>>> POLICE IN TENNESSEE ARE
FACING QUESTIONS THIS MORNING
OVER THE DROWNING DEATH OF
24-YEAR-OLD JOHNNY BALDWIN LAST
WEEK AS OFFICERS WHO WERE
PURSUING HIM STOOD BY.
ACCORDING TO THE HERALD
CHRONICLE, DECHERD AND BALDWIN
POLICE SAY HE WAS DRIVING
ERRATICALLY IN DECHERD AND WAS
FOLLOWED BY POLICE.
THE WINCHESTER POLICE ASSISTED
IN TRYING TO STOP BALDWIN ON THE
ROAD BEFORE HE FLED ON FOOT AND
WOUND UP IN A LAKE.
THERE’S BODY CAM VIDEO FROM THE
BALDWIN FAMILY ATTORNEY SHOWING
YOU WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
THIS VIDEO WE’RE ABOUT TO PLAY
IS DISTURBING.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
BEFORE THE VIDEO BEGINS SHOWING
THE OFFICERS REALIZING BALDWIN
WAS IN THE WATER.
IT GOES ON TO SHOW BALDWIN
STRUGGLING IN THE LAKE AND
YELLING FOR HELP.
THEN ONE OFFICER APPEARS TO
OFFER TO ENTER THE WATER BUT
BACKS DOWN AS HIS PARTNER WARNS
HIM NOT TO.
HERE’S A PORTION OF THAT SEVEN
MINUTE AND 30 SECOND BODY CAM
VIDEO.
>> KEEP COMING.
KEEP COMING.
>> HELP ME.
>> THEN SWIM.
YOUR DUM AB ASS JUMPED IN THE
RIVER.
>> DON’T LET HIM DRAG YOU IN THE
WATER.
[ SIRENS ].
>> HELP ME.
PLEASE.
>> KEEP SWIMMING. COME ON.
COME ON.
LET’S GO.
>> [ INAUDIBLE ].
>> GET OUT OF THE WATER.
>> HE’S GOING UNDER.
>> GOING UNDER ACTING LIKE HE’S
UNDER IT OR SOMETHING.
>> HE’S UNDER IT, CODY.
>> HE’S UNDER.
>> HE’S DOING IT ON PURPOSE.
>> THE POLICE REPORT ALSO SAYS
THE RESCUE SQUAD AND DIVE TEAM
WERE ON THE WAY BEFORE BALDWIN
WENT UNDER WATER AND AN AUTOPSY
HAS BEEN ORDERED.
IN A SEPARATE STATEMENT
WINCHESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT
EXPLAINED BY SAYING OFFICERS ARE
NOT TRAINED IN WATER RESCUE.
OFFICERS DO NOT POSSESS WATER
RESCUE GEAR OR EQUIPMENT AND IT
ALSO POINTS OUT THE LACK OF
VISIBILITY AND CHALLENGES THE
SETTING POSED TO THE OFFICERS’
OWN SAFETY.
>> JOINING US IS THE BALDWIN
FAMILY ATTORNEY LANCE NORTHCUTT.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH US.
LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW THE FAMILY
IS DOING, IF I MAY.
THAT VIDEO MUST HAVE BEEN VERY
PAINFUL FOR THEM TO WATCH.
>> THE FAMILY IS IN SHOCK,
AYMAN.
OBVIOUSLY THIS CAME AS A GREAT
SURPRISE, AND TO HAVE THIS
BROADCAST TO THE FAMILY, FOR
THEM TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONE
LITERALLY BEGGING, BEGGING FOR
HIS LIFE AND HAVING THOSE
OFFICERS NOT ONLY STAND IDLY BY
BUT MAKE FUN OF HIM, THAT’S
SOMETHING THEY JUST CAN’T GET
OUT OF THEIR MIND, THAT’S
SEARING RIGHT NOW.
AS WE’RE SITTING TODAY THE
FAMILY IS MAKING ARRANGEMENTS TO
BURY THIS YOUNG MAN WHO IS
SITTING IN A MORGUE DRAWER AT
THE COUNTY MORGUE IN TENNESSEE.
>> I WONDER IF I CAN DRAW THE
JUXTAPOSITION WITH THE STATEMENT
THE POLICE PUT OUT SAYING THEIR
OFFICERS ARE NOT TRAINED IN
WATER RESCUES WITH THE WORDS YOU
HEAR ON THAT RECORDING FROM THE
BODY CAM.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
DO YOU THINK THEY EVEN MADE
ENOUGH OF AN EFFORT TO TRY TO
SAVE HIM OR DOES THE LANGUAGE
USED IN THE WAY THEY DESCRIBED
THE SITUATION, THAT PERHAPS HE
WAS FAKING HIS OWN DROWNING OR
HE WAS GOING UNDER SUGGEST THAT
THEY WEREN’T SERIOUS ABOUT
HELPING HIM?
HOW DO YOU READ THAT?
>> I READ THAT AS THEY MADE A
CALCULATED DECISION TO LET THIS
MAN DIE.
IF YOU LISTEN TO THE WORDS THAT
ARE SPOKEN ON THAT TAPE AND YOU
JUXTAPOSE THAT WITH WHAT CHIEF
LEWIS SAYS WHERE HE COMES UP
WITH THE EXCUSE, FIRST, MY
SERGEANT CAN’T SWIM.
LET’S GO WITH THAT NARRATIVE.
IF IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR A POLICE
SERGEANT TO SWIM IN THE PRESENCE
OF ALL THESE OTHER OFFICERS WHO
I GUESS COULDN’T SWIM EITHER, IS
IT POSSIBLE THAT MAYBE IN THE
MIDDLE OF A FOREST YOU COULD
PICK UP A BRANCH AND EXTEND IT
TO A DROWNING MAN?
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT, AS HE SAW
THIS MAN DROWNING, IF HE REALLY
THOUGHT THAT SOMEHOW HE WAS A
THREAT, THAT HE COULD HAVE TOLD
THE RESCUE CREW TO EXPEDITE,
THAT THIS WASN’T JUST A QUESTION
OF SOMEONE IN THE WATER, BUT
SOMEONE WHO IS NOW DROWNING.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS
SO ILL-EQUIPPED AND SO AFRAID
THAT HE COULDN’T BE COMPELLED TO
ACT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT’S
ON THAT VIDEO, WHEN YOU SEE THE
SCORN, THE WORDS OF THESE
OFFICERS, WHEN THEY’RE GOING
OFF, LITERALLY MOCKING HIM,
CALLING HIM PUDDIN CUP, A MAN
WHO IS DYING.
WHAT KIND OF HUMAN BEING DOES
THAT?
I THINK ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS,
AND THERE’S SO MANY POLICE
OFFICERS THAT GO IN DAY IN AND
DAY OUT, THEY’RE HEROES.
THEY RUN TOWARDS THE DANGER.
THAT OLD NOTION OF SERVE AND
PROTECT.
THEY JUST LET HIM DROWN.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE NEXT
STEPS.
WHAT DOES ANY KIND OF JUSTICE,
ANY KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
THE BALDWIN FAMILY FOR JOHNNY
BALDWIN LOOK LIKE?
WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING IN THIS
POSITION?
>> YOU ALLUDED TO IT EARLIER,
AYMAN.
THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO DO IS
GET ANSWERS.
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
BEFORE THIS VIDEO STARTS AND WE
DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AFTER
THIS VIDEO STARTS.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THE SICKENING
SENSE OF INACTION THAT WAS
PERVASIVE ON THE PART OF THESE
POLICE OFFICERS.
MAYBE THE GREATEST TRAGEDY IS
THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE OFFICER
WHO HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND,
YOU SAW HIM ON THE VIDEO, TAKING
OFF HIS GUN BELT, GETTING READY
TO GO IN.
HE WAS PREPARED TO ACT AND HE
GOT WAVED OFF BY A POLICE
SERGEANT SUPERVISING THE SCENE.
AT THAT POINT THERE WAS NO
ATTEMPT TO RESCUE.
THERE WAS NO EXTEND THIS GUY A
BRANCH.
EVEN AFTER HE WENT UNDER.
I THINK BACK TO CHIEF LEWIS’S
WORDS, SOMEHOW THIS IS ABOUT
OFFICER SAFETY.
AFTER A GUY GOES UNDER AND HE’S
NOT MOVING, ARE YOU STILL AFRAID
OF HIM?
IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU’RE
WORRIED ABOUT?
>> FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, AYMAN,
WE’RE LOOKING TO GET ANSWERS.
WE WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED