Investigation into Death of Army Officer; California Freeway Standoff
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. It is coming up at 7:30 here in New York. More on this intense standoff this morning on that California freeway. Did you see that?</s>BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: What a day it was yesterday. Six-and- a-half hours this thing went on. I-10 shut down for hours, too. Tens of thousands jammed up along the freeways there in L.A. Police were trying to figure out how to handle this gunman here. Finally a percussion grenade is put in the window. The dog goes in. We'll talk to a member of the sheriff's department about what happened there and how this all came to an end yesterday.</s>O'BRIEN: It was riveting to watch, I thought. You just couldn't take your eyes off of it.</s>O'BRIEN: Yes, for hours. Let's get a look at the other headlines making news this morning with Carol Costello. Good morning.</s>CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you. "Now in the News." A developing story out of California. FBI agents have arrested two people and detained two others in an ongoing terrorism investigation near Sacramento. They include Muslim leaders and a father and son. One of the men reportedly confessed to attending an al Qaeda camp at Pakistan. More details could be released later today. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. Two former security guards in Aruba are expected to appear in court today in connection with the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. A lawyer for the men tells CNN his clients are accused of murder and kidnapping. Holloway's stepfather spoke with us just a half-hour ago.</s>GEORGE "JUG" TWITTY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S STEPFATHER: The laws in Aruba are different, and the way they do their investigations are totally different than they do in the United States. And it's difficult. It's frustrating. But on the other hand, I do feel like that they're doing everything they can do to try to find Natalee.</s>COSTELLO: The search for Holloway resumes this morning. The Alabama teenager has been missing since May 30. Iraqi police are looking into another car bomb attack. This morning's blast taking place at a gas station north of Baghdad. At least three were killed. And a major military push is under way near Iraq's border with Syria. Dozens of suspected insurgents have been detained. We'll hear more on the operation in our next hour from CNN's Jane Arraf. She is embedded with U.S. troops in the region. The FBI may soon be able to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or a grand jury. A Senate committee has voted to extend the FBI's powers in terror investigations. It's part of the Patriot Act renewal bill. The measure is now heading to the full Senate. We'll probably hear much more about this later today.</s>O'BRIEN: That one is sure to be controversial.</s>COSTELLO: Yes.</s>O'BRIEN: Carol, thanks. An investigation is under way into how a high-ranking Army officer died last weekend in Iraq. The military says the 44-year-old West Point professor who volunteered to go to war died of non-combat injuries. Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon with more on this, this morning. Barbara -- good morning.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad. Well, another U.S. military family is struggling with the grief of a loved one dying in Iraq.</s>STARR (voice over): Colonel Ted Westhusing had one of the most high-pressure jobs in Iraq: training Iraqi security forces in counterterrorism and special operations. Ted Westhusing died Sunday in Iraq. No one can say for certain what happened. His mother got the call on her birthday.</s>TIM WESTHUSING, COLONEL'S BROTHER: She was expecting a call from him, and that was not the call she got.</s>STARR: His family, like so many others, in agony.</s>WESTHUSING: It tears at your insides like you would never know.</s>STARR: Ted Westhusing is the highest ranking Army officer to die in Iraq. He was a professor at the military academy at West Point before volunteering for Iraq.</s>WESTHUSING: He just wanted to go over there and help out, because he felt that he could make a difference.</s>STARR: Westhusing's death is listed as non-hostile. That category includes accident, illness, foul play, an act of nature, such as being struck by lightning, or suicide. Military sources confirm to CNN that family members have been told Westhusing was found with a single gunshot wound. But the Army emphasizes it is conducting a full investigation to determine what happened.</s>WESTHUSING: It just breaks your heart, it really does, that there's such, you know, a great person that had so much capability, so much to offer. It's gone. I'd just like for people to know that he gave everything to make a difference.</s>STARR: Now, Soledad, no one can say yet exactly what did happen here. The military is conducting an investigation. But his friends and colleagues and family remember an Army officer who served in peace and wartime with distinction -- Soledad.</s>O'BRIEN: God, what a heartbreak for his family, Barbara. The military's final assessment will be forthcoming soon?</s>STARR: Indeed, Soledad. They are conducting a full investigation into this matter out of respect for Colonel Westhusing's family. And that investigation, the military is not discussing the details yet. If it comes to that point, however, in these cases, in general, broadly speaking, they will conduct what they call a psychological autopsy, if it comes to that, trying to determine what factors were at play, what might have been going on that contributed to this tragedy -- Soledad.</s>O'BRIEN: So sad. All right, Barbara, thanks -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: Now to this incredible standoff ending in southern California. A gunman led police on a three-hour car chase yesterday after police say he tried to kidnap a woman. The suspect then locked officers in a standoff for several more hours after that. Deputies eventually shoved a tear gas grenade into the man's van, shot and wounded him and used a dog to drag him outside. Captain Tom Spencer is with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department on the scene for that standoff, live in Monterey Park, California. Captain, good morning to you out there. This is a situation that had just about everything. You have a three-hour chase, a three-hour standoff, two counties, six-and-a-half hours total. Some have suggested this is -- this should be a videotape that is used to train young officers for the future about how you handle matters like these. Do you believe your men did everything right?</s>CAPT. TOM SPENCER, L.A. CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Yes, I do. With the use of the armored vehicles, we were able to contain the suspect, so he couldn't travel anywhere. It was ideal, because we had that large wall on the opposite side of the vehicle. We didn't have to evacuate anybody. He was totally isolated. And we really took our time and tried to deal with him and resolve the situation in a peaceful manner.</s>HEMMER: We are watching the videotape where the tear gas goes into the back window of that minivan. But before this, you had about a three-hour period where negotiations were going on back and forth. During that time, what was said to this man inside that van?</s>SPENCER: We had our crisis negotiators talking to him the entire time. And it got to the point where towards the end he was talking about committing suicide. He asked us what was the best way to kill himself, and made statements such as "Maybe I'll just step out and let you guys kill me." At that point, he had actually put -- he had two guns in the car, was always holding at least one and sometimes both. He actually put both guns down and started writing a note, which we believe was probably a suicide note. And we decided at that time it was time to make our move.</s>HEMMER: Yes. Do you know what his condition is today, captain?</s>SPENCER: I understand that he's in stable condition.</s>HEMMER: We've got some videotape we can show our viewers, too. At the very end the police dog goes in. Give me an idea about how you train these dogs to do what we're watching right now.</s>SPENCER: Those dogs are trained by and live with our handlers, and they do some amazing things. And the dog was used yesterday to actually get a hold of the suspect. And then the handler gives him the command to bring him, the suspect. And the dog will actually pull that suspect towards the handler, until we can see that his hands are free. Doesn't have a weapon, at which time he'll recall the dog, and the deputies will go in and make the arrest.</s>HEMMER: And we see three of these large vehicles surrounding this minivan. Do you use this procedure very often? Because, as far as I can recollect, watching these chases live back here in New York City from the helicopters circling over L.A., this is the first time I've seen this maneuver.</s>SPENCER: Actually, those vehicles are fairly new to the police and the SWAT community. We've had ours for about two years, and we've used them several times in the same manner. They're very heavy armored vehicles. The large one weighs about 36,000 pounds. The small one is about 18,000. And once you get them in position, the car cannot budge them. They can't go anywhere. And it affords the police officer a very high level of safety, while being able to be up close and observe everything the suspect is doing.</s>HEMMER: One more question here. When this whole matter started to unfold, apparently this man was trying to kidnap a woman. She got away. But as he was kidnapping her, apparently she mouthed to a neighbor or to an eyewitness the numbers "911." How critical was that in getting the process started from the beginning?</s>SPENCER: You know, that part of the investigation actually occurred in another county. But in talking with the captain of Ventura County Sheriff's Department, it was critical. I mean, I really admire this woman for refusing to get into the vehicle, taking a stand. I understand that she just told him, "I'm not getting in the car," and made a run for her house, at which time the suspect, I think, became very afraid, got in his car and left. And that's when Ventura County sheriffs picked up the vehicle and a pursuit began.</s>HEMMER: What a day it was, huh? Three pit maneuvers, too, trying to make that car spin out, that white minivan. It worked on the third try. Captain, thanks for your time today.</s>SPENCER: Thank you.</s>HEMMER: Thomas Spencer with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. You're most welcome -- Soledad.</s>O'BRIEN: It's 20 minutes before the hour. Let's get another check of the weather this morning with Chad Myers.</s>HEMMER: In a moment here, Andy is ""Minding Your Business" with word today on how much longer we can expect to see gas over about two bucks a gallon. There might be some good news in this story coming up in a moment.</s>O'BRIEN: Plus, Russell Crowe gets a chance to tell his side of the story. Is he going to talk about his alleged hotel tantrum on late-night TV? "90-Second Pop" is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.