Skip to main content

tv   Erin Burnett Out Front  CNN  April 17, 2015 4:00pm-5:01pm PDT

4:00 pm
e @wolfblitzer. you can always tweet the show @cnnsitroom. be sure to join us here again monday right here in "the situation room." you can always watch us live or dvr the show so you won't miss a moment. thanks very much for watching. "erin burnett outfront" starts right now. out front next breaking news. target america. the first isis attack against the united states. isis claiming credit for a suicide bomb outside an american consulate today. and new video of a man brutally hit by a speeding police car. you'll see him moments before the collision stealing a gun from walmart. and a texas man spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to shoot an endangered rhino. he says he's saving the species. let's go "outfront." blnk good evening. i'm erin burnett. on this friday night,
4:01 pm
"outfront," breaking news. isis attacks america. isis claiming responsibility for a suicide bomb attack today on the american consulate in erbil, iraq. bombers waiting for an ied to explode in the street and then they charged the consulate. the car loaded with explosives. it was fired on by security personnel and that car blew up just before it reached the consulate. it appears that terrorists in the car detonated their bombs on purpose. officials said that at least four people were killed 18 injured in the blast. those numbers, though could still rise, because there are bars and restaurants. this is a very heavily american frequented area of iraq. the blast occurred immediately across the street from a strip of cafes and shops that are popular with ex-pats. the assault marks a milestone in the war against isis. the first official direct attack by isis militants on american personnel in the middle east. matt wolf is an american journalist working in erbil. he's been based there since january.
4:02 pm
he was very close when the blast went off. and matt what did you hear what did you see today? >> reporter: well the first thing is that i felt a bit of a shock wave maybe a nanosecond before i actually heard the blast. i was about 200 meters from the blast site in a residential area and as you know this area is mostly residential, but it also houses the u.s. consulate here. there there, we saw a lot of black smoke shooting up in front of the consulate. and i think everyone knew that it was probably some sort of attack or a suicide bomb something like that. >> and i know that as you said you were only you know just over 600 feet away when you felt this. then you actually heard it. i know after that shock wave you then ran to the roof. what happened then? >> from there, now, we had already started hearing the shooting going on in the street. i didn't actually see the
4:03 pm
shooting but i could hear it. as soon as that explosion went off, there was some sort of fifth shooting. we're not sure if it was going both ways or people shooting at people if it was just people shooting at the vehicle itself but something was going on. we could see that from the roof but we could see -- we could hear it from the roof but we couldn't really see it from the roof. and at the same time we had more and more black smoke rising up from the blast site. >> now, isis says matt of course this attack was on that american consulate. but as you've been pointing out, this area of erbil was such that they didn't even need to get to the consulate, if they were trying to kill americans. >> no the consulate itself had a high wall. it has a lot of security. most security you actually see uniformed kurdish police officers. it has concrete barriers that do a zig zag if they want to come into the area. it's very very secure. but immediately across the
4:04 pm
street you have a series of cafes and bars and hotels that are really popular with ex-pats and staff and other americans and foreigners living and working in the area. and those are incredibly soft targets. they all have wide open glass front windows and i was down there this evening, most of those are completely gutted. the blast and the fire that came after it completely destroyed both. and i've heard the casualties so far are very low. but looking at the damage it did to those buildings, we're in a way lucky they are so low. >> it sounds very lucky, and of course we're still waiting for final numbers of exactly what happened. i know this area is very well protected. you talk about the security at the consulate. the area overall, where there's a lot of ex-pats, there's a lot of americans. were you surprised that isis was able to get there? was able to pass all of that? >> yeah i was incredibly surprised. and a lot of the foreigners and even the kurds i've been speaking to are surprised, because this is an incredibly safe area to even get close to
4:05 pm
erbil from the countryside, you go through many many checkpoints and many security checks and they check the back of your car and they check everything. and then when you begin to get even close to this site there is more security. so i think it has everyone very very surprised that they were not only able to get into erbil, but get on top of the u.s. consulate as well. >> matt thank you very much. >> thank you very much. >> and ben wedeman has spent a lot of time on the ground in iraq. as a matter of fact, he was just in erbil and he was at this consulate. so i want to bring you in now, ben. how significant do you think this attack is? >> reporter: erin it definitely shows that after almost daily coalition air strikes going back to last autumn isis is still capable of conducting this type of brazen broad daylight attack on such a high level, high-profile u.s. target as the u.s. consulate in erbil.
4:06 pm
now, last autumn or rather late last summer isis was able to get near to erbil, but they've been steadily pushed back. but what today's incident underscores is that despite all of that isis still has enough supporters sympathizers perhaps sleeper cells to conduct this sort of attack. now, until today, most western diplomats i've spoken to in erbil have been confident that kurdish intelligence and security forces would be able to prevent the kind of daily car bombings and suicide attacks that you see in places like baghdad. but perhaps that confidence was premature. erin? >> all right, been. thank you very much. and now i want to bring in phil mudd former cia counterterrorism official. he managed the iraq analysis at the cia. and retired general, james spider marks, who served as the senior intelligence officer in combat during the iraq war.
4:07 pm
james, you just heard our reporter in erbil who was there and witnessed this. and he said it was shocking that isis could get into this heavily fortified area. you know a city that's considered safe an american stronghold. but you say that they clearly have the ability to do this. >> isis as the momentum. what that means is they can choose the time and place of their engagement. and when you do that you put everybody else on your heels. so we really shouldn't be surprised with the fact that understand that erbil, most likely has a very large presence of peshmerga. we have a presence there, in the form of intelligence and exchanges that we have as a matter of routine, but what really needs to take place is if we want to prevent this type of terrorist activity you have to have increased presence on the ground. i'm not suggesting that the united states is going to do that. clearly, the u.s. has options. and they've chosen not to increase presence or to put presence on the ground other than what we see right now in the terms of training by way of
4:08 pm
advisers. >> you know, it is a key area. and part of the reason the president said that he was going to conduct air strikes against isis in iraq was to keep americans in erbil safe phil. i mean this area was considered the safest area for americans in iraq. i mean i've been there. there are things like drag racing. it's very american in a lot of ways. i mean what do you make phil of the fact that isis successfully targeted americans, directly really for the first time here? >> look, what we've been talking about in the past few weeks are military operations in places like the oil refinery the tikrit operation and ramadi operation. those are military operations where isis is trying to hold territory to set up this caliphate, this sort of religious governance. this is fundamentally different as a counterterrorism analyst. this is a political act, designed to tell the americans, look you got engaged in our backyard you left years ago, you're now conducting air operations. if you're going to come into our backyard we're going to make you hurt. my takeaway from this erin isn't just that isis can reach a
4:09 pm
facility up north, in a relatively safe place in iraq it's the indication of intent this gives me about isis leadership. if they're thinking about the consulate, are they also thinking about using some of those north americans, canadians, and kids from the united states who have gone over there to come back home and strike targets here. it's telling us we're on the radar. >> and it certainly sounds like the answer to your question is yes. >> it has to be. >> general marks, arwa damon was on the ground our reporter there during with the ramadi battle with isis last weak. and she told me that isis has made some significant gains. this is the same week president obama said that the united states is making serious progress in pushing isis out. you know it's interesting when you hear these two very different perspectives you actually equate the american battle with isis right now to vietnam. >> yeah erin what was feed to see or what we need to realize is what we're seeing right now in iraq is not too similar from what we saw during the tet offensive in vietnam in '68. the vietcong attacked in multiple locations throughout
4:10 pm
south vietnam. but as a result of that they lost and they were slaughtered by the u.s. and the south vietnamese forces. what happened subsequently is most battles that then occurred in vietnam were u.s. and south vietnamese forces against north vietnamese regulars. but what happened is the perception was, is the vietcong were everywhere. oh my dear, they can get to every location and they set the tone of the engagement. that's what we are seeing now. possibly in iraq. >> and phil, we all remember benghazi with an american ambassador murdered. now you have the first isis attack directly against americans at a consulate. you're worried what this means about their intent to the american homeland. how big is the risk? >> i think the risk is significant, just because of volume. look when we sat at the threat table at the fbi years ago, you would say, okay we've got four or five guys on the radar maybe ten guys on the radar, and then there's a bunch of wannabes out there. we might be looking at four
4:11 pm
five kids that have gone to the tribal areas of pakistan for training significant problem, but compared to what we're looking at here when you're talking about thousands of foreigners going, i can't imagine sitting at the threat table today. we saw that yesterday, i can't imagine compared to looking at five or ten, now saying now we've got to follow a couple hundred. that is impossible for a security service. >> pretty terrifying as you say. thanks to both. and next the volunteer deputy who shot an unarmed black man and he speaks out. you're going to hear him say, sorry, it was an accident. the victim's lawyer responds "outfront." plus new video of the arizona man run down by a speeding police car. you're going to see him steal his gun from walmart and a clerk just hand him the ammo. an "outfront" exclusive investigation, tonight. and a texas man wants to kill an endangered rhino and hang his head on this trophy room wall. our exclusive report, ahead.
4:12 pm
people ship all kinds of things. but what if that thing is a few hundred thousand doses of flu vaccine. that need to be kept at 41 degrees. while being shipped to a country where it's 90 degrees. in the shade. sound hard? yeah. does that mean people in laos shouldn't get their vaccine? we didn't think so. from figuring it out to getting it done, we're here to help.
4:13 pm
my feet felt so heavy at the end of the day. they used to get really tired. until i started gellin'. i got dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles. when they're in my shoes my feet and legs feel less tired. it's like walking on a wave dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles, i'm a believer!
4:14 pm
keeping a billion customers a year flying means keeping seven billion transactions flowing. and when weather hits, it's data mayhem. but airlines running hp end-to-end solutions are always calm during a storm. so if your business deals with the unexpected hp big data and cloud solutions make sure you always know what's coming-and are ready for it. make it matter. ♪ ♪ the beautiful sound of customers making the most of their united flight. power, wi-fi and streaming entertainment.
4:15 pm
that's... seize the journey friendly. the reserve deputy accused of manslaughter for killing an unarmed black man, breaking his silence for the first time. speaking to nbc, deputy robert bates apologized to the victim's family as you can see here
4:16 pm
appearing with his family in this somewhat strange shot. he said it was an accident confusing his gun for a taser. ed lavendera is outfront in tulsa. >> roll on your stomach, now! >> reporter: in the video, you can briefly see the bright yellow taser strapped to robert bates' chest. then you hear the gunshot that would kill eric harris. [ gunshot ] >> i shot him, i'm sorry. >> reporter: it's a mistake that 73-year-old reserve deputy told the "today" show on nbc that he can't explain. >> i saw the light and i squeezed the trigger and then realized i'd dropped the gun. this was not an intentional thing thing. i had no desire to ever take anyone ice life. i don't understand how this can happen. you must believe me it can happen to anyone. >> reporter: but it's bates' training that is still under intense scrutiny. the tulsa world newspaper reports that it has five sources that say that bates' training records were falsified. sheriff stanley glens has
4:17 pm
acknowledged that some gun certification records are missing, but robert bates and the sheriff's department insists he was properly trained and prepared to work on a dangerous assignment like the undercover sting aimed at eric harris. >> you did the training and you can prove that you were certified? >> that is absolutely the truth. i have it in writing. >> reporter: the tulsa sheriff's department still refuses to release bates' detailed training records and are right to discredit a former deputy who claims the training records were falsified. tulsa sheriff's officials have said the source is not credible because he's currently in jail on murder charges, but the tulsa newspaper says there's an easy way to resolve this. >> the sheriff's department can clear this up very quickly by producing the names of the people who signed off on this training produce the records. >> reporter: eric harris' brother says he also wants to see bates' full training records. >> do you trust the investigation the tulsa county sheriff's department has done? >> no sir. they not going to tell you the
4:18 pm
bad things about themselves they only going to tell you the good things. but now what we hope is they let an outside entity come in and investigate this thing. >> reporter: and erin the public relations battle is in full swing tonight here in tulsa. just a short while ago officials here released an announcement saying they've launched an i quote, we're listening tour to battle misinformation and rumors that are being spread by local and national media. erin? >> mm. all right. thank you very much ed lavendera. they're going after the media. it's interesting, you just heard mr. bates say, you must believe me, this could have happened to anybody. well deputy robert bates, also in that interview, apologized to the victim's family saying that the shooting that killing this man is the biggest regret of his life. >> first and foremost let me apologize to the family of eric harris. you know this is the second worst thing that's ever happened to me or first, ever happened to me in my life. >> "outfront" now, dan swoelllenswollen,
4:19 pm
the attorney for the for man shot and killed eric harris. the way he said it this is the second worst thing, than he corrected himself, and said no it's the worst thing that's ever happened to me. but he said the first thing i want to do is apologize to the family. do they accept his apology? >> erin the family does accept mr. bates' apology. however, the apology from mr. bates isn't going to bring eric back. what this family is seeking and what they've been seeking all week and over the last several weeks is just that the truth come out. >> and when you say the truth, there's several levels of this. and one of the levels is was he qualified to be on the streets? he says in this interview and he said it -- his lawyer said this to me last night, very aggressively making the case that all his records are accurate they're in record that he was completely qualified to be there. but you say that's not the case.
4:20 pm
>> it's not just me saying that that's not the case. it's five credible sources that i believe work still within the sheriff's department. and with respect to mr. brewster's statement regarding the lack of credibility of the affidavit, i mean his point is that, look mr. critterdon is in jail on a homicide charge, so he can't be believed. well mr. bates is also charged with a homicide. is he saying that we can't listen to what mr. bates is saying because he's got a homicide charge? >> hmm. it's an interesting point. he did say this last night, he dismissed the credibility of the anonymous sources because he said, one of those men is in jail. but you're saying not only do you not agree with that the questioning of one of your sources, you say you have four additional people. so five in total, one of whom happens to be in jail on this charge but five of whom are saying these records are falsified? >> absolutely. >> okay. so bates today spoke about what led up the to this deadly
4:21 pm
incident. and i wanted to let you hear him give his version of what actually happened. here he is. >> and i was actually parked down the street at st. claire station, several blocks away from where the activity took place. in other words, the drug buy of dope and the gun purchase. he decided to bolt from the undercover's truck and run and he came to me. >> so this is the point that they're making. both of his attorneys have made this point to me in the past couple of days. they say that he wasn't actually there. that he wasn't on a live sting operation. he was a few blocks away and that your client basically, ran into him and caused this to happen. >> erin i think that anyone can look at the statement that mr. bates signs, the four or five days after the shooting and see mr. bates' statement, where he indicates he was in the tactical briefing that morning. he called the night before the
4:22 pm
briefing to ask what was on that day's itinerary. this doesn't seem like an individual who was just in the neighborhood at the sinclair gas station. >> so what do you want to happen here? you've said the family accepts his apology, which sounds like you believe him when he says this was an accident. he didn't mean to do it. what do you want to happen? what is justice here? >> i'm not insinuating that we believe that mr. bates' version of what happened is the truth. my client's family has accepted his apology. because they're forgetting people. they believe in forgiveness. but they believe in the truth, absolutely has to come out. and that's what they intend to do. they intend to investigate this claim to the fullest to see what potential claims there are. >> all right. well, dan, thank you very much. i appreciate your time and it's good to talk to you. next an "outfront" exclusive investigation. we have new video tonight of the momentums before an arizona man was run down by a speeding
4:23 pm
police cruiser. here he is stealing a rifle at walmart. the story says that gun had a lock on it. so then how did he load and fire it? and atlanta teachers fighting back today after a judge in the cheating scandal slammed them. >> all i want from any of these people is just to take some responsibility. but they refuse. they refuse. i care deeply about the gulf. i grew up in louisiana.
4:24 pm
i went to school here. i've been with bp ever since. today, i lead a team that sets our global safety standards. after the spill we made two commitments. to help the gulf recover and become a safer company. we've worked hard to honor both. bp has spent nearly 28 billion dollars so far to help the gulf economy and environment. and five years of research shows that the gulf is coming back faster than predicted. we've toughened safety standards too. including enhanced training... and 24/7 on shore monitoring of our wells drilling in the gulf. and everyone has the power to stop a job at any time if they consider it unsafe. what happened here five years ago changed us. i'm proud of the progress we've made both in the gulf and inside bp. at mfs, we believe in the power of active management. our teams collaborate around the world, which leads to better decisions for
4:25 pm
our clients. put our global active management expertise to work for you. mfs. there is no expertise without collaboration. do you have something for pain? i have bayer aspirin. i'm not having a heart attack, it's my back. i mean bayer back & body. it works great for pain. bayer back & body provides effective relief for your tough pain. better? yeah...thanks for the tip! he says she's an undisciplined overwaterer. she claims he's a cruel underwaterer. with miracle-gro moisture control potting mix, plants only get water when they need it. fight ended. or shifted? miracle-gro. life starts here.
4:26 pm
4:27 pm
breeking news tonight on the suspect taken out by a police cruiser in arizona. so tonight, we at "outfront" have information about how that suspect that you see here in this video got to rifle that he's carrying. he threatened a walmart employee who gave him that gun, and then gave him ammunition. but there are new questions tonight about how walmart handled this situation. this suspect, mario valencia survived the hit that you're about to watch. and a reminder this dash cam video is very graphic. >> stay off.
4:28 pm
>> jesus christ. man down. >> we have exclusive reporting tonight on valencia's actions in those crucial moments leading up to that dramatic encounter with police. miguel marquez has our "outfront" investigation. >> oh! jesus christ. man down. >> reporter: did this ever need to happen? >> oh, my god. >> reporter: new video shows a walmart loss prevention officer telling marano police officers on the scene the gun this man just stolen had a safety lock on it and it couldn't be fired. >> it's locked. he can't get the lock off. >> are you sure? >> i'm positive. it's locked! >> ten seconds later. [ gunshot ] okay never mind. >> the walmart loss prevention officer wearing shorts and sandals listening to the radio has his young son along for the ride. police finally yell at the employee back off.
4:29 pm
>> where are you going? [ bleep ] you don't have a gun or a vest on. >> minutes later, mario valencia is handed a rifle by a walmart clerk who told police mario seemed normal. he inspected the rifle. he then turns his attention to ammunition, saying don't do anything stupid give me the ammo. she resists, but then eventually handed over the am know because he was threatening to break the glass. and she also told police that it's walmart policy to give over items during a robbery. she said she acted appropriate, even alerting security to call police before handing over the ammo by dialing a code. one 911 call may bes clear the gravity of the situation. a walmart asset protection
4:30 pm
operator tells the operator valencia was trying to load the rifle in the store. >> we have an armed customer in the sporting goods department. >> okay is he threatening anyone? >> i'm trying to find out. he's loading the weapon in the sporting goods department at the moment. >> he is loading it? >> reporter: a photo of the rifle stolen by valencia shows the cable lock still on wrapped through the lever once with enough slack that the lever could still be operated. police say the lock appeared to be a handgun cable lock. a walmart spokesperson insists the gun had the proper lock correctly installed in the store and either valencia did something to it or the force of the patrol car hitting him affected the cable lock. the walmart loss prevention officer and his son were witness to valencia being taken down by the patrol car. >> oh,. that guy got [ bleep ]ed up. >> walmart says it constantly
4:31 pm
reviews all its policies and procedures and this incidence in man marana is being discussed right now. walmart insists it had the right safety device on that gun and it was installed proper when valencia is in the store. this is a blow-up of that gun. you can see, this is the lever. if this bit stays close to the butt, it doesn't fire and it disables the gun. but everyone we talked to today, we did a lot of research on this this cable has to loop through this loop twice to make it inoperable. >> miguel thank you very much. incredible reporting. now i want to bring in dave cowen "outfront," the author of the book "columbine," who talks about the gun laws around and country and how they were exploit in that horrible tragedy. you watch miguel's reporting. it's pretty stunning on so many levels. what's your first takeaway here about what walmart's saying? they're saying this gun was locked up the way it was supposed to be. clearly it wasn't or he wouldn't have been able to fire it. >> they're saying a lot of things that don't make any
4:32 pm
sense. the gun went off, and that's the primary evidence that something was wrong. and if they're correct and they did everything right, well it's worse, because then their procedure, their whole setup is -- >> that they don't know how to lock a gun properly. >> if stores across america are follow those procedures and they're wrong, that's a lot worse. >> because obviously a lot of guns are sold at walmart. then there's also this issue of the employee. we hear her call to 911, miguel goes through that exhaustively and you hear her say, she handed him the ammo. he has the gun, she's then worried, she actually gives him the ammo and you think, why would she do that and her reason is she was worried that if he broke the glass, it would damage other ammo and she wouldn't have been able to sell the other ammo. that's her reasoning. >> that's a sort of crazy-sounding. i wonder if that's the way she rationalized after the fact if she was trying to come up with something. the one person in the story i cut some slack is this employee. i don't know if she'd ever been in a situation like this before and she's under duress. but it still comes back to
4:33 pm
training. is -- has she ever been trained for a situation -- >> she should be if she's selling guns right? then it's a walmart issue. >> before they even handed our m-16s in the infantry or any kind of ammunition or anything we drilled things over and over and over. it's instinctive. you don't orally tell people or give them procedures to do and then expect you know when somebody is life threatening you, you're going to react in that way. >> so people here there are people who say that this was excessive police violence right? and had this guy been killed and he wasn't he survived that hit by the car, had he been killed this would be an even more significant story. but the reality of it is is none of it would have happened that's what it seems like if he didn't have this gun. which he fired into the area. >> or the ammo. >> so it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for walmart. >> two different instances, the gun that was unlocked and the ammo for a man with a gun. it's hard to understand why
4:34 pm
somebody hands ammo to a person who's kind of threatening, obviously, already committing a felony stealing a weapon and handing him ammunition for it. >> yes, it's a tragic comedy actually when you look at this but obviously, walmart, with very very serious questions to answer tonight. thank you so much, david. appreciate it. and i want to note that we asked walmart to come on this program tonight and respond to these very serious questions. they declined our invitation. "outfront" next teachers going to jail for cheating. firing back today after an atlanta judge ranted against them our report on what went down today, and a texas man paying hundreds of thousands of dollars, big bucks. he's going to shoot an endangered animal and he's going to put its head on his trophy room wall. >> you can't grant an animal eternal life anymore than i can. woman: it's been a journey to get where i am. and i didn't get here alone. there were people who listened along the way. people who gave me options. kept me on track. and through it all my retirement
4:35 pm
never got left behind. so today, i'm prepared for anything we may want tomorrow to be. every someday needs a plan. let's talk about your old 401(k) today.
4:36 pm
i'm brian vickers, nascar® driver. i'm kevin nealon comedian. and i'm arnold palmer, professional golfer. know what we have in common? we talked to our doctors about treatment with xarelto®. me, when i had a blood clot in my leg that could have traveled to my lungs. that's why i took xarelto®, too. xarelto® is proven to treat and help reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots. i took xarelto® for afib... an irregular heartbeat that can lead to a stroke from a blood clot. xarelto® is proven to reduce the risk of stroke in people with afib, not caused by a heart valve problem. hey, well i'm glad we got together. for people with afib currently well managed on warfarin there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. i tried warfarin before, but the blood testing routine
4:37 pm
and dietary restrictions had me off my game. tell me about it. let's see, golf clinic, or blood clinic? ooh, that's a tough one. not this time. not with xarelto®. anything else? i'll have another arnold palmer. ok. make mine a kevin nealon. really, brian? hey, safety first. like all blood thinners, don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of a blood clot or stroke. while taking xarelto® you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious bleeding and in rare cases may be fatal. get help right away if you develop unexpected bleeding unusual bruising, or tingling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto® watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle-related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve, or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto® tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® has been prescribed more than 11 million times
4:38 pm
in the u.s. and that number's growing. like your guys' scores. with xarelto® there is no regular blood monitoring, and no known dietary restrictions. treatment with xarelto® was the right move for us. ask your doctor about xarelto®. you may be able to get up to 12 months at no cost. educators convicted in a widespread testing scandal firing back tonight, saying her innocent. the judge in the case made headlines this week when he imposed harsher sentences on the former atlanta school officials, who refused to accept a plea deal. they got seven to ten years. some of them seven years in prison for their role in fabricating and falsely certifying test answers.
4:39 pm
martin savage is "outfront." >> reporter: how in the world did it come to this? >> i'm going to put you in jail if you yell at me point at me. >> reporter: atlanta's public schools cheating scandal has been dividing the city for years, but it's not until the scandal went from the classroom to the courtroom that it exploded. >> all i want from any of these people is just to take some responsibility. >> reporter: it was cheating but not by students. prosecutors say teachers principals and administrators changed wrong answers and made them right, making the kids look smarter and the educators look better earning them raises and praise. because prosecutors said they conspired, they were charged with racketeering. that's the same law used to bring down mobsters and drug dealers. and after a five-month trial, 11 of 12 were found guilty. and the judge shocked the court by immediately demanding they all go to jail. >> they have been convicted of
4:40 pm
felonies serious felonies. >> reporter: judge jerry baxter said angry that no one seemed concerned about the kids. >> there were thousands of kids that were harmed in this thing. this is not a victimless crime. >> reporter: at sentencing baxter threw the book at them. most of the educators expected to now serve prison terms, ranging from 1 to 7 years and up to 13 years probation. now the teachers finally have a turn to talk saying that they were stunned by the sentences and the community that seemed to want vengeance more than justice. >> it has been an overwhelming burden. when it first happened i just was immobilized. with the notion that not just a few people thought we hurt children but it felt like the whole world was against us. >> reporter: others say they
4:41 pm
couldn't take the deal because it went against all they believed. >> when you are completely innocent and you're asked to stand up and say that you're guilty i believe that's still perjury. and i wasn't willing to compromise my integrity and say i did something that i did not do. >> reporter: nationally critics say the scandal is an indictment of standardized testing, which places too much emphasis on scores and not enough on education. meanwhile, many of the convicted say they plan to appeal which means atlanta's long and embarrassing civics lesson is far from over. what's interesting, erin is that those who took that plea deal actually got far less difficult sentences. in fact they almost got creative. the judge gave one six months in jail but the person only has to show up on the weekends. somebody else got confinement to their home for a year but it's only in effect from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m.
4:42 pm
but they're all under the threat of something else that could be serious. they could lose their pensions. that has yet to be determined. >> and that would be significant. but as you point out, those who didn't take the plea deal seven to ten years. i mean it is incredible. thank you very much martin savage. and "outfront" next you are looking right now at the last white male rhino on the planet. ahead, the texas hunter who paid $350,000 for the rights to kill an endangered black rhino. he's going to make his case on why that's good for the species. and it's facebook for people with a passion for pot. but there are no friends on this app, just a lot of buds.
4:43 pm
♪ ♪ when you're living with diabetes
4:44 pm
steady is exciting. only glucerna has carbsteady clinically proven to help minimize blood sugar spikes. i'm a bull rider make it part of your daily diabetes plan. so you stay steady ahead.
4:45 pm
4:46 pm
a majestic animal is on the brink of extinction. so there is one male northern white rhino left on the planet. you see him there with all those men with guns around him. their there to protect him from poachers who could kill him. armed guards will be around this
4:47 pm
rhino 24 hours a day. on the black market a pound of his horn could be sold for $30,000. and now in an exclusive interview with cnn, a big game hunter says that killing a rhino will actually help save the species. ed lavenderrn leverage derra is "outfront" with and power. >> reporter: when cory nolton paid $350,000 to hunt a black rhino, one of the most endangered animals in the world, it unleashed social media attacks and even death threats now more than a year later, after months of debate and public outcry nolton has just received permission to set out on the hunt permitted by the franklin country of namibia. but first he agreed to sit down with cnn. nolton still wants to convince his critics that hunting an endangered animal is a way of saving the species. >> it wasn't like i was some
4:48 pm
person hell bent to go kill a black rhino, i'm a person hell bent on the survival of the species of black rhino. >> there are only about 400 black rhinos left in the world. the nah might bean government says the $350,000 will help them fight poachers and protect the black rhino. nolton will hunt a plaque rhino that is one of a small group that has been pre-selected by the government. it will be an older male that no longer reproduce and that many experts say is a threat to healthier, younger rhinos. and that's why nolton argues if you can kill that rhino and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars at the same time it's a good thing. >> you're essentially saying that to sacrifice one black rhino, you're actually doing the entire species good? >> ed you can't grant an animal eternal life anymore than i can. i believe hunting through sustainable use is an awesome tool in conservation that can help keep these animals going forever. as a species. >> reporter: the u.s. fish and world service and the world
4:49 pm
wildlife fund says if done right, hunting as conservation can be an effective way. but some animal welfare groups says that idea is a threat. >> i think it's just rubbish. frankly, we just simply don't believe that trophy hunting has any place in serious conservation. >> reporter: this is your trophy room? >> that's what people would call it. >> to people who say that you want to do this black rhino hunt because you want a black rhino in this room what do you tell them? >> i don't think they understand what it means to be a hunter. i think, you know as part of a hunter these are memorials of the whole hunting experience and conservation and everything that it means to us. >> reporter: cory nolton isn't backing down from the critics, as he preeps for what he expects to be one of the most memorable hunts of his life. ed lavendera, cnn. >> and >> jeff core win. and jeff you heard cory's argument. he said he's going to kill an
4:50 pm
older male rhino that can't reproduce and threatens the healthier rhinos and he said i'm paying 350,000 dollars to that man is desperately needed. does he have a point? >> the authority that is allowing this to happen is the department of tourism and it is this incredible ministries program that have been instrumental in restoring the black rhino population so i guess, yes, that money will go to conservation. they heavily manage the rhinos in africa. they have a program where very few are selected and they are older animals that are no longer producing but this is a critically endangered species. are 5,000 left and there is the
4:51 pm
right that every one matters. >> he might be helping them but every rhino does matter. >> they are classifying as quote, unquote, critically endangers, the black rhinos one level from distinction. what does that mean? how vulnerable is the black rhino? >> incredibly vulnerable. erin in the last decade we've seen a dangerous spoke of poaching in the world. there is five remaining species. a asian and indian and africa species and if you took them all up and added up every surviving ryan yo rhino there would be less than 30,000. the bornian rhino, less than 60. sumatran less than 100. the northern population of the white reno. we're talking four animals left.
4:52 pm
so they are highly pressurized. >> and you talk about the rules, how hard it is to leave the united states and go big-game hunting. how common is it that people with go and kill these big game and endangered animals? >> there are somewhat they call the big five species that hunters will go out and try to get. and the rhino is considered one of the most iconic of species but they are endangers. the department of tourism and the environment, they only a lot a few of these animals every year for this and they have to fit within a certain protocol of where they are physically in their lives and they are to follow the convention for the international trade of endangered species and the u.s. fish and wildlife are strict about this stuff and this is their business and they know this stuff. so you have to separate the wildlife biology and the management from your own
4:53 pm
personal ethical view point of this situation. >> all right. thank you very much. jeff core wynn. let us know what you think about that story. next the man who wants to be the mark zuckerburg of marijuana. che! had a headache! but now, i...don't. excedrin® is fast. in fact for some, relief starts in just 15 minutes. excedrin®. wow, that was fast. if you suffer from a dry mouth then you'll know how uncomfortable it can be.
4:54 pm
but did you know that the lack of saliva can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath? well, there is biotene specially formulated with moisturizers and lubricants... biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy too. biotene, for people who suffer from a dry mouth. only florida's natural brings you that "straight from the grove taste" from us, the orange juice growers... to you morin' ma'am. the orange juice lovers. enjoy. florida's natural.
4:55 pm
4:56 pm
doug. you've been staring at that for awhile, huh? listen, td ameritrade has former floor traders to help walk you through that complex trade. so you'll be confident enough to do what you want. i'll pull up their number. blammo. let's get those guys on the horn. oooo looks like it is time to upgrade your phone, douglass. for all the confidence you need. td ameritrade. you got this.
4:57 pm
facebook for stoners, we're "outfront" with i dea with our series on new ideas. >> they are a group of tech savvy 20-somethings launching a hot new app. but this is no silicon valley start up. >> sometimes you smoke for three hours and sometimes you smoke for six hours. >> and isaac is not your stereo typical business exec. the 22-year-old is the co-founder and ceo of mass roots. >> this is a global feed. >> a free social media network similar to facebook or instagram but this one is just for people who love weed. instead of friends or followers, mass roots users have buds. it is a place where people can remain semi anonymous while posting pictures of pot, shots of smoking and skiing and other
4:58 pm
cannabis creativity. it is about different products or pot shots. in a few months it amasses more than 275,000 rooters. the social network is only accessible in the 23 states in the district of columbia where some form of marijuana is currently legal. to sign up you have to give your location and mus be at least 17 years old. >> our goal is to hit a million user this is week and if we can reach that threshold we'll be the dominant social player and everyone will want to advertise on our platform. >> he moved to colorado from virginia beach a year ago and his success hasn't come without a struggle. he maxed out 20,000 dollars in credit cards to start the business. he battled apple for months just to allow mass roots into itunes and he fought the feds for a year to get approval to take his company public. it just started trading this month. >> it is the same way that facebook went public and twitter went public. >> through investors mass roots has raised more than
4:59 pm
$1.5 million. and he now employed 16 people and makes enough to rent a penthouse and they have a meeting. >> from minnesota minnesota, virginia and california they are united by their passion for pot. >> i was in the marine corp for five years and i'm doing this. i love them both in different aspects but i'm leaving the green dream. >> a green dream that will pay different dividends. >> this is our plan and it is our plan. there is no safety net and we're just going with it. >> with detrick at the helm hoping to become the mark zuckerburg of the marijuana industry. >> we're in an incredible position. right at the convergence of marijuana technology scaleable technology and social networking. it is an incredible place to be. >> cnn, denver. >> and this sunday is all about
5:00 pm
pot on cnn. at 9:00, weed 3 and at 10:00 the series high profits. and this weekend watch the global edition of "outfront" on cnn international. this weekend our exclusive reporting from south korea. thanks for watching. anderson starts now. good evening, thanks for joining us. we begin with breaking nuz. a huge gas line explosion with mult pell serious casualties. >> oh, my god. this is so freaking hot. oh my god. >> it happened in fresno california. you can see this was a damaging blast. so far 14 people have been hurt and three of them seriously. joining us by know is the fresno fire chief kerry doneas. i understand there were evacuations in the area of the explosion. do we know how this occurred? >> we have reports there was a -- a backhoe or a tractor of