JACQUI: ALEXANDRIA HUFF, THANK
YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
GRIFF, OVER TO YOU.
GRIFF: WITH MORE ON THE
RELENTLESS CRIME CRISIS
GRIPPING CITIES ACROSS AMERICA
AND WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK
CITY, LET’S TURN TO TED
WILLIAMS, A FORMER WASHINGTON
D.C. POLICE OFFICER, TED.
WE WISH WE HAD YOU HERE FOR A
BETTER REASON, BUT WE DON’T.
TRAGEDY STRIKING IN NEW YORK
LAST NIGHT.
YOUR REACTION THIS MORNING?
>> GRIFF, LET ME IF I CAN OFFER
MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE
FAMILY OF JASON RIVERA, THIS
22-YEAR-OLD ROOKIE OF THE NEW
YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO MADE
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, GIVING
HIS LIFE FOR HIS CITY.
AND LET ME ALSO SEND OUT
PRAYERS TO WILBERT MORROW,
ANOTHER POLICE OFFICER THERE IN
NEW YORK WHO IS CLINGING FOR
HIS LIFE.
YOU KNOW, GRIFF, YOU AND I HAVE
UNFORTUNATELY BEEN TO THIS
SCENE BEFORE.
I REMEMBER IN 2014, YOU AND I
COVERING THE DEATH OF TWO NEW
YORK CITY POLICE OFFICERS, LOU
AND RAMUS AND AT THAT TIME I
THINKWAY BOTH WERE HOPING AND
PRAYER THAT WE WOULD NEVER HAVE
TO SEE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN, AND
YET, AGAIN AND AGAIN IN OUR
NATION WE’RE SEEING LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GUNNED
DOWN.
AND YOU KNOW, THESE ARE
INDIVIDUALS WHO PUT ON THEIR
UNIFORM, GO OUT AND TRY TO
SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES ON A
DAILY BASIS.
AND GRIFF, OUR HEARTS JUST HAVE
TO BLEED FOR THEM.
GRIFF: AND TED, YOU RAISED --
THAT’S AN INTERESTING POINT
REFERRING BACK TO 2014 WHEN LOU
AND RAMOS WERE KILLED.
WE SAW IN ALEXIS ADAMS’ REPORT,
A SOUND BITE FROM THE N.Y.P.D.
UNION PRESIDENT, ANGRY, VISIBLY
ANGRY, SAYING THAT WE’VE SEEN
THIS BEFORE.
I THINK THAT’S A REFERENCE,
PERHAPS, DIRECTLY TO LOU AND
RAMOS.
MY QUESTION IS WHY, WHY DOES IT
CONTINUE TO HAPPEN?
WHY IS IT WORSE NOW THIS THE
FIFTH POLICE OFFICER FOR THE
N.Y.P.D. SHOT THIS MONTH?
>> IT HAPPENS BECAUSE
UNFORTUNATELY, IN AMERICA THERE
IS A DISRESPECT FOR POLICE
OFFICERS, AND IT SHOULDN’T BE
THAT WAY.
WE SHOULD TAKE THESE POLICE
OFFICERS, AND I’M ASKING
INDIVIDUALS OUT THERE THAT ARE
LISTENING AND HEARING US THIS
MORNING, GO UP AND LOOK AT A
POLICE OFFICER AND HUG THAT
POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE THAT
POLICE OFFICER’S DOING WHATEVER
THEY CAN TO SERVE AND PROTECT
YOU, THE MEMBERS OF THAT
COMMUNITY.
OR IT HAPPENS OVER AND OVER
BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME LOW LIVES
OUT HERE WHO DON’T GIVE A DAMN
ABOUT THE LIVES OF THESE LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
WE TAKE THE GUYS THAT SHOT AND
KILLED OFFICER RIVERA THERE
LAST NIGHT AND WOUNDED HIS
PARTNER.
THAT PERSON WAS IN OR HAD A
GLOCK THAT HAD BEEN
MANUFACTURED AND A MAGAZINE WAS
ATTACHED TO IT WHERE HE COULD
SHOOT AS MANY PEOPLE AS HE
POSSIBLY COULD.
AND HE HAD STOLEN THAT, OR THE
GUN ITSELF WAS STOLEN IN
BALTIMORE IN 2017.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT THESE
CASES, GRIFF, OF WHERE YOU SEE
POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE USING
EXCESSIVE FORCE AGAINST
CITIZENS AND YOU THINK THAT’S
THE NORM IN POLICE WORK, BUT
IT’S NOT.
I’M ALWAYS ON THE SIDE OF
GETTING INDIVIDUAL WHO HARM OUR
CITIZENS OUT HERE OR SHOULD WE
SAY POLICE OFFICERS WHO HARM
CITIZENS, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY
OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN PUT THAT
UNIFORM ON AND THEY RESPECT
THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY’RE
THERE DRIVING TO SERVE THE
COMMUNITY.
WE FOUND OUT THAT OFFICER
RIVERA, HE JOINED THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO
HELP HIS COMMUNITY, NOT ABUSE
OR HURT HIS COMMUNITY.
AND I SALUTE THAT OFFICER.
GRIFF: TED, IS THERE SOME BLAME
FOR NOT JUST BRAGG IN NEW YORK,
BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SO MANY
OF THESE D.A.’S REFUSING TO
ENFORCE THE LAW?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT IS ONE OF THE
MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEMS THAT
WE’RE FACED WITH HERE IN
AMERICA TODAY IS THAT WE HAVE
SOME D.A.’S, AND I CAN NAME
SOME OF THEM.
GEORGE GASTON IN L.A., KIM FOXX
IN CHICAGO, YOU LOOK AT BRAGG
IN MANHATTAN THERE, WHO SAYS
THAT HE--
FOR CERTAIN CRIMES, WHERE A GUN
WAS USED, THAT HE WAS NOT GOING
TO PROSECUTE THOSE PEOPLE AS
FELONIES, BUT FOR MISDEMEANORS.
WE HAVE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN
THESE POSITIONS WHO HAVE LITTLE
OR NO RESPECT AND I MEAN THESE
PROSECUTORS, FOR PEOPLE THAT
HAVE GIVEN THE ULTIMATE
SACRIFICE LIKE JASON RIVERA,
AND THEY NEED TO BE CALLED OUT
AND CALLED TO THE CARPET.
GRIFF: TED, JUST IN THE MOMENTS
WE HAVE LEFT.
I WANT YOU TO REFLECT, YOU
RAISE A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT
THAT OFFICER RIVERA WAS A
ROOKIE WANTING TO DO GOOD TO
PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS A LONG
HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE AS A
POLICE OFFICER YOURSELF, WHAT
ARE YOUR THOUGHTS NOW TO
REFLECT ON ABOUT OFFICER
RIVERA?
>> MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT THIS
WAS A WONDERFUL MAN, HE WAS A
FATHER.
HE WAS A HUSBAND, AND ALL HE
WANTED TO DO WAS TO SERVE AND
PROTECT THAT COMMUNITY.
AND HE DID SO AS A ROOKIE UNTIL
HIS UNTIMELY DEATH HERE.
BUT OFFICER RIVERA IS
REPRESENTATIVE OF A LOT AND
MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
IN AMERICA, THAT PUT THAT
UNIFORM ON A DAILY BASIS, SO, I
TAKE MY HAT OFF.
CERTAINLY, AGAIN, OFFER MY
CONDOLENCES.
MY HEART IS BLEEDING FOR THE
OFFICER RIVERAS ALL OVER THIS
COUNTRY THAT SERVE AND PROTECT
US, GRIFF.
GRIFF: WELL-SAID.