3/26/01

LC010326

VAL>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS>> WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM NEW YORK WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOMELESS PROBLEM? PLENTY, ACCORDING TO ONE WOMAN WHO PLANS TO IMPORT A NEW YORK HOMELESS PROGRAM TO LOS ANGELES.

VAL>> THIS IS SKID ROW IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. MOST OF US WOULDN'T GO NEAR THIS BLOCK WITHOUT A BODYGUARD.

ARE YOU SAYING THAT THIS KIND OF SCENE THAT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU --

HARRIET MCDONALD>> -- DOESN'T EXIST.

VAL>> DOES NOT EXIST IN NEW YORK?

HARRIET MCDONALD>> THAT'S RIGHT.

VAL>> AND SO THIS IS WHAT SHOCKED YOU SO MUCH WHEN YOU --

HARRIET MCDONALD>> ABSOLUTELY. AND THE CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FACES OF THESE PEOPLE, THEY'RE IN DESPERATE STRAITS.

VAL>> AND ON TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS, A MAN ON HIS WAY HOME ENDS UP BEATEN IN A BUSY INTERSECTION BY THE LAPD AS HIS WIFE AND KIDS WATCHED IT AS WELL. WE'LL HEAR HIS STORY FIRSTHAND.

JESS>> AND WE'LL MEET AN ACCOMPLISHED ATHLETE AND ARTIST WHO'S BEATING THE ODDS AFTER AN ACT OF VIOLENCE FOREVER CHANGED HIS LIFE.

VAL>> THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED CALIFORNIA CITIZENRY.

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
UNDERWRITING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

JESS>> AND I'M JESS MARLOW. OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT, IF YOU TOOK ALL THE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND PUT THEM IN ONE PLACE, YOU'D HAVE A CITY THE SIZE OF WHITTIER. BUT ACCORDING TO HOMELESS ADVOCATES, LOS ANGELES HAS A BIGGER HOMELESS PROBLEM THAN NEW YORK AND YET L.A. SPENDS ONLY A TENTH OF WHAT NEW YORK DOES TO HELP THE HOMELESS. FOUNDERS OF A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM FOR THE HOMELESS IN NEW YORK ARE PLANNING TO IMPORT THEIR PROGRAM TO LOS ANGELES. THEY SAY NO ONE IS DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE DOES. VAL ZAVALA EXPLAINS.

VAL>> THIS IS SKID ROW IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. MOST OF US WOULDN'T GO NEAR THIS BLOCK WITHOUT A BODYGUARD. BUT HARRIET MCDONALD IS NOT LIKE MOST OF US.

HARRIET MCDONALD>> I'VE BEEN WORKING DIRECTLY WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE NOW FOR 13 YEARS AND I FELT LIKE I'D SEEN EVERYTHING AND SEEN ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE THINGS AND PEOPLE IN TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE CONDITION, AND THEN I CAME HERE AND I JUST WAS APPALLED.

VAL>> ARE YOU SAYING THAT THIS KIND OF SCENE THAT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU --

HARRIET MCDONALD>> -- DOESN'T EXIST.

VAL>> DOES NOT EXIST IN NEW YORK?

HARRIET MCDONALD>> THAT'S RIGHT.

VAL>> AND SO THIS IS WHAT SHOCKED YOU SO MUCH WHEN YOU --

HARRIET MCDONALD>> -- ABSOLUTELY. AND THE CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FACES OF THESE PEOPLE. THEY'RE IN DESPERATE STRAITS. I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY IN DESPERATE CONDITION. THEY ALL SEEM CRAZY, RIGHT? BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY ALL ON DRUGS. I MEAN, AS A HUMAN BEING, IT JUST APPALLS ME.

VAL>> THIS MAN WAS DRUNK, HOMELESS AND ALSO HAPPENED TO BE FROM NEW YORK.

HARRIET MCDONALD>> YOU EVER SEE ANYTHING IN NEW YORK AS BAD AS THIS?

>> OH, HELL, NO. OH, HELL, NO.

HARRIET MCDONALD>> RIGHT? IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD.

>> CHECK THIS OUT. CHECK THIS OUT. I'D RATHER GO BACK DOWN --

HARRIET MCDONALD>> -- IN THE SNOW.

>> -- IN THE SNOW THAN THIS BULLSHIT. CHECK THIS OUT.

VAL>> HARRIET AND HER HUSBAND RUN A PROGRAM IN NEW YORK CALLED "READY, WILLING AND ABLE". IT GAINED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION AS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL. AT ITS CORE? NOT MEALS OR BEDS, BUT JOBS. SO HE PAID THEM TO WORK, SOME AS STREET SWEEPERS IN MANHATTAN'S BETTER NEIGHBORHOODS. THE MEN PAY RENT, SAVE A GOOD PART OF THEIR PAYCHECKS AND THEY MUST STAY OFF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. THE SLOGAN? "WORK WORKS".

HARRIET MCDONALD>> THE AMAZING THING ABOUT IT IS, WE'VE NOW BEEN DOING THE STREET CLEANING FOR PROBABLY SIX OR SEVEN YEARS IN THE WEALTHIEST AREAS OF MANHATTAN. WE HAVE NEVER HAD A SINGLE NEGATIVE INCIDENT. NOBODY HAS EVER STOLEN ANYTHING FROM A STORE. QUITE THE OPPOSITE.

VAL>> NO FIGHTS, NO ALTERCATIONS?

HARRIET MCDONALD>> NOTHING. NOT ONE INCIDENT IN ALL THESE YEARS. I MEAN, WHICH IS REALLY PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

VAL>> COULD A SIMILAR PROGRAM WORK IN LOS ANGELES WITH THESE MEN?

NOW ARE YOU ENVISIONING BUSING PEOPLE FROM SKID ROW OVER TO (LAUGHTER) BEVERLY HILLS?

HARRIET MCDONALD>> WELL, BEVERLY HILLS IS NOT VERY DIRTY.

VAL>> NO.

HARRIET MCDONALD>> BUT YES, I EXPECT TO BUS PEOPLE FROM SKID ROW TO OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT NEED WORK DONE AND DOING IT. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. DO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CLEAN SKID ROW TOO? YES.

VAL>> TO HELP HER GET THE PROGRAM OFF THE GROUND, HARRIET HAS TEAMED UP WITH A LOCAL HOMELESS ADVOCATE, BUD HAYES. BUD'S ORGANIZATION PROVIDES CLEAN, ATTRACTIVE HOUSING LIKE THIS FOR MEN IN TRANSITION.

BUD HAYES>> THE STRATEGY AND MONEY IN NEW YORK IS AHEAD OF LOS ANGELES, IN MY OPINION, BY LIGHT YEARS. THE APPROACH IN LOS ANGELES IS MUCH MORE A PATCHWORK QUILT. THE LACK OF COOPERATION AND PLANNING TOGETHER IS ABSOLUTELY, I WOULD SAY, ALMOST CRIMINAL IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, OR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES.

VAL>> EXAMPLE? JUST BEHIND ONE OF BUD'S APARTMENT BUILDINGS, THE BUSES ARRIVE EACH EVENING TO SHUTTLE THE HOMELESS TO SHELTERS, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE AVAILABLE BEDS NEARBY.

BUD HAYES>> THIS BUS HERE HAS BEEN CHARTERED TO BUS PEOPLE OUT OF SKID ROW TO A WAREHOUSE CONGREGATE TYPE OF SHELTER IN SOME OTHER PART OF LOS ANGELES. THEY'LL THEN BE WOKEN UP TOMORROW MORNING AT 5:30 AND RE-BUSED BACK HERE TO THE SO-CALLED SKID ROW AREA.

HARRIET MCDONALD>> AND WHAT KIND OF INSANITY IS THAT? THINK ABOUT IT.

VAL>> BOTH HARRIET AND BUD SAY THE REAL ANSWER IS A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM, A CONTINUUM OF SERVICES INCLUDING DRUG REHAB, AA, LEGAL HELP, A DIGNIFIED ENVIRONMENT AND, OF COURSE, JOBS.

HARRIET MCDONALD>> HERE, THAT KIND OF STRUCTURE REALLY IS NOT IN PLACE.

VAL>> EVEN THOUGH THERE IS PROBABLY FOUR OR FIVE MISSIONS WITHIN JUST WALKING DISTANCE OF WHERE WE ARE NOW? UNION RESCUE MISSION, FRED JORDAN MISSION, L.A. MISSIONS --

HARRIET MCDONALD>> -- RIGHT, BUT WHAT DO MISSIONS DO? WHAT IS THE MISSION OF MISSIONS? MISSIONS, FOR THE MOST PART, OFFER PEOPLE EMERGENCY SHELTER, THE FOOD AND THE BED AND THE SHOWER, AND THAT IS A NOBLE THING TO DO AND PROBABLY A VERY SPIRITUAL THING TO DO, BUT IT WILL NEVER CHANGE THAT PERSON'S LIFE.

BUD HAYES>> THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES THAT NOBODY EVER TALKS ABOUT. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A MISSION? THE PURPOSE OF A MISSION IS TO SAVE SOULS. I MEAN, GO TALK TO THE MISSIONS AND THEY'LL TELL YOU, "WE'RE HERE TO SAVE SOULS".

VAL>> FAITH-BASED MISSIONS.

BUD HAYES>> FAITH-BASED MISSIONS. THEY'RE HERE TO SAVE SOULS.

VAL>> THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE IS CERTAINLY AT THE HEART OF THE LOS ANGELES MISSION. STILL, IF HARRIET AND BUD ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE THAT OFFERS MORE THAN A BED AND A MEAL, THIS IS IT. REVEREND RON BROWN IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LOS ANGELES MISSION.

REV. RON BROWN>> HERE AT THE LOS ANGELES MISSION, WE HAVE A CONTINUUM OF CARE THAT LASTS FOR 18 MONTHS. THAT HELPS A PERSON TOTALLY REBUILD THEIR LIVES FROM BEGINNING TO END. AND WHEN A PERSON GRADUATES FROM OUR PROGRAM, THEY LEAVE WITH JOB TRAINING, WITH JOB SKILLS, WITH THE ABILITY TO WORK AND WITH A JOB.

>> IN HIGH SCHOOL, MY GRADES WERE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME TO RECEIVE TWO ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS. I WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

VAL>> TONIGHT IS GRADUATION NIGHT. NINETEEN MEN AND WOMEN HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE 18-MONTH INTENSIVE PROGRAM. NEARLY ALL OF THEM WERE ADDICTED TO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL.

>> I STARTED PARTYING AND ABUSING ALCOHOL WHICH LATER LED ME INTO DRUGS.

VAL>> REVEREND BROWN SAYS, YES, A JOB IS IMPORTANT AND MONEY CAN BE A MOTIVATOR.

REV. RON BROWN>> BUT IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. WE BELIEVE THAT A LIFE THAT IS CENTERED AROUND A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST IS A LIFE THAT IS STRONG AND THAT WILL STAND, AND WE HAVE MANY ALUMNAE TO ATTEST TO THIS.

>> I HAD NO PEACE UNTIL I DID WHAT GOD WANTED ME TO DO.

VAL>> WHETHER PROGRAMS ARE ANCHORED IN GOD OR JOBS, IN NEW YORK OR L.A., IT SEEMS THEY CAN WORK. BOTH PROGRAMS QUOTE SIMILAR SUCCESS RATES. ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO GRADUATE ARE STILL SOBER AND WORKING A FEW YEARS LATER.

BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY PRECISELY THEY'RE ON DRUGS. THEY CAN'T BE HELPED.

HARRIET MCDONALD>> BUT, OF COURSE, THEY CAN BE HELPED. WE CAN ACCEPT THAT ALL OF THE WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO HAVE DRUG PROBLEMS CAN GO TO THE BETTY FORD CENTER OR HAZLETON BUT, WHAT, ONLY POOR PEOPLE CAN'T STOP USING DRUGS? THAT'S CRAZY. OF COURSE, THEY CAN, BUT YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM A REASON TO DO IT. WOULD YOU GIVE UP DRUGS IF YOU LIVED ON THE STREET LIKE THIS? I'D TRY TO STAY AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES. I WOULD. BECAUSE IT'S A RATIONAL CHOICE IN A TOTALLY CHAOTIC AND IRRATIONAL WORLD AND THAT'S THE WORLD THAT THEY LIVE IN.

JESS>> THE NEW YORK PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPORT TO LOS ANGELES, "READY, WILLING AND ABLE", IS NOT A FAITH-BASED PROGRAM?

VAL>> NOT AT ALL. IT IS SECULAR AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY SAY THEY'RE UNIQUE BECAUSE THEY OFFER JOB TRAINING. BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE OFFER JOB TRAINING. AND THEY BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, IN GETTING PEOPLE LEGAL SUPPORT AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT THEY DO NOT BUY INTO ANY KIND OF CHRISTIAN MESSAGE.

JESS>> ONE OF THE REASONS LOS ANGELES SEEMS TO HAVE MORE HOMELESS THAN NEW YORK, PARTICULARLY IN THE WINTER, IS BECAUSE OUR WEATHER IS MORE HOSPITABLE.

VAL>> BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. YES, THAT'S VERY TRUE AND I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU SAW ALL THOSE MEN LINED UP ON THE BUS. WHEN WE SHOT THIS, IT WAS PRETTY COOL. IT WAS FEBRUARY. BUT SHE'S A DYNAMO. SHE'S SOMETHING.

TOMORROW WE WILL GO BACK IN TIME TO THE DAYS WHEN DOWNTOWN L.A. WAS THE PLACE TO SHOOT MOVIES. THE FORGOTTEN MOVIE HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES. THAT'S TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT AT 7:00 P.M.

JESS>> IN TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS, IT'S BEEN A DECADE SINCE RODNEY KING WAS BEATEN BY THE LAPD AND A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THIS CITY FOR THE GOOD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE HARSHEST CRITICS OF THE LAPD INSIST IT'S JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL WHEN IT COMES TO THE POLICE ORGANIZATION THAT HAS SWORN TO PROTECT AND SERVE.

VAL>> CECIL MILLER WAS STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION THAT ENDED IN A NIGHTMARE. MILLER WAS BRUTALLY BEATEN BY OFFICERS IN FRONT OF HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. JOINING US NOW ARE CECIL MILLER, HIS ATTORNEY, JOSHUA GLOTZER, AND JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR. JARRETTE IS EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF THE WAVE NEWSPAPER. HE WROTE THE ARTICLE ON MILLER'S STORY FOR THE WAVE. WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR.>> THANK YOU.

JESS>> CECIL, CAN YOU BASICALLY TELL US WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT?

CECIL MILLER>> THAT PARTICULAR DAY, I WENT TO PICK UP MY WIFE FROM WORK AND WAS COMING EASTBOUND ON PICO TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN ON THE INTERSECTION AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHEN I NOTICED THE POLICE.

VAL>> YOU MADE A WRONG TURN? THEY STOPPED YOU?

CECIL MILLER>> THAT'S CORRECT.

VAL>> BUT THEY DID MORE THAN STOP YOU?

JESS>> RIGHT TURNS ARE NOT ALLOWED DURING A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME AT THAT CORNER, IS THAT CORRECT?

CECIL MILLER>> THAT'S CORRECT.

VAL>> SO WHAT HAPPENED? WHEN DID YOU KNOW THINGS WERE GOING WRONG?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> WELL, MAYBE I CAN EXPLAIN A LITTLE QUICKER AND A LITTLE MORE THOROUGH FOR YOU. WHAT HAPPENED WAS, HE WAS STOPPED. THEY WERE STOPPING PEOPLE WITH A TRAFFIC TRAP, BASICALLY.

MR. MILLER WAS DRIVING A '98 HONDA WITH HIS SIX-MONTH PREGNANT WIFE IN THE CAR AND THREE KIDS IN THE CAR. HE HAD JUST PICKED UP HIS WIFE IN CENTURY CITY. THEY STOPPED THEM IN THE STREET, THEY CAME TO THE WINDOW, TOLD HIM WHY HE WAS BEING STOPPED. THEY ASKED HIM TO PULL TO THE SIDE. HE TRIED TO PULL TO THE SIDE, BUT THERE WERE CARS IN FRONT, SO HE ASKED THE OFFICERS, "CAN I BACK UP TO THE CURB?" THE OFFICERS SAID YES. HE STARTED BACKING UP. THE OFFICER BANGED ON HIS CAR AND TOLD HIM, "YOU RAN OVER MY FOOT." THE OFFICER CALLS OVER TO HIS PARTNER AND SAYS, "HEY, THIS JOKER JUST RAN OVER MY FOOT."

THEY TELL HIM TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. HE GETS OUT OF THE CAR. THEY START ROUGHING HIM UP, THROWING HIM AGAINST THE CAR. MR. MILLER'S HANDS ARE ON HIS HEAD. HE TELLS THEM, "YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THIS. IF I RAN OVER YOUR FOOT, I'M SORRY. YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THIS." THEY STARTED ROUGHING HIM UP MORE. THEY THREW HIM TO THE GROUND AND BASICALLY THEY HELD HIM DOWN. MR. MILLER'S HANDS WERE BEHIND HIS BACK, HE WAS NOT RESISTING AND THEY BASICALLY BEAT THE HECK OUT OF HIM. PUNCHED HIM AT LEAST 10 OR 20 TIMES AND THERE WERE TWO WITNESSES WHO SAW IT. THEN THEY WENT AHEAD AND CHARGED HIM WITH THE CRIME.

JESS>> WAS THE OFFICER'S FOOT RUN OVER? DID HE REQUIRE TREATMENT?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> THE OFFICER TESTIFIED THAT HIS FOOT WAS RUN OVER. THEY DIDN'T PRODUCE ANY MEDICAL RECORDS AT THE TRIAL. THE PICTURE OF THE FOOT HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BRUISING ON IT WHATSOEVER. AND THEY DIDN'T CHARGE HIM WITH ASSAULTING AN OFFICER WITH A CAR EITHER.

JESS>> THE JURY AT THE TRIAL CLEARLY BELIEVED YOUR CLIENT?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> YEAH, WITH A 12-0 NOT GUILTY VERDICT.

VAL>> SO THEY CLEARED YOU COMPLETELY OF THE CHARGES THAT THE POLICE BROUGHT AGAINST YOU. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING AND YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR?

CECIL MILLER>> I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I MEAN, MY MAIN CONCERN WAS JUST TO TRY TO GET THROUGH THE ORDEAL, YOU KNOW? IT MAY SOUND TRIVIAL, BUT, I MEAN, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEIR NEXT MOVE WAS GOING TO BE, SO I JUST TRIED TO COMPLY AS MUCH AS I COULD --

VAL>> -- HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED TO YOU BEFORE? ANY KIND OF PROBLEMS WITH THE POLICE?

CECIL MILLER>> NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.

JESS>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES, THE PHOTOGRAPHS, THAT WERE USED IN THIS CASE.

VAL>> AND, JARRETTE, PERHAPS YOU CAN SAY WHAT DREW YOUR ATTENTION AND HOW DO YOU PUT THIS CASE IN CONTEXT?

JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR.>> WELL, WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH THE NEWSPAPER, WE'RE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THESE CASES BECAUSE POLICE ABUSE OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IS PREVALENT AND IT DIDN'T START WITH RODNEY KING. SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENS. AND WITH RACIAL PROFILING BILLS PENDING, THIS GIVES CREDENCE TO THAT, TO THE PROBLEM.

VAL>> YOU DEFINITELY MADE THEM AWARE. YOU RAN PICTURES, YOU FOLLOWED THE STORY CONSISTENTLY.

JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR.>> SOMETIMES THERE'S A NEED TO BE GRAPHIC AND, IN THIS CASE, YOU HAVE TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT HAPPENED.

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE, THE OFFICER TESTIFIED THAT HE BASICALLY PUNCHED MR. MILLER TWO TIMES AND ONCE WAS A GLANCING BLOW. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PICTURE, IT TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS.

JESS>> HAS ANY DISCIPLINARY ACTION BEEN TAKEN AGAINST THE OFFICERS?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> WELL, INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS HAS BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT MYSELF AND MR. MILLER. WE HAVEN'T GIVEN THEM ANY INFORMATION. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT MY CLIENT TESTIFIED AND THEY HAVE THAT TESTIMONY. WE BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD PROSECUTE THESE OFFICERS AND, HOPEFULLY, THEY WILL.

JESS>> HAVE THEY BEEN DISCIPLINED IN ANY WAY? WERE THEY TAKEN OFF DUTY AFTER THE NOT GUILTY VERDICT?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> WE ARE UNAWARE OF THAT.

JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR.>> THEY'RE STILL ON DUTY. I WAS IN TOUCH WITH LAPD PR YESTERDAY AND THE SERGEANT TOLD ME THEY'RE STILL ON THE STREET.

VAL>> REALLY? AND THE OFFICERS, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE IDENTIFIED, THEY'RE WELL KNOWN. DO THEY HAVE PAST RECORDS OF DOING ANYTHING LIKE THIS?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> WE HAD RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION THROUGH WHAT THEY CALL A PITCHESS MOTION WHERE YOU GET BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THESE TYPES OF CASES AND THERE WERE PRIOR INCIDENTS WHERE PEOPLE COMPLAINED OF THESE OFFICERS TOGETHER PHYSICALLY ATTACKING THEM. SOME OF THE PEOPLE WERE HARD TO FIND. WE DIDN'T REALLY NEED TO PRODUCE THAT AT THE CRIMINAL TRIAL, BUT WE INTEND ON USING THAT IF WE HAVE TO LATER ON.

JESS>> CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY THAT WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS KIND OF ACTION?

CECIL MILLER>> NO. I MEAN, AS JUST A REGULAR AVERAGE CITIZEN, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.

JESS>> YOU COMPLIED WITH EVERY REQUEST FROM THE OFFICERS?

CECIL MILLER>> THAT'S CORRECT.

JESS>> AND WITNESSES TO THE INCIDENT TESTIFIED TO THAT EXTENT?

CECIL MILLER>> YES, THEY CORROBORATED MY STORY.

VAL>> JARRETTE, WHAT DOES THIS SAY? I MEAN, THESE WERE LAPD OFFICERS, RODNEY KING HAPPENED QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO, WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU ABOUT WHERE WE ARE?

JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR.>> WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT THERE IS DEEP-SEATED RACIAL ANIMOSITY ON THE PART OF SOME OFFICERS. NOT ALL OFFICERS BECAUSE THE VAST MAJORITY ARE GOOD COPS, BUT THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO BLACKEN THE EYE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT NATIONWIDE WHO DO THESE KINDS OF THINGS AND IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE HIRING PRACTICES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. MAYBE THEY DON'T DELVE INTO THEIR PASTS DEEP ENOUGH TO FIND OUT --

JESS>> WHAT IS THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF THE OFFICERS YOU SAY BEAT YOU?

CECIL MILLER>> I BELIEVE BOTH OF THESE OFFICERS WERE CAUCASIAN.

VAL>> AND DID THIS DRAW YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION? IT WAS DURING THE DAY, YES?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> IT WAS 5:30 ON A FRIDAY.

VAL>> BUSY INTERSECTION? I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF WHAT KIND OF SURPRISED ME ABOUT THE STORY. I WOULD HATE TO THINK WHAT HAPPENS IN DARK ROOMS OF POLICE STATIONS.

JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR.>> WELL, WHAT DREW OUR ATTENTION IS THE FACT THAT IT'S STREET LEVEL JUSTICE THAT SOME COPS FEEL THEY HAVE TO LET OUT. YOU KNOW, THEIR JOB IS TO DETAIN, ARREST. THEIR JOB IS NOT TO PROVIDE JUDICIAL DISCRETION ON THE STREETS. AND THIS IS NOT THE JIM CROWE SOUTH. I MEAN, NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO BEAT PEOPLE UP, ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF THEIR WIFE, THEIR CHILDREN. I MEAN, IMAGINE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE THAT MAY HAVE DONE.

JESS>> AND THE TRAFFIC CROWD. DID ANYBODY COME TO YOUR AID?

JOSHUA GLOTZER>> YES. THERE WAS A WOMAN WHO'S A PARALEGAL WHO WAS SCREAMING, "PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM, PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM". SHE WENT CLOSE TO THE OFFICERS AND SAID, "PLEASE STOP". BASICALLY, THE OFFICERS PUSHED HER AWAY AND THEN CHARGED HER WITH A CRIME FOR INTERFERING.

VAL>> CECIL, JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS LEFT. WHAT'S YOUR NEXT STEP? ARE YOU GOING TO PURSUE IT IN ANY WAY? ARE YOU CONSIDERING PURSUING IT?

CECIL MILLER>> WE'RE GOING TO PURSUE IT. YOU KNOW, I HAVE FRIENDS THERE ON LAPD AND, TO ME, THAT'S LIKE A BLACK EYE TO THEM. THAT INSULTS THEM, YOU KNOW, AND THEIR CHARACTERS AS OFFICERS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD POLICE OFFICERS.

VAL>> THANK YOU, CECIL MILLER, JARRETTE FELLOWS AND JOSHUA GLOTZER, FOR COMING IN AND TELLING YOUR STORIES.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK RACISM STILL EXISTS IN THE LAPD? EVEN OUT IN THE OPEN AIR? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN REACH US:

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VAL>> IN TONIGHT'S PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS, LYNN MANNING IS AN AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT, POET, ATHLETE AND ACTOR AND HE ACCOMPLISHED ALL OF THIS AFTER AN ACT OF VIOLENCE THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE FOREVER.

JESS>> LYNN MANNING'S LIFE HAS BEEN FILLED WITH TRAGEDY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO GIVE UP LONG AGO. INSTEAD, MANNING TURNED THE TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH. LEAH SANDERS BRINGS US HIS EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

LYNN MANNING>> PUSH THE KNEES DOWN. ONE-TWO-THREE.

LEAH>> IT'S STRETCH TIME AT LINDA GIBSON'S JUDO CLASS IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD.

LYNN MANNING>> ONE MORE TIME.

LEAH>> EVEN BEFORE THIS MARTIAL ARTS CLASS GETS GOING, THERE'S PLENTY OF PHYSICAL CONTACT. THE MAN IN BLUE IS LYNN MANNING. HE'S A JUDO CHAMPION WHO'S WON ON THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS, INCLUDING THE GAMES IN BARCELONA. LINDA GIBSON HAS TAUGHT HIM FOR 21 YEARS.

LINDA GIBSON>> THE ULTIMATE PRINCIPLE OF JUDO IS TO PERFECT OURSELVES AS HUMAN BEINGS SO THAT WE CAN GIVE SOMETHING OF VALUE TO THE WORLD WHILE WE'RE ALIVE, AND THIS IS WHAT LYNN DOES.

LEAH>> LIKE WHEN HE'S HELPING HIS FELLOW CLASSMATES HERE AT THE BRAILLE INSTITUTE PERFECT THEIR MOVES AND, OH, BY THE WAY, DID YOU NOTICE, LYNN MANNING JUST HAPPENS TO BE BLIND?

LYNN MANNING>> ONE-TWO-

LEAH>> YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT BY THE SELF-ASSURED WAY HE MOVES THROUGH CLASS, BUT 21 YEARS AGO, HE LOST HIS SIGHT.

LYNN MANNING>> -FOUR.

LEAH>> LINDA GIBSON MET HIM SHORTLY AFTER HE WENT BLIND.

LINDA GIBSON>> IT SEEMED LIKE HE ACCEPTED THAT RIGHT AWAY AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE ON WITH HIS LIFE AND REDIRECT HIS ENERGY.

LEAH>> GIBSON SAYS LYNN PERSONIFIES JUDO, WHICH MEANS THE GENTLE WAY. NOT ONLY IN HIS MOVEMENT, BUT THE WAY HE HANDLES LIFE.

LYNN MANNING>> LEGS TOGETHER.

LEAH>> HIS STORY IS ONE FILLED WITH PLENTY OF TRAGEDY THAT HE'S TURNED INTO TRIUMPH. BUT LYNN MANNING'S JUDO EXPERTISE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF HIS INSPIRATIONAL STORY. TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHO HE IS, YOU HAVE TO HEAR HIS REMARKABLE STORY.

LYNN MANNING>> "QUICK-CHANGE ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE, I WHIP OUT MY FOLDED CANE AND CHANGE FROM BLACK MAN TO BLIND MAN WITH A FLICK OF MY WRIST. IT IS A PROFOUND METAMORPHOSIS FROM GOD-GIFTED WIZARD OF ROUND BALLS DOMINATING BACKBOARDS ACROSS AMERICA TO GOD-GIFTED IDIOT SAVANT."

LEAH>> LYNN WROTE THOSE WORDS ALONG WITH MARK TAPER FORUM'S PRODUCING DIRECTOR, ROBERT EGAN. LYNN'S A RESIDENT ARTIST WITH THE TAPER'S "OTHER VOICES" PROJECT WHICH SUPPORTS THE DISABLED COMMUNITY'S INVOLVEMENT IN PLAYWRIGHTING. THIS IS REHEARSAL FOR LYNN'S UPCOMING ONE-MAN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SHOW CALLED "WEIGHTS".

ROBERT EGAN>> I THINK THE HARDEST THING FOR LYNN IN THIS PROCESS AND THE BRAVERY OF LYNN IN THE PROCESS, AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT COME TO SEE THE PIECE WILL EXPERIENCE THIS, IS FOR HIM TO GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND HIS MOTHER.

LEAH>> LYNN MANNING'S STORY BEGINS IN 1950 SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES. HE SAYS, UNTIL AGE EIGHT, HIS HOME LIFE WAS GREAT. THEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HIT. HIS MOTHER BECAME A SINGLE MOM AT AGE 29 AND SHE TURNED TO ALCOHOL.

LYNN MANNING>> AND HAD NINE CHILDREN AND NO MAN AND NO JOB OF ANY LEGITIMATE MEANS, SO IT WAS HARD. IT WAS REAL HARD.

LEAH>> LYNN SAYS EVENTUALLY HE AND HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS WERE PUT INTO FOSTER CARE. WHILE IT WAS TOUGH BEING SEPARATED FROM HIS FAMILY, FOSTER CARE TAUGHT HIM TO ACCEPT SUDDEN CHANGE OUTSIDE HIS CONTROL.

LYNN MANNING>> I WAS JUST USED TO HAVING THINGS SNATCHED AWAY FROM ME, SO I LEARNED NOT TO GET VERY ATTACHED TO PEOPLE, VERY ATTACHED TO SCHOOLS OR TO NEIGHBORHOODS, AND JUST KNOW THAT WHEREVER I LANDED, AS LONG AS I HAD A GRIP ON WHO I WAS, THEN I COULD MAKE DO.

LEAH>> FAST FORWARD TO AGE 23, AND LYNN SAYS HIS LIFE WAS TAKING A TURN FOR THE BETTER. HE WAS IN SCHOOL STUDYING ART AND DRAFTING AND WAS PROMOTED TO COUNSELOR AT A BOYS' HOME WHERE HE ONCE LIVED. LYNN SAYS ON THE NIGHT OF THE PROMOTION, HE WENT TO HIS FAVORITE BAR TO CELEBRATE AND THAT'S WHERE HE SAYS A MAN STARTED A FIGHT.

LYNN MANNING>> I WAS FORCED TO THROW THE GUY OUT AND HE CAME BACK SOMETIME LATER WITH A GUN AND SHOT ME. AS A RESULT, I AM TOTALLY BLIND. WHEN I WAS 18, I SORT OF CONSIDERED THAT MY SIGHT MIGHT BE SNATCHED AWAY FROM ME BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A VISUAL ARTIST. THAT'S WHAT I WAS STRIVING TO BE. ULTIMATELY, I FIGURED, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING IN MY LIFE, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN. SO I SORT OF PLANNED, LIKE, IF IT EVER HAPPENED, I WOULD DO THIS, THIS AND THIS.

SO WHEN IT HAPPENED, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS SITTING IN THE HOSPITAL GOING, WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S TIME TO THROW PLAN TWO INTO EFFECT. THE MAIN PROBLEM WAS ACTUALLY GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF MY WAY SO I COULD GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. EVERYBODY EXPECTED ME TO FALL APART, TO GO THROUGH THE EXPECTED SORT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STEPS OF ANGER, DENIAL, BARGAINING, ALL THAT CRAP, AND I DIDN'T DO NONE OF THAT.

LEAH>> EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE SHOOTING, LYNN WAS BACK LIVING ON HIS OWN. HE SAYS HE FOCUSED ON WRITING POETRY. THAT LED TO PLAYWRIGHTING, ACTING AND FILMMAKING. WHEN HE'S NOT DOING THAT, HE ALSO RUNS A THEATER WORKSHOP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO'VE BECOME DISABLED THROUGH VIOLENCE. ALL OF THIS WHEN HE'S NOT REHEARSING HIS OWN SHOW.

LYNN MANNING>> "I BEGAN TO RECOGNIZE THE OVERWHELMING DISTRACTION THAT SIGHT HAD BEEN. I NEVER NOTICED THAT SOUND MOVES THE WAY IT DOES OR FEELS THE WAY IT DOES. AND WHAT ABOUT THIS PULSE? THIS VIBRATION THAT FLOWS FROM ALL THINGS? AND THE SMELLS. GOOD GOD, THE SMELLS."

I DO WHAT I DO BECAUSE I'M JUST SORT OF COMPELLED TO DO IT, YOU KNOW? BUT I HOPE THAT PEOPLE COME AWAY FROM, SAY, MY POETRY OR MY PLAYS OR MY PERFORMANCE OPEN TO BROADER POSSIBILITIES FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

"IT IS ALWAYS A PROFOUND METAMORPHOSIS WHETHER FROM CURSED BY MAN TO CURSED BY GOD OR FROM SCRIPTURES CONDEMNED TO GOD ORDAINED. MY FINAL FORM IS NEVER OF MY CHOOSING. I ONLY WIELD THE WAND. YOU ARE THE MAGICIAN."

VAL>> NO SUCH THINGS AS SELF-PITY FOR LYNN MANNING. FOR INFORMATION ON "WEIGHTS", CHECK THE NUMBER AND WEB SITE ON YOUR SCREEN.

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