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CNN AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN
Interview with Charles Moose
Aired October 10, 2002 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the action in Washington. Actually, the Washington area now. Bill Hemmer continues to stand by on the scene in Rockville, Maryland, where we have just been updated by the police chief there on this latest shooting in Virginia last night -- good morning, Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Paula, good morning again.
A lot of people on edge again, as you can anticipate, from this latest case last night. Whether or not there is a link we don't know. But a man who may know very soon sits next to me right now, the police chief of Montgomery County. You've seen his face about every three hours for eight days running live here on CNN and every other network across the country.
Charles Moose is with us now.
Good morning to you, sir.
CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: Good morning.
HEMMER: What are you hearing right now from Manassas regarding the shooting that happened 12 hours ago?
MOOSE: At this point they're continuing to wrap up. They're being very methodical. Obviously, from the very start there's been a lot of concern that this shooting will be linked and so everyone has been working carefully and diligently. We don't have the work done. We can't be conclusive whether it's linked or not linked. But we also understand that people want to know. And so we are doing that work and we will share that as soon as we have it.
HEMMER: Was it one bullet fired last night?
MOOSE: Again, sir, at this point I'm just not going to talk about that until we have all of the information in.
HEMMER: Typically, how long would it take to conduct the proper ballistics tests in order for you to make a decision on this?
MOOSE: You know, I really want to stay away from that. I'll say typically it probably takes longer than it's going to take today because obviously this is moving right into the front of the priorities. So it will be faster than normal because of the situation that continues to unfold.
HEMMER: Just to give our viewers a sense of time, on Monday when that bullet was retrieved from the 13-year-old boy still wounded, critical but stable condition as we speak today, how long was that period before the bullet was retrieved, the testing done and conducted to give you an answer one way or the other?
MOOSE: Well, if you recall, that was actually, you know, within hours. And normally maybe a shooting like that it would be taken to the lab and the ballistics tests would be done the next day, a couple of days later, because with no one in custody, the urgency wouldn't be there. But certainly with this situation we have with the desire to know whether it's linked or not, it's taken immediately to the lab, moved to the front of the food chain and people are working on it as aggressively as they can.
So we will have it as soon as possible, but we won't go so fast that we make a mistake.
HEMMER: There was a report last night that a white Dodge Caravan was seen fleeing the area of the Sunoco station, possibly getting on the on ramp and getting on the highway and taking off. What more can you add to that?
MOOSE: Well, certainly, you're correct that that lookout was provided for law enforcement. At this point, that remains a law enforcement lookout and we don't yet have that for a public lookout. So if we're going to ask the public, we will come back to you. But right now you're talking about a police lookout for law enforcement agencies.
HEMMER: Let's change our topic a little bit here. Let's talk about the amount of evidence that's given out to reporters and the public, their right to know, their need to know and how it hinders or does not hinder your investigation. Pretty strong words from you 24 hours ago about the media and this leak, apparently, that came out about a supposed tarot card that was found at that school in the location where the sniper may have fired that bullet from about a distance of 150 yards.
Is it not logical to not only accept your argument yesterday about leaks getting out that may help the sniper, to think of it 180 degrees the other way and saying, you know what, if we put more information out, possibly we're tipping off people who may know something about this shooter? Then he or she comes forward and says you know what, there's this guy that lives down the street, he might be involved.
MOOSE: Well, sir, I think, you know, you've clearly laid out, just like in most things, there are two sides to every argument. I think part of the dilemma that we face as law enforcement on this matter is that it was rolled out, a decision by the media, no consultation, didn't give us time to thoughtfully look at the matter, decide if your second scenario, that putting this out will help.
There wasn't even time to process that. There wasn't even time to process what evidence we did have from law enforcement. It was immediately put out to the public. You know, I'm not saying that we wouldn't have never asked the media to help us, that your logic wouldn't have ever been used. But I would have appreciated at least some time for the best minds from the FBI, the ATF, the Secret Service, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, MPD in Washington, D.C., at least give us a chance to process and think about how do we want to do this.
Now that we have one consolidated tip line I think this morning would have been better than yesterday. So the sense of urgency from the media that it just had to go out that night, it had to be out there, is very interesting. But I hope that we all understand the danger that we're dealing with, that we can be thoughtful. There is going to be a requirement that we work together.
HEMMER: Indeed, there is.
MOOSE: Are you going to get everything you want? Am I going to get everything I want? Never. But it went out so fast that we didn't get a chance, in my mind, to properly process it.
HEMMER: Good luck to you then...
MOOSE: And I would like that time.
HEMMER: Got it.
Listen, I want you to come back and talk to us and keep us updated, OK, because certainly the viewers out there, and especially folks in this part of the country, want -- are you getting much sleep, by the way?
MOOSE: I'm getting enough.
HEMMER: Five hours? Whatever it takes.
Thank you, Chief.
MOOSE: Thank you.
HEMMER: Appreciate your time.
You mentioned the phone number again. Just to put it out there once again, Paula, 888-324-9800 is the number that is being encouraged right now to call at this point.
A lot more from Rockville when we continue here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Back to you now in New York City.
ZAHN: Bill, the chief probably lost count when he was able to even cobble together a couple of hours of sleep.
HEMMER: That's so true. That's right.
ZAHN: This has demanded his around the clock attention.
HEMMER: Certainly. ZAHN: Thanks, Bill.
See you in a little bit.
HEMMER: Sure.
ZAHN: Boy, it's really pouring there, isn't it?
HEMMER: It was coming down a lot harder earlier. It's starting to taper off just a little bit. But it is a wet day here north of D.C., Paula. You're right.
ZAHN: For the investigators' sake I hope it lightens up.
HEMMER: Yes, that's right.
ZAHN: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Sure.
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