Violence in the Streets of Ferguson; U.S. Airstrikes Helps Kurds Re-Take Part of Mosul Dam; Israel, Hamas Cease-Fire Nears End; Manziel Vs. Griffin on Monday Night
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news overnight: violence in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. Tear gas, Molotov cocktails and gunfire. Protesters furious over the police shooting of unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown. National Guard troops now called to this area. We have the latest overnight and new details. New details about how Brown died. We are live in Ferguson, Missouri. Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It is Monday, August 18th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East. Let's begin with this breaking news: chaos in Ferguson, Missouri. Police in riot gear, clashing with protesters, hours before a curfew that's now in effect. Tear gas, smoke canisters and rubber bullets were used to disperse a crowd that police say had encroached on a command post. Police say they had no choice but to respond after Molotov cocktails were thrown at police and gunshots were fired at police. It's the most intense since the shooting of Michael Brown a week ago. Now, we are learning the results of a private autopsy that was requested by the Brown family. You are seeing the diagram there. It found that Michael Brown was shot six times, twice in the head, four times in the right arm. I want to go live to Ferguson now and bring in George Howell. George, is it -- is it calm on the streets behind you?</s>GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Christine, I think it's important to ask that question to give you the context here. Is this is city under siege? The answer is no. In fact, this is a very long street. Florissant Avenue is a very long street. But down that way, for about a mile stretch, really, that is ground zero. That is where you find these continued protests -- protesters meeting with police, the situations that continue to generate into violence. What we saw, again, the other night, another situation of great unrest. Again, it started as a peaceful protest. Many people who came out to make sure their voices were heard. And as you mentioned, that autopsy report, you can imagine that inflamed the feelings of a lot of people out here who believe what happened to Michael Brown was an injustice. Again, started as a peaceful protest. Then, according to police, protesters got too close to the command post. Also, police say that there was a situation where two people were shot, and then police used that approach. They came together and basically walked slowly, but surely down the streets to move the protesters. They used tear gas, they used rubber bullets, they used smoke canisters to do so. You are hearing two distinct opinions about what's happening out here. You hear from some who say, look, the police are too heavy-handed. They are coming down the streets with too much force. Then, again, you hear the opposite, that just a few people in the crowd. Again, a lot of people, most people come out to protest peacefully, but just a few people who spoil it for everyone else. And it seems, you know, for the police, you could say that they are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't. For the protesters, there's a lot of frustration. They want their voices heard. But again, each time, you know, when people commit illegal acts and throw Molotov cocktails according to police, back at the crowd, back at police, it only inflames the situation. I want you to hear both sides of the story from police and from protesters. Take a listen.</s>CAPTAIN RON JOHNSON, MISSOURI STATE HWY PATROL: There were multiple reports of Molotov cocktails being thrown. Police were shot at. Makeshift barricades were set up to block police. Bottles and rockets were thrown at police. Based on these conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of our response. For those who claimed that the curfew is what led to tonight's violence, I will remind you, it was -- this incident began before 8:30, three and a half hours before the curfew was to have started last night.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got to the shopping mall down at the end of Lucas, behind the West Florissant. They started throwing tear gas and smoke bombs and lots of them and told us --</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we were leaving, we were trying to run away.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- and told us to evacuate and a young lady got hurt. It's unacceptable. Not one, many. And we were peaceful. We were peaceful.</s>HOWELL: That's the thing, there are a lot of people who come out to basically protest peacefully. They want their message to be heard. They come together, hundreds and sometimes thousands of people come together to protest peacefully. But again, when you see the small number who according to police will take Molotov cocktails, throw them back at police, will throw rocks and bottles back at police, that is when officers say that they have to use force. The images that you see, though, it does look like a police state. But again, from a small number of people, we are seeing basically these nights generate into violence. And again, a long stretch of street here. It's about a one-mile stretch though, Christine, where it seems to be ground zero, repetitively, night after night where people just seem to clash with police.</s>ROMANS: It's so interesting because they're going to change tactics. You know, they're going to bring in the National Guard. And you wonder, how are they going to do anything differently if there are elements of the crowded firing at the National Guard, what is the response going to be. You mentioned two people were shot. We are assuming they were shot by protesters, not by police.</s>HOWELL: And that's important. And thank you for helping make that distinction. According to police, these two people were shot not in the crowd. Remember, just a week ago, I was in the crowd as well. I heard shots fired. We had to take cover. Shots fired in front of us, shorts fired behind us. My colleague, Steve Kastenbaum, the other night in the same position, where you just hear shots fired around you. You have to get out of the way. That is the situation for people, the protesters there, we understand, those two people who were shot.</s>ROMANS: You know, Steve Kastenbaum was telling us that, you know, there were families, young families pushing kids in strollers for what started as a peaceful march. I mean, we should remind people, you have been hearing shots in the crowd night after night. That is just so frightening. We do know that school is not going to start today. This should be the first day of school, but they're not going to start school, George, because it's just not secure yet.</s>HOWELL: And, you know, certainly it's unfortunate. Again, we are talking about one street.</s>ROMANS: Right.</s>HOWELL: And then, beside that street, you've got neighborhoods, you've got families, you've got kids trying to sleep at night. And again, we understand the kids will not be going to school for yet another night, because of this continuing violence.</s>ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much, George Howell, and keep us posted on any developments. And again, it is calm behind you right now at 4:00 in the morning, Missouri time. Missouri's governor now taking action to keep the peace in Ferguson. Jay Nixon releasing a statement overnight. He is, as I said, deploying the National Guard in the wake of the clashes between police and protesters. He said, "These violent acts are a disservice to the family Michael Brown and his memory, and to the people of this community who yearn for justice to be served and to feel safe in their homes. The new chaos in Ferguson being felt particularly hard for the man leading the police response, Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson. Don Lemon is looking at that.</s>DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Overnight here in Ferguson, Missouri, this is what you see -- a very heavy police presence. This is called a hot zone here. And it's from West Florissant all the way down to the command center, the command center where Chief Ron Johnson, the head of this response, held a press conference, sounding tired, frustrated. He's exhausted and, no doubt, embarrassing. Embarrassing to him because he is the man they put in charge because they believed that he related to the community, he comes from this community. He's used to dealing with police profiling and discrimination. And now, a few bad actors have made it worse for him. At first, he took the large tactical units off of the street. He didn't want people pointing guns in people's faces. Now he is having to go back to that. It's not only embarrassing for him, you can hear it in his voice, but embarrassing for the family of Michael Brown as well. A few bad actors taking the focus of what it should be a police unit, a police force that doesn't necessarily relate to the people it is serving and protecting and off of a young man who was gunned down in the middle of the street. Don Lemon, CNN, Ferguson, Missouri.</s>ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Don. Now to Iraq and a battle for a strategic dam that supplies power to much of the country. The U.S. launching more than a dozen airstrikes against ISIS militants. Airstrikes that included bomber jets for the first time, helping Kurdish fighters on the ground retake part of the Mosul Dam. Meantime, President Obama in a letter to Congress explaining those strikes, says the dam is critical to the security of the U.S. embassy. CNN's Anna Coren following developments. She is live for us this morning from Mosul. Hi, Anna.</s>ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine. We are less than 15 kilometers from the Mosul dam where that fierce battle between Peshmerga special forces and ISIS militants is taking place. The Peshmerga say, the Kurdish forces, say they are within three kilometers of seizing that dam. They are hoping to push through last night. That did not happen. The militants dug in. They are hoping to be successful today. Now, we've been here on the ground now for just over an hour and there's artillery set up, rockets. Certainly, they are still hitting the enemy line, which is not far away. Also, machine guns fired. But certainly, the problems they are facing in their advance towards this dam is all the IEDs and land mines that the militants have laid. Yesterday when we were here with the Peshmerga, one of the trucks on the convoy hit an IED, killing one soldier, injuring more than a dozen. So, this is obviously a major hazard as they push forward. But, certainly, Christine, they are really pushing back is. There's no doubt about it. ISIS is in retreat, whether they can push them out of that dam facility, a very important piece of infrastructure for Iraq, remains to be seen.</s>ROMANS: Anna, what do we know about the U.S. role in sort of slamming the militants with these bomber jets, you know, targeting the militants?</s>COREN: We haven't heard fighter jets or drones since we have been here. But, certainly, yesterday, they were flying overhead constantly. We know there were many airstrikes yesterday and over the weekend. We saw the evidence of that in Humvees and other vehicles that ISIS had used. American vehicles and weaponry that, of course, had been seized by the Iraqi military that ISIS is using. The Peshmerga say they need to be better equipped. And they are calling on the Americans to do just that, because they say they are fighting these ISIS militants who have much superior weaponry. But, certainly, those airstrikes, Christine, changing the situation here on the ground, allowing those Peshmerga forces to take the fight to ISIS militants, knowing they have that cover, if you like, from the skies. But, obviously, they need to be very careful around the dam facility because it is just so vital.</s>ROMANS: All right. Anna Coren for us this morning in Mosul -- thanks, Anna. The clock ticking on the latest Gaza cease-fire. The five-day truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire in less than 13 hours. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are in Cairo talking indirectly about prolonging the peace, but the demands of the two sides won't be easy to reconcile. Israel insists Hamas must disarm. The Palestinian delegation demands an end to the economic blockade of Gaza. CNN's Fred Pleitgen live in Gaza. Each of them has their stated goal and there's really not much wiggle room in between, Fred.</s>FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's very difficult, Christine. And certainly both sides have said if there's no agreement, they are willing to go back to hostilities, which, of course, would be devastating not just for the people in Gaza, but, of course, also on the Israeli side as well, if those rocket attacks start again. The Israelis still have a lot of forces amassed on the border with Gaza. Hamas still has a rocket arsenal that could certainly be dangerous to a lot of Israeli. So, there is the potential for renewed conflict, if in fact, there is no cease-fire. But you said it, the big issues are economic concerns for the Palestinians, security concerns for the Israelis. The people here in Gaza and of course, the Palestinian negotiators say they want the blockade on Gaza to be lifted completely. The Israelis say they have massive security concerns with that. They're afraid that Hamas might try to smuggle even more rocket parts and rockets than they have in the past. They believe that things like cement and steel, for instance, could be used for bunker protection. So, they say they want some sort of deal out of this where they get legitimate security guarantees from Hamas. Of course, the big thing they want is they want Hamas to disarm completely. That's something Hamas says is not in the cards at all at this point. So, very, very difficult position to reconcile. One of the things we also sort of have to keep an eye on is possible discord within the Palestinian delegation. Does the delegation of Hamas that's within want the same thing as many of the other negotiators there? So, certainly a difficult situation and there's three possible outcomes to all of this. Possibly, the cease-fire could fall apart, we could see additional hostilities tonight. There could be an extension of a limited truce that's been going on for the past five days, or there could be some sort of broader agreement that would see some of the points between the two sides being reconciled, and others sort of being pushed down the line. So, a lot of people here I can tell you in Gaza very nervous, very anxious to see what's going to happen next. We certainly will know in the past 12, 13 hours whether or not these two sides are going to reach some sort of agreement. So, it's a very, very tense time here in Gaza, Christine.</s>ROMANS: Tense time indeed. Five p.m. Eastern Time is when that ceasefire officially expires. Fred Pleitgen for us in Gaza for us -- thanks, Fred. We're going to continue to follow the breaking news out of Missouri. Another night of violence between protesters and police. Angry crowds demonstrating against the controversial police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. You are going to hear from protesters caught in the middle of it all. That's ahead.