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ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES

Trump Skips GOP Presidential Forum; News Polls: Trump Tops Bush By Double Digits; New Polls: Trump Leading Nearest Rival By 2-1 Margin; Courting Cash; Alleged Cop-Killer In Custody; The Price Of Politics; Memphis Cop Shooting Suspect In Custody; Wildfires Raging In California; 20+ Fires Burning, Hundreds Flee Homes; Nearly 10,000 Firefighters On The Frontlines; Trophy Hunters Under Fire; Another American Accused Of Illegal Hunting In Zimbabwe; Teens Lands On Sex Offender Registry; Lie Lands Teen On Sex Offender Registry; Coroner Releases Gin Bottle Findings; Coroner: No Gin In Liquor Bottle Seized In Traffic Stop; Cop Who Shot And Killed Michael Brown Speaks; Former President Jimmy Carter Has Surgery; "The Hunt" Suspect Arrested, Daughter Found Alive; Tornado Hits Iowa

Aired August 3, 2015 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[21:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. 9:00 P.M. here in New York, 9:00 as well in New Hampshire, where a string of Republican presidential hopefuls are making their case to conservatives.

Donald Trump is not there tonight. His presence they'll clearly being felt in former breaking news that could decide which 10 Republican presidential hopefuls make the prime time cut for the first debate of campaign 2016 and they also say a lot about Donald Trumps sting power.

There is new polling just out from Fox News which is running debate. You can see it shows Donald Trump leading by a lot, 26 percent to 15 percent over Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker third, and John Kasich who happens to be governor of the state where debate takes place, he barely squeaks in.

[21:05:00] The latest Monmouth University survey earlier today, also showing Donald Trump with 26 percent, Governor Bush in that poll has second place and Governor Walker third. Again, Kasich makes it into the Top 10. He is at tonight's forum which just ended, so with CNN's Athena Jones who joins us now.

So Donald Trump didn't participate. It's an understatement to say his absence was the elephant in the room. Did -- the candidates go after him tonight or address him?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Anderson. This is really interesting. Remarkable, I think, considering how much oxygen Donald Trump has been taking up when it comes to media coverage and standing in the polls. We did not hear a single candidate address Donald Trump, bring up Donald Trump on their own. Of course, they were all involved in the one-on-one Q&A sessions on the stage with a local radio host. The host did not ask them about Trump but, of course, the candidates could have brought him up if they wanted to. They chose not to. Anderson?

COOPER: And what about Hillary Clinton? Clearly, I can't imagine them holding back relating to her?

JONES: No. And Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama did come under a lot of fire from these candidates. Take a listen to Senator Lindsey Graham, really slamming not just Hillary Clinton but also the former President Bill Clinton. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDSEY GRAHAN, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm fluent in Clinton's speak, do you want me to translate, Jack? When he says Bill says, "I didn't have sex with that woman". He did. When she says, "I'll tell you about Bill in the pipeline when I got to be president. I mean, she won't." And what she tells us, "Trust me you got all the e-mails that you need, we haven't even scratched the surface". So I understand this crowd and I can beat them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So there you have it, harsh word from Senator Graham for the former the secretary of state. And I should tell you this, of course, was not a debate. It was a forum that's one-on-one, question and answers. But it does give -- it did give the candidates a chance to talk about their policy positions in a really concise way and sort of practice for the debate Thursday night. I should tell you that Donald Trump has said, he doesn't see how you can "artificially prepare" for something like a debate. So it sound like he doesn't feel like he needs any rehearsing. Anderson.

COOPER: And as you said, this was open to all the candidates. There wasn't a cut off for participation like the debate Thursday, correct?

JONES: That's right. The idea here was to allow voters to hear from all of the candidates and really was a response to the fact that there is a cutoff with that first debate on Fox. And so, that the organizers here wanted to give the voters a chance to hear from the all the candidate and give the candidates a chance to talk to the voters.

And it really was an opportunity to very quickly have those candidates talked about where they stand. They had, several minutes to answer a series of rapid fire questions and introduce themselves to the folks who haven't been paying as much attention to them who haven't been giving them, seeing them on the air a lot.

So a very interesting forum, interesting that Trump wasn't here. But so far nothing he does to so affect his poll standings. Anderson.

COOPER: Athena Jones, Athena, thank you very much. A lot to talk about with Geopolitical Correspondent John King and Senior Political Reporter Nia-Malika Henderson. So, John, the fact that Donald Trump wasn't at this event in New Hampshire. We know his not a typical campaign over New Hampshire voters usually want to see and hear from candidates directly up close. Is it a big deal for him not to go?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it hasn't been a big deal so far that he does things in an unorthodox way. So if you are Donald Trump, you probably think the big debate is later this week this doesn't matter.

So the interesting sub plugs here, Anderson, the forum is sponsored by union leader, the -- state's, I'm sorry, largest newspaper, a big conservative voice. It has a history of wanting Republican presidential candidates to come in and kiss the ring. And the publisher, Joe McQuaid and Donald Trump untold by source in New Hampshire had a little tension between because Donald Trump hasn't done the obligatory ring kissing.

So it doesn't surprise me with that tension out there the Donald Trump said, "I'm not coming".

COOPER: Nia, this new poll from Monmouth University, Donald Trump had 26 percent more than double his closest opponent. The latest Fox poll also shows him at 26 percent, far ahead of the rest of the field. Everyone keeps saying, "He is going to fizzle out. His numbers just keep going up and up".

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right. Every single time we thought he'd sort of fizzle out after the John McCain thing it didn't happen. He did take a little bit of water on (ph) in New Hampshire. But overwhelmingly, he seems to be gaining steam.

I talked to folks in some of this early state like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and one of the things they say about Donald Trump's campaign. One person said they doubt he would be on the ballot in New Hampshire come voting time. Used word like cotton candy and he may also talked about of the kind of people that he is drawing to his evens. And they say that these people are basically kind of gawking at the Donald Trump show. That there is not a lot of grassroots commitment there. That is not the kind of infrastructure for instance county chair that you would have to appoint him in Iowa's 99 counties or New Hampshire.

He doesn't have that kind of presence on the ground. That kind of enthusiasm, organic enthusiasm in many ways that are lot of the other candidates will have at this early stage so that's why there is still some doubt.

COOPER: And Nia, all, I mean, all this talk about whether or not Vice President Biden is going to jump into the primary, the Clinton campaign saying they're not concerned. Do you think that is really true?

HENDERSON: Yeah. I do think it's true. I mean, that's sort of are there official line, it's also their unofficial sort of off the record on the background line. It's also the line of most Democrats you talked to. The idea of being -- but in some way of Joe Biden were running for president. He would already be running for president, meaning that there would be more activity, more on the ground of activity.

Because remember, running for president isn't just about making that decision or making an announcement. It is also about this infrastructure and we know that Hillary Clinton definitely has ahead of steam in terms of that kind of infrastructure, in terms of hires on the ground strategists, campaign managers. Those are the kind of things in moves that you want to see, I think, from Joe Biden at this point.

Again, I mean, I mean, he would -- he seems to suggest that he would announce in the next couple weeks. You look back to Bill Clinton. He didn't announce until October, 1991. But it's a whole different ball game now in terms of the kinds of things you have to do to prepare for a Presidential Race. And so far at least it looks like Hillary Clinton its out way in front.

COOPER: But John, Do you -- I got to ask you that question, do you buy that they're not concerned? I mean, clearly, the desire for him to take part, whoever does want that believes is because of a failure of Hillary Clinton?

KING: Are they overwhelm worried? No. Should they be a little bit concerned and watching closely? Of course because Bernie Sanders has surprised them by getting relatively close in eye or relatively close in New Hampshire and making much more of a race of it than they thought Bernie Sanders could make. And Joe Biden would bring to the table considerable more national political experience than Bernie Sanders has.

Look at this, he has also -- he's been a very extremely loyal vice president. So some of the Obama coalition might say, "Hey, maybe we owe this guy". He is right though, all of the money, all of the infrastructure, most of the people who run the Obama-Biden campaign are on team Hillary right now. So Joe Biden getting in this lake, it would be like trying to win the Tour to France on a tricycle.

But I will say this, I will say this, if you're Joe Biden when you're watching Donald Trump and you're saying, "Oh, voters like authenticity...

COOPER: Right.

KING: ... they like a guy who just says what he thinks. They like a guy who they know isn't reading the polls, is just telling it like it is. If you are Joe Biden, look at the current atmosphere, you are going to think a little bit longer about it.

COOPER: John King, Nia-Malika Henderson thanks.

HENDERSON: Thank you.

COOPER: Now, there is a lot more heads that are coming next. We're going to look at what's being called the money primary and how the candidates go courting for cash, hundreds of millions dollars from a tiny number, very well the donors, the price of politics when we come back. Then later, breaking news, the killing of a police officer in Memphis, the alleged gunman who fled now in custody, late details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:10:00]

COOPER: The top of broadcast watching New Hampshire where a politics for most part is still done retail face to face. And Republican wanting to be president can still get a big boost from an old- fashioned newspaper endorsement which is why so many of the 17 GOP hopefuls were up there tonight selling their ideas for the country.

Now, we want to turn to another kind of gathering for another kind of presidential politics, money politics. It's a different kind marketplace where candidates sell not just their ideas but critics say they sell themselves, hat in hand to billionaires. Chief National Correspondent Jake Tapper shows us the price of politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Presidential hopefuls this weekend pressed the flesh at NASCAR, a farmer's market. And for five of them, the weekend was spent with fat cats at the Koch brothers backed retreat at a Saint Regis Resort in California.

GOV. SCOTT WALKER, (R) WISCONSIN: So we've you here because of any interest on behalf of your personal finances, your industries. You're here because you love America.

TAPPER: And American politicians love them.

JEB BUSH, 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Money helps money helps. I'm playing by the rules of the game. The way it was laid out. And if people don't like it, that's just tough luck.

TAPPER: With no contribution limits on super PACs to ruin the fun 2016ers are seeking sugar daddies.

SHANE GOLDMACHER, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, NATIONAL JOURNAL: You have to raise $100,000 every single week for a full year to raise $5 million. For a sugar daddy, you get a $5 million check like that.

TAPPER: The super PACs behind Ted Cruz have raised $38 million so far, 95 percent of it coming from just three families including one that got a lot of its dough from fracking.

According to the New York Times, all this super PAC cash means that only 400 families have provided about half the money in the election so far.

Jeb Bush is right to rise PAC as the biggest all with $103 million coming mostly from Big Wigs, and the oil and gas industry, and three former ambassadors. Marco Rubio's super PAC owes half of the $16 million pile to just two pals, Oracle CEO, Larry Ellison and the former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, Norman Braman. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has $20 million in super PAC funds, a quarter of it from the owners of the Chicago Cubs.

On the Democratic side, one of Hillary Clinton's super PACs is a $15 million vault which is shared more evenly among big names, including $1 million each from Dream Works Executive, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as well as big gifts from George Soros and Star Wars Director J.J. Abrams and his wife.

GOLDMACHER: Super PACs have fundamentally changed the game for 2016 presidential candidates. They have to spend a huge amount of their time not just courting voters but courting billionaires.

[21:15:00] TAPPER: The big question of course for all these donors, what will the rich guys and gals giving these huge sums expect from the candidate who wins?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: That is the question. Jake Tapper joins us, along with CNN National Political Reporter Maeve Reston.

So, Jake, the fact that only about 130 families have provided about half of the money raised by Republican candidates in this election so far, it's pretty incredible how so few people control the majority of campaign spending?

TAPPER: It's incredible. I think about two out of three dollars raised so far going to these super PACs and there's no limit. So I think people saw the lesson of 2012 where some of the candidates like Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, they had the sugar daddies who could keep their campaigns going long after a regular contributors were giving them to campaigns, is giving money to campaigns. And now everybody wants a piece of the action.

COOPER: Please tell me the candidates actually call them sugar daddies.

TAPPER: I doubt they call them sugar daddies.

MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Not so much.

TAPPER: But, you know, that's a preferred term that we're using on CNN of course.

COOPER: Maeve you, were at the Koch brothers event over the weekend. I understand, reporters were allowed in some the sessions, what was it like?

RESTON: Well, and so this is the first time that they have allowed reporters in. There were certain ground rules that were pretty unusual, even though it was private event. You were not allowed identify donors who you saw. And but you could talk to them about -- and if they've wanted to be quoted, then they were able to do that. You could talk to them about what they were looking for from the four candidates. Marco Rubio is there, Walker, Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz.

And those four are definitely the favorite candidates also Rand Paul, among this group. There is definitely a level of concern there about Donald Trump. And those are certainly not a candidate that the Koch brothers would like to see continue rising.

So it's going to be interesting to watch how their powerful political organization comes in and deals with the Donald Trump problem. Whether that's just by kind of boosting these four, or five candidates, that they do favor, or actually coming in a more direct way later on in the game.

COOPER: It is amazing, Jake, the amount, the Koch brothers plan on spending. They plan on spending $889 million by the end of 2016. That's more than was raised by President Obama or Mitt Romney in 2012.

TAPPER: Yeah. It's incredible and that's the incredible thing about the super PAC numbers which just came out, the $252 million that these multimillionaires and billionaires have given. Is that the big players like the Koch brothers like Sheldon Adelson. They haven't started giving yet. They're still kind of auditioning candidates. Thus number is huge but its small compared to what we're going to see.

COOPER: Maeve, you've mentioned Donald Trump, he tweeted about this event. He said, "I wish good luck to all of the Republican candidates that traveled to California to beg for money et cetera from the Koch brothers, puppets? Did...

TAPPER: He's just asking the question. He's just asking.

RESTON: He was just asking, right? yeah. No, I mean, I thought it was so perfectly provocative that's exactly the kind of fight that he wants to get in. Donald Trump goes around the country, he likes to say that that he doesn't have to take any one else's money and his going to continually pound the candidates over and over again who are going around the country fund-raising.

I guess, it will be ultimately the up to the voters to decide whether they want someone who is entirely in control of his own ship. And his finances or the candidates, who, you know, go around fund-raising.

COOPER: But Jake, you know, I mean, you talked to Trump and it's interesting, because and what he says is, "Look, I used to give money to candidates. I gave money to all sorts of candidates because I wanted them to do things for me. And that's what's wrong about this system, you buy access".

So, on the one hand, he's kind of made himself immune for being criticized for having supported all these different candidates but he's also very critical of the system that his opponents are very much now having to take part in.

TAPPER: And it is going to be an area where he can continue to gin up this populist anger. People that I think he is appealing to a lot of them really don't -- well, they don't like a lot of things including the immigration system, the dysfunction in Washington. They see how big money not just on the republican side but on the Democratic side as well. Big money buys access, buys favors and its going to be an interesting line of attack. Especially since as, you know, he has given said money including giving money to help Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi recapture the Congress in 2006 for the Democratic Party.

So I can't wait to hear more about what exactly he got for his campaign contributions.

COOPER: Jake, great to have you on, Maeve as well, thanks so much.

TAPPER: Thanks Anderson.

RESTON: Thank you.

COOPER: We just had there's breaking news out of Memphis where a minor drug deal led to a police officer's death. Tonight, after a massive manhunt that suspect is behind bars.

[21:20:00] Also an update on the wildfires in California, take a look, scorching more than 130,000 acres across the state. The weather dry all week, dry all season which it makes there's dangerous even places where the flames and yet to spread but might doesn't take much. So bring your live report from the fire lines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: There's breaking news tonight. Officials in Tennessee say Tremaine Wilbourn, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a police officer in Memphis has turned himself in. The officer, he allegedly killed, 33-year-old Sean Bolton was shot during a routine traffic stop as he approached an illegally parked car.

The latest from our Nick Valencia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY ARMSTRONG, MEMPHIS POLICE: I think he felt the walls closing in.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Memphis police tonight announcing a man wanted for killing a police officer is now in custody. 29-year- old Tremaine Wilbourn turned himself in this evening following a two- day manhunt. It began Saturday night, when officer Sean Bolton spotted an illegally parked car. As he approaches, police say he's confronted by Wilbourn who opens fire. A citizen uses the officer's radio to call for help, but it's too late

[21:25:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 4-8-70 Summer Lane, he's shot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Officer is shot? (Inaudible) now advising there is an officer down in front of the location.

ARMSTRONG: This is just a reminder of how dangerous this job is.

VALENCIA: Bolton, a former marine who served in Iraq had been on the force nearly five years. Investigators believe he interrupted a drug deal Saturday night and that's why Wilbourn, a convicted felon, shot the officer multiple times.

Memphis Police Director, Tony Armstrong, visibly emotional shortly after the shooting.

ARMSTRONG: As a community, we say so often, there's a theme that -- do black lives matter? And at the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, do all lives matter regardless of race, creed, color, economic status, what profession that person holds, all lives matter.

VALENCIA: In the last four years, three Memphis police officers including Bolton have been shot and killed in the line of duty.

ARMSTRONG: When you look at this individual, you're looking at a coward. He is a coward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And Nick, where is the suspect now?

VALENCIA: Tremaine Wilbourn, that 29-year-old murder suspect turned himself over to the U.S. Marshals Service shortly before 5:00 P.M. local time. He was immediately handed over to local authorities, where he was being questioned by homicide detectives at our last check.

Police said during a press conference earlier that, during his initial interrogation, he told them, "I am not a cold-blooded killer. I am not a coward." More now on Sean Bolton, that 33-year-old, the officer an Iraq War veteran had done a combat tour in Iraq overseas only to comeback home to the streets of Memphis and be gunned down. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday. Anderson.

COOPER: This is awful. Nick Valencia, appreciate it. Thank you.

A very busy day and weekend for firefighters all across California, this is what they're facing. Nearly two dozen wildfires are getting a bit of a break from cooler weather in place is that could face new danger because firstly, anywhere you turn, the Golden State has turned into a tinderbox waiting for a spark.

More on the challenges now for Paul Vercammen has been right on the thick of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: California burning at least 21 major fires are currently raging in the parched state. The bone dry landscape, gusty winds and low humidity are creating a tinderbox of sorts fueled by lightning. Daunting conditions for the nearly 10,000 firefighters battling the fires, the U.S. Forest Service Fire Fighter from South Dakota was killed while working a fire in Modoc County -- the married father of two of scouting ways to attack burning fire when he became trapped by flames.

As the fire ravages anything in its path...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looked like a bomb had went off over here. It's scary.

VERCAMMEN: The largest blaze, the rocky fire, has burned up to 60,000 acres in three counties just north of Wine Country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are firefighters that have 20, 25, 30 years on the job that have never seen fire behavior like we've seen in the last couple of days here on the rocky fire.

VERCAMMEN: The reason fire officials say four years of drought in 100-degree heat have created conditions perfect for explosive growth. So far, two dozens homes have been destroyed, Governor Jerry Brown, declaring a state of emergency, and evacuations have been ordered for more than 13,000 Californians. Leaving many worried that their homes maybe in the fires path.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully that the fire doesn't come this far and burn our stuff down. You know, so we'll comeback to at least something and our house still here.

VERCAMMEN: From the air, you can see the intensity as the wall of flames moves across the tree-lined mountains. Crews on the scene digging control lines, setting control burns, hoping to stop the fire in its tracks by lighting brush and fuel in the blaze's path.

DANIEL BERLANT, CAL FIRE, CHIEF OF PUBLIC INFORMATION: That the conditions burning like they are right now, is definitely concerning and that's why it's so important that we get public's help prevent sparking a fire is what we need because really, one less spark this summer means one less wildfire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Paul Vercammen joins us now. The unusual thing about the fires that it's been spreading in the cooler evening hours over the last couple days, what's it like now?

VERCAMMEN: Well, right now, Anderson, one of the big problems for them is wind and not just plain wind, but shifting wind and that lends itself to all the predictability. One technique they've used, effectively right here, back fires.

They actually went in here, started a fire about 35 yards up the hill, started another backfire and as you can see there is no firefighters on the scene right now. That's how confident they are that they tied in this part of the rocky fire but we understand not far from here, the rocky fire jumped Highway 20, has burned more than 100 acres and why is that happening? Because of these winds they just start swirling about in different directions and the real focus is here in Northern California, Anderson, that's where the crux of the fighting has been going on.

COOPER: Do you get the sense that they think they have the upper hand here, firefighters? [21:30:00] VERCAMMEN: It's interesting, it's a great question. There are times when it looks like all huge, large, leading flanks of flame have been put out and then somehow, some sort of hot spot, smoldering log, stump, whatever, causes another flare-up. And as we said it jumped, the highway.

So overall, yes. But they are just so anxious about these strange winds, the behavior really quite odd. And when a wind shift is so dramatic it flip-flops on itself, goes one direction, south and then goes back to north that just makes it a real challenge. And you have got the low humidity and you have got high temperatures. It's the devil's pitchfork if you will in terms of fire fighting.

COOPER: And what are the next couple days? What's the forecast?

VERCAMMEN: Well, more of the same. You know, it seems to cool off overnight. They get some help. And then, every single day in the last few days in the afternoon, the wind kicks up and the temperature rises. And again, it's just so bone dry out here, Anderson. Four years of drought.

I mean, look at the color of the hillsides. Yes, they should be parched in August. But you're rolling up a lot of days, lot of years of really no rain. It's making it very tough.

COOPER: Yeah, tough fight. Paul Vercammen, I appreciate you're covering it. Thank you.

Just ahead tonight, another American hunter accused of taking part in illegal hunt in Zimbabwe, months before Cecil the lion was killed. And take a look at who the American is and why is Zimbabwe focusing on him only now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:35:00]

COOPER: Tonight, officials in Zimbabwe are accusing another American of taking part in an allegedly illegal hunt. The announcement comes obviously at the wake of an outrage over the killing of Cecil one of Africa's famous lions. It was a big tourist drawn and valued research subject.

Zimbabwe asked the U.S. to extradite Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who allegedly paid $50,000 to kill Cecil. He is accused of illegally luring the lion away from a protected area to do it. Two local men he hired to help him have been charged.

David McKenzie joins me with the new developments.

David, the second American hunter that Zimbabwe is saying was involved in an allegedly illegal hunt. What did you learned about that incident?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what the Zimbabwean park officials are saying, Anderson, is that this alleged hunter who they say was an American, they said from Pennsylvania, that he was involved in a hunt which they say it's broadly similar to the Cecil hunt which caused such outrage.

They're charging the Safari group owner with poaching. But at this stage, they haven't actually named any accusations against this American. Nor have they really said exactly how -- what he did could have been illegal. So the details are very short but they seem very quick to point out that this is an American even though this happened allegedly several months ago, Anderson.

COOPER: Do we have any idea why Zimbabwean officials are talking about this now?

MCKENZIE: Well, it seem to be that they're saying this now because of all of the focus that's been put on the killing of Cecil the lion which is really sparked this global outrage. And renewed questions about, really, is trophy hunting worthwhile? Does it have a place? And is it rarely something that should be banned outright.

Now, there is a more cynical view as well that this could be Zimbabwe trying to earn political points by pointing the finger, conveniently at another American even though it is several months later, that's according to sources.

I spoken to -- in Zimbabwe who say, this could also the government trying to earn quick and easy political points. We'll have to wait and see how they detail these allegations further and if they actually hold weight. Anderson.

COOPER: David McKenzie, thanks.

Well, the killing of Cecil has put a spotlight obviously on the controversial sport of big game hunting. On August 10th, the animal planet is dedicating its World Lion Day Marathon to Cecil's memory, who's also launched a campaign called "Animals are not Trophies".

David Salmoni is Animal Planet's Large Predator Expert. He joins me now. Dave, thank you for being with us.

So trophy hunting, I mean, going for the biggest, the strongest animals, what kind of damage does it do not only obviously to the animal itself but beyond the loss of an individual animal?

DAVID SALMONI, ANIMAL PLANET'S LARGE PREDATOR EXPERT: Yeah, there's a lot of problems with it. It has an effect in the short-term. The big, strong animals are typically ones with prides, one that fits in the social dynamic. So initially you're ruining the entire socially dynamic of the ecosystem.

Long-term, what's you're doing is you're always taking the fittest genetics right out of the gene pool. So you're weakening the population of the species every time you hit the big strong ones out.

COOPER: And when it comes to Cecil's cubs, there was a report that Jericho, Cecil's brother is alive and, maybe protecting them, how hard is that for him to do that? And how long would that cub (ph) go on for?

SALMONI: You see, with Cecil's death, they had a coalition of two which would then mean, they would be very capable of fighting off other intruders, other nomadic males. But now, Jericho only being one, it's only going to take another big male, or a coalition of two or more to come in and probably oust Jericho and kill those cubs so that the females came into (inaudible).

So it just made it twice as hard for Jericho to protect the cubs that he was, you know, that the way his job to do.

COOPER: How common is that? I mean, how common is it for the brother to, you know, to protect the rest of the cubs?

SALMONI: So what happens is very often you'll see these male coalitions. So, when a male is sort of between two and four they go on their nomadic phase. Meaning, they get kicked out of their pride and they're not big enough to take on their own, very often you'll go off with your litter mates if there's other males or while you're on your nomadic phase you'll meet up with other males and you'll form a group called the coalition, and if those males that then take over prides.

[21:40:00] So, in a coalition, all of the males will typically protect the females and the cubs that are sired during that time. So it's part of the dynamic.

COOPER: It does seem like, I mean, as horrible as it is. This killing of Cecil, that this whole episode has shone a light on not the world that they'll got trophy hunting but even on poaching which is a huge problem.

SALMONI: Yeah. I think -- if you want to find a positive from a really horrible situation, that's it. It's really got a spotlight on something. And I think it's really shown the globe's position on trophy hunting and the fact that it, it's a disgusting act that people in general aren't very fond of, which is why you are seeing this huge reaction globally. This huge reaction, you know, obviously towards this one particular hunter. So there's a positive, it has gathered some awareness for us.

COOPER: Dave Salmoni, I appreciate you being on.

Just ahead, an eye-opening look at a sex offender registry that might change the way you think in this particular case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:45:00] COOPER: Sex offender registries are designed to help authorities keep track of sex offenders and let the public know who their neighbors are and if they may pose a threat. That's the idea.

This next story, however, is a bit more complicated. CNN's Kyra Phillips investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN INVESTIGATOR: For 19-year-old Zach Anderson it looks like it has been an idyllic summer. Relaxing like any other teenager with his family on the Saint Joe River. But looks can be deceiving, this summer is hardly normal for Zach. In fact, his parents say Zach can't even live in their house anymore, because his 15-year-old brother lives here too. And that's not all.

ZACH ANDERSON REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER: I like using the Internet and going to like, if you are bored and going to walk around in a park or something.

PHILLIPS: You can't go to a mall?

ANDERSON: I can't go to a mall to buy clothes or anything like that.

PHILLIPS: All because Zach is listed in his state's sex offender registry.

ANDERSON: It's like I'm an outcast from society with all the things that I have put on me.

PHILLIPS: Here's what happened. Zach went on a racy dating app called "Hot or Not" hoping to meet a girl. He did. They had sex. And that's when the problems began.

PHILLIPS: How old did she say she was?

ANDERSON: She had told me that she was 17.

PHILLIPS: But she lied. She was actually 14. By law, he had committed a sex crime. He was arrested and convicted. Now Zach is on the same list of sex offenders as child molesters and pedophiles. And his parents say, that's a colossal mistake.

When you heard those words, that your son was a sex offender what was your reaction?

AMANDA ANDERSON, ZACH'S MOTHER: It's a blatant lie. It's not true. It doesn't even fit our lifestyle. It doesn't fit how we raised our kids.

PHILLIPS: Even the girl's mother appeared in court. Testifying that she didn't want Zach labeled as a sex offender because "he's really is not." We also obtained this letter, that the girl in question gave Zach's family. "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you my age", she writes. "It kills me every day knowing you are going through hell and I'm not. I want to be in trouble and not you".

PHILLIPS: Did it ever enter your mind at any time that she could be underage?

ANDERSON: No, not at all.

PHILLIPS: And was the sex consensual?

ANDERSON: Yeah, yeah.

PHILLIPS: But even if the girl admits she lied about her age and the sex was consensual as she did in court it's not a defense in the eye of current sex offender laws. And that's why the judge and prosecutor in Zach's case didn't let him off the hook. Judge Dennis Wily, angry that Zach had used the Internet to meet a girl, said "That seems to be part of our culture now. Meet, have sex, sayonara, totally inappropriate behavior. There is no excuse for this, whatsoever".

He sentenced Zach to 90 days in jail, five years probation, and 25 years on the sex offender registry.

Is that you? Are you a sex offender?

ANDERSON: Not at all.

PHILLIPS: What's happening to Zach sounds unusual but it is not.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, about a quarter of the 850,000 people on the sex offender registry across the nation were under 18 when convicted.

The problem say experts is the sex offender registry is one-size-fits- all. Everyone on it is treated as if they pose the same threat, whether they're a predatory child rapist, or a teenager who had sex with his girlfriend.

WILLIAM BUHL, FORMER MICHIGAN JUDGE: If we caught every teenager that violated our current law, we would lock up 30 percent to 40 percent of the high school. We are kidding ourselves.

PHILLIPS: Former Michigan Judge William Buhl has been trying to fix the sex offender registry for two decades. He says adding teens just takes away resources from monitoring the truly dangerous.

BUHL: They take that example and say, "Boy, we got to watch this guy." And so we'll apply that to everybody and it's just doesn't make any sense.

PHILLIPS: Even convicted sex offenders, the very people, the registry was setup to monitor, tell us their type of criminal behavior and mind-set is vastly different from some of these teens.

TED RODARM, CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER: He's not the one that we are going to have to fear. He's simply a teenager.

PHILLIPS: Ted and Rose Rodarm were both convicted of molestation in separate incidents 20 years ago and are part of a ministry now for sex offenders

[21:50:00] RODARM: The registry has become so diluted that you can't identify the truly dangerous, and that itself is dangerous.

PHILLIPS: So Zach is left wondering about what the rest of his life will be like. The weight of his sentencing came crashing down, his first day back at church after he was released from jail. L. ANDERSON: He just didn't look right, I said, "Are you OK?" And he

just shook his head. We went outside and he just started crying and I said, "What's the matter?" He just said, "I don't know who I can talk to. I don't know whose person, whose hand I can shake. And I feel like everybody is looking at me, you know, and have to deal with that and see that".

A. ANDERSON: The shame.

L. ANDERSON: Yeah, the shame. I think it's -- that's the biggest issue, is the shame of it.

Z. ANDERSON: To, me, it honestly doesn't seem real to me. It seems like a bad dream that I haven't woke up from yet.

PHILLIPS: Elkhard, Indiana, Kyra Phillips, CNN.

COOPER: We'll continue to follow his story.

Just ahead, breaking news in Cincinnati about what was in that gin bottle that an Officer Ray Tensing confiscated before he shot and killed Samuel DuBose.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:55:00]

COOPER: There's breaking news out of Cincinnati about the gin bottle that was confiscated during a traffic stop that end in the fatal shooting of Samuel DuBose, an unarmed African-American man.

The incident as, you know, was captured on the officer's body camera. And then here's the part that we're talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY TENSING, CINCINNATI POLICE OFFICER: What's that bottle on the floor there?

SAMUEL DUBOSE: Oh a bottle of air freshener.

TENSING: A bottle of what?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, he said it was air freshener. Turns out about Mr. DuBose was right. There was not any gin in that bottle. Moments after the exchange about the gin bottle, Officer Ray Tensing shot DuBose in the head at point blank range.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TENSING: Go ahead and take your seat belt. Off. Stop, stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: The car rolls off and crashes to a stop. Officer Tensing has been charged with murder.

Jean Casarez joins me now. I mean, do we know what was in that bottle?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The coroner is saying that they immediately sent it to the laboratory and its compound associated with fragrance air freshener or perfume. But, they're testing a number of things, toxicology wise from the car and otherwise probably some of his bodily fluids. And they're saying they're not really seeing any other results. So, why are they coming out with this?

COOPER: Right.

CASAREZ: His family said early on this was air freshener. And you see the color it, it wasn't DUI stop.

COOPER: Right.

CASAREZ: And the officer just sort of gave the bottle back. It wasn't a big issue.

COOPER: The body cam or video, I mean, the officer is alleging that he was dragged by the vehicle and that's why he fired. We don't know what the video is -- how closely the grand jury looked at these videos or what sort of analysis was done on the video, right?

CASAREZ: Here's what we do know. The other two officers who were assisting officers, who also had body cams, right, in the initial report it seemed they said they seemed to see him being dragged by the car.

COOPER: They seem to back up the officer's statement.

CASAREZ: Exactly. And then we learned late on Friday that those officers have given sworn statements, and those statements said when asked, "Did you witness it". They said, "No".

COOPER: Wow. So, we don't know -- so, either they changed their story or clarified comments?

CASAREZ: Or they believed what Tensing was telling them because he says so many times to these officers from his own -- from the -- his own body cam, he was dragging me, he was dragging me. Even one officer sort of like, according to the tape sort of made a hand motion like stop talking, you know, you don't have to say

any more.

COOPER: The family has made some legal moves? What sort of...

CASAREZ: They did. Mark O'Meara is their attorney out of Florida. He was there on Ohio last week and they filed some initial documents with the probate court to setup an estate for Sam DuBose and have his mother be the administrator.

Now, they had to check some boxes, so the box that was checked was that this is being open to a claim for wrongful death. Mark O'Meara tells me that he is not rushing to the courthouse to file a claim for wrongful death, but he felt this is important. And the university is going to be making some major changes in regard to their police force and patrolling and the family can help in all of that.

He didn't go into much more but I think he wants to make a value for Sam DuBose's life.

COOPER: It does seem hard to imagine that they would not have some sort of wrongful death claim given there's murder or murder indictment against this officer.

CASAREZ: But this early on from time to not because, you know, you've got a criminal trial.

COOPER: Because they don't want to affect the criminal trial.

CASAREZ: And if you get a conviction in a criminal trial then a civil case can be each easier. And there is a time period for statute of limitation.

COOPER: Right. Jean Casarez I appreciate you staying, thank you very much. There is a lot more happening tonight, Randi Kaye is here with the 360 Bulletin.

RANDI KAYE: Anderson, the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown one year ago this week is speaking out. Darren Wilson told New Yorker magazine that he has tried to get another police job but has been told he is too much of a liability.

The 29-year-old was not indicted for killing Brown. He lives mostly in seclusion now with his family in the suburbs of St. Louis.

Former President Jimmy Carter underwent elective surgery in Atlanta today to remove a small mass from his liver today. The 90-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.

And police in Florida have arrested a mother after the case against her was highlighted by John Walsh last night on "The Hunt" right here on CNN. Megan Everett is accused of kidnapping her young daughter because she didn't want her to get any vaccination.

So her landlady saw the show and called in the tip. Ms. Everett is facing various charges for her 3-year-old daughter Lilly was unharmed and is now in protective custody.

And Anderson, here's a reminder of nature's destructive power. Look at this tornado that hit Adams County, Iowa. This happened on Sunday. Look how incredibly lucky the people there were nobody was hurt.

COOPER: Yeah, thankfully. Randi, thank you very much. That does it for us. We'll see you again 11:00 P.M. eastern for another edition of 360. CNN Tonight with Don Lemon starts now.

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