CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Val Demings"

Interview

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BLITZER: Very scary, very disturbing developments Shimon and Evan, I want both of you to standby. I know you are working your sources, we will get back to you.

I want to bring in Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida. She served on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committee, she also served as the chief of police in Orlando. Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us. You served in the Orlando police department for nearly three decades. So what is your reaction to these initial preliminary details we're getting out of this Philadelphia shooting?

REP. VAL DEMINGS (D-FL): Well, Wolf, you know all of our focus is on Philadelphia and the men and women of the Philadelphia police department. I know Chief Rawls (ph) personally. We went through the FBI national executive institute together. And while we are not exactly sure, I've heard a lot of different stories of how this call came about. I'm not sure if this was not an ambush call that was specifically set up for this very purpose.

If this gun fight, if you will, has been going on over an hour, there is no doubt that the shooter was well prepared. He knew multiple officers would respond. And he, as I've already heard earlier, he is heavily armed and ready for the long haul. BLITZER: yes, if it's going out for more than an hour now,

Congresswoman, and if you look at the images, and once again, we're not showing very close up images out of the concern that the shooter or shooters may have access to televisions, could be benefit for that and further endanger police officers. What are your major concerns right now?

DEMINGS: Really the officers, you know, you don't hear very often of six police officers being shot. And what I always try to help the community understand as we debate, have this debate about gun violence, and how we reduce gun violence. If a person is bad enough to shoot, have a shoot-out with a police officer, or an entire department of police officers, then think about, they certainly would not hesitate to have a shoot-out or shoot or take the life of our family members in any place in America.

And so, the first concern is to really make sure that the officers are able to stop this threat against themselves. But what we also don't know, are there any innocent people. Are there any hostages that are in this house? I know the officers and detectives will be going out, knocking on doors, ringing door bells to try to get as much intelligence as they can about who lives in the house.

[18:15:07] If any of the neighbors saw anyone unusual, going in and coming from the house either today or the last few days. They'll going to gather as much intelligence as they can. As they make every effort, calling on other state and local officials to stop the threat.

BLITZER: If you were there, if you were the police chief in Philadelphia right now, what would be your biggest concern?

DEMINGS: The safety of our police officers. Because we respond to protect others. Protect the life, protect the well-being of others. And if police officers are under fire and put in danger, it certainly impedes their ability to do their job.

But what I do know about the men and women in blue, is that they will not stop. They will not retreat. They are going to stay on that scene. They will bring the armored vehicles and specialized teams like SWAT that they need. I'm sure they're moving crisis negotiators in as well to try to make contact with the person, the shooter, and others, but they will not stop until they are able to stop this threat and restore the safety of this community.

BLITZER: We saw the mass shooting in El Paso and Dayton, now what's going on in Philadelphia, you're a former police chief in Orlando and you're following this conversation that we're all having about gun control in America. What's missing from the conversation that is going on right now?

DEMINGS: What's missing from the conversation is that every poll shows you that the overwhelming majority of the American people are in favor of background checks. For example. And so the question is, why is the Senate refusing to move legislation that we passed in the house months ago? The other part of this conversation, I doubt very seriously, that if this shooter in Philadelphia was armed simply with a handgun that this gun battle would be going on well beyond an hour.

I think we can assume that he is also heavily armed with high capacity rifles or weapons and also has high capacity magazines. So, while we look at passing legislation that requires that every gun sale, every person involved in a gun sale has to go through a background check, we really need to have a serious discussion about getting these weapons of war, and dog gone it, today is a clear indication of that as the men and women of blue are under fire in Philadelphia. We need to get these high capacity weapons and magazines off of our streets.

BLITZER: And eyewitnesses say they've already heard more than 100 gunshots that have been fired and presumably, a lot more. Congresswoman Val Demings, thanks so much for joining us.

DEMINGS: Thank you.

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