh in on, he has in this like he did only in one other case, trayvon martin. what is this doing to the tension in the community where you are? >> the president's comments today are reminiscent of the personal reaction he had to the trafben martin case. at that time, the president's comments did have an effect on the demonstrators in sanford, florida. they really took it to heart. it's a little too early to see what effect it might have here in ferguson, missouri, but as you can see the demonstrators are not going away. these people have been outside city hall almost all day today demonstrating. it's just another example of how

this case is very similar to the experience we had with trayvon martin. the tragic killing of michael brown prompts almost immediate comparisons to the death of another unarmed black teenager. the case of trayvon martin might differ in detail but its influence on the brown investigation is evident. within 48 hours of brown's death, national leaders of the naacp were already in ferguson, missouri, framing the killing as the latest in an ongoing national problem. >> i believe that trayvon martin case is a prologue to a sad national narrative where we have young people who are accused of underwhelmingly minor offenses that are often met with a major overwhelming sometimes lethal use of force. >> reporter: the u.s. justice department became involved just as quickly. attorney general eric holder calling in the fbi and u.s. attorneys, but saying that local

investigators should be prepared to complete a thorough, fair investigation in their own right. in the trayvon martin case, the justice department didn't get involved until after public confidence in the police investigation was lost. a possible mistake not repeated in missouri. cnn contributor mark o'meara represented trayvon martin's killer george zimmerman. >> without question we have been sensitized because of the george zimmerman/trayvon martin matter that it is going to be under a microscope. and quite honestly, in our criminal justice system, it should be. we should be looking at these cases very, very carefully. >> reporter: attorney benjamin crump represented the family of trayvon martin and now speaks for michael brown's parents. crump points to one key difference -- trayvon martin was killed by a resident on neighborhood watch. brown's death is at the hands of law enforcement. >> trayvon was shot once, but as we understand from these witnesses, this child was shot

multiple times, and left on the ground like a dog. >> reporter: that harsh image now drives angry demands for justice reminiscent of the aftermath in the death of trayvon martin. and police in ferguson prepared again tonight, but not knowing what to expect. the same posture they were in last night when they had that confrontation. the faa also weighing in today issuing a no-fly zone over ferguson, missouri, for at least the next week saying it's for safety reasons for the police investigation. erin? >> a dramatic move. thank you very much, david mattingly. "out front" next robin williams changed one school forever. it just happened to be mine. and robin williams and one special gorilla. we're trying our best annto be role models.rmodels. we don't jump at the sound of the opening bell,

because we're trying to make the school bell. corner booth beats corner office any day. we make the most out of our time... and our money. the chevrolet malibu. the highest ranked midsize car in initial quality. the car for the richest guys on earth. and never quite get over it.y. seven billion hungry people. well, we grow a lot of food.

we also waste about a third of what we grow. so, we put our scientists to work. and they found ways to keep the food we grow fresher, longer. using innovative packaging. there are still a lot of hungry people in the world. but we have a lot of scientists. this is the human element at work. dow. so factors like diet can negatively impact good bacteria? even if you're healthy and active. phillips digestive health support is a duo-probiotic that helps supplement good bacteria found in two parts of your digestive tract. i'm doubly impressed! phillips' digestive health. a daily probiotic.

since robin williams' death was announced last night fans around the world have been sharing their memories of him. one of our favorite times was when the comedian met a gorilla named coco. here's jeanne moos. >> reporter: sure, robin williams made us smile.

but what made him smile? tickling an ape? >> i tickle her and she's -- >> reporter: it was an encounter he called mind altering, holding hands with a gorilla named coco famous for understanding sign language taught by her surrogate mom dr. penny patterson. profiled by gee grof -- geographic and in 2001, robin williams asked to pay a visit. she took his glasses and ended up wearing them. she picked his pocket, investigated his wallet but mostly she asked. >> tickle, tickle. >> and they tickled and tickled and tickled. ellen degenerous noted robin's harry arms. >> she looked at me and went where have you been? >> years later he was still using the encounter as material but at the time of the visit.

>> he was so quiet and respectful and present. >> perfect for making a gorilla swoon. cocoa was familiar with robin williams. she watch add documentary on dolphins and watched "awakens" over and over. cocoa is known to have an obsession with a certain body part. >> she did this and her translator said she wanted you to lift your shirt and i lifted my shirt and she grabbed both my nipples. i went, i like you. >> their relationship was nipped in the bud. >> you don't hit. sweetheart -- >> all of a sudden she grabs my hand and tries to take me in the back and all of a sudden i see her translator say coco, no, mr. williams doesn't want to play bump, bump. >> back in 2001, 30-year-old

cocoa was sad about the death of her companion. she hasn't smiled for six months until this funny man tickled her penny says cocoa knew something was wrong. >> i said cocoa, we lost a dear friend. you remember robin. >> how could she or we forget him? jeanne moos. >> something great how he got her to smile. coco east mother said the encourter last add couple hours, which was the longest ever visit that coco tolerated with a human. up front next, when robin williams came to my school. it's monday. a brand new start. your chance to rise and shine. with centurylink as your trusted technology partner, you can do just that.

with our visionary cloud infrastructure, global broadband network and custom communications solutions, your business is more reliable - secure - agile. and with responsive, dedicated support, we help you shine every day of the week. centurylink your link to what's next. ♪ [music] defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. easily absorbed calcium plus d. beauty is bone deep. oh hey craig, i need to talk to you. hey jake. you know how you won't let me touch your dart? well i've got some things that you can't touch. is that right? whatchya got there? just a crossbow. you can shoot things with it. can't touch it? no, you can't touch it. look at this, my george foreman grill. ah, that cooks meat so good. (buzzing electronic toothbrush) i can't touch the toothbrush that you put in your mouth? (giggling): yoga! you have an operational dvd player? you also can't touch my digeridoo. digeridoo? or didgeridoo?

here at quicken loans.ing mortgage process ♪ don't touch my dart! we care about your loan as much as you do. we're not just number crunchers. i'm your buddy. i'm your team mate. i specialize in what i do and i care about my clients. call us for a mortgage experience that's engineered to amaze. ♪ ♪ great rates for great rides. geico motorcycle, see how much you could save.

if heaven exists, what would you like god to say when you arrive at the pearly gates? >> there is seating near the front. the concert begins at 5:00. it will be one of your choosing or good to know there is laughter. that would be a great thing. god goes two jews walk into a bar -- [ laughter ] >> tough to pick a favorite

robin williams movie, mine is "dead poet society." he filmed that movie at my high school. ♪ ♪ >> captain, my captain. >> sit down, mr. anderson. >> "dead poet society," loved by many and the heart of an entire school. generations of students and teachers, a young teacher when robin williams arrived there to film the modern classic. >> having a film company on campus and filming here. my favorite scene is where he's orienting his students and has them peer as past students, many already passed away and robin williams lurked behind them as they are learning towards the pictures and he starts whispering, their voices from beyon

beyond. >> carpe diem. >> his character still defined st. ann drews school, pictures of robin williams in the main entrance to the school. i'm still so proud of my school's link to robin williams. i like so many graduates say did you see the movie with robin williams, "dead poet society." it is frozen in time. tad roach is head master of the school now. when he was young, he spent time during robin williams during the months he spent at st. ann drdr. we on campus in those days were so struck by the grace of peter w weir. we saw their visions unfold.

>> i was struck by how generous it was and played off his experience of the school and experiences with the students and very funny and very humorous but also inclusive, but at the same time, i just still had this impression that he was almost embarrassed to be the center of attention. you know, he was a shy person. >> robin williams made carpe diem, a phrase brought alive by a man who as a person, not just as an actor, gave a school a soul. >> left, left, left right left. >> such a part of that school and it's amazing just to imagine that he's not there anymore. well tonight, cnn will have much more on the life and career of robin williams. cnn spotlight remembering robin area tonight at 11:30 eastern. don't want to miss that. it's here on cnn at 11:30.

we'll see you again tomorrow we'll see you again tomorrow night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening, anderson is off. a lot happening tonight. you're going to hear from a witness to the police shooting that left a young man dead, protesters on the march and a police department on the hot seat. also, with bombs rocking baghdad, u.s. air strikes on going, there is new word that more american servicemen and women are heading back into iraq, but we begin with details coming to light in the death of robin williams, and now reminders of what so many people, friends and fans alike are missing so deeply tonight from his comic genius to his human spirit. today, authorities in marin county north of san francisco went before the cameras. tad is there for us and joining us now. ted, you were there at the news conference. what did the police say? >> reporter: well, wolf, some of the details were just disturbing. they went into detail how r