1 00:00:00,634 --> 00:00:05,004 [gears winding] 2 00:00:05,106 --> 00:00:09,875 [rhythmic ticking] 3 00:00:09,977 --> 00:00:11,210 [whirring gears stop abruptly] 4 00:00:11,312 --> 00:00:12,544 [garbled voices] 5 00:00:12,646 --> 00:00:14,279 - Kalief Browder, thrown in jail 6 00:00:14,382 --> 00:00:16,882 as a 16-year-old high school sophomore. 7 00:00:16,984 --> 00:00:18,884 Now, more than three years later, 8 00:00:18,986 --> 00:00:20,886 this young man is free. 9 00:00:20,988 --> 00:00:22,087 [cell door buzzes] 10 00:00:22,189 --> 00:00:25,024 Criminal charges completely dropped. 11 00:00:25,126 --> 00:00:27,226 - They dismissed the case. 12 00:00:27,328 --> 00:00:28,727 2:00 in the morning? 13 00:00:28,829 --> 00:00:29,895 They release him. 14 00:00:29,997 --> 00:00:32,231 They just give him a MetroCard. 15 00:00:32,333 --> 00:00:33,732 He got nothing. 16 00:00:33,834 --> 00:00:36,402 - He had been away for so long, 17 00:00:36,504 --> 00:00:38,737 and finally he was home. 18 00:00:38,839 --> 00:00:41,340 It was a stranger. 19 00:00:41,442 --> 00:00:44,009 It wasn't like my son was home. 20 00:00:44,111 --> 00:00:47,713 - It was a troubled spirit and soul with him. 21 00:00:47,815 --> 00:00:49,882 - They actually took over three years of my life. 22 00:00:49,984 --> 00:00:52,284 I'm never gonna get those years back. 23 00:00:52,386 --> 00:00:53,919 Never. 24 00:00:54,021 --> 00:00:56,055 - You brought civil suit against the city. 25 00:00:56,157 --> 00:00:58,757 - There was such a reckless disregard for his rights. 26 00:00:58,859 --> 00:01:00,859 - Court delays, solitary confinement. 27 00:01:00,961 --> 00:01:03,629 Every single thing that's wrong with the criminal justice system 28 00:01:03,731 --> 00:01:05,164 is in Kalief's story. 29 00:01:05,266 --> 00:01:06,799 - Someone needs to pay. 30 00:01:06,901 --> 00:01:08,767 - I just grabbed him, and I said, 31 00:01:08,869 --> 00:01:10,602 "You, my son, are a hero." 32 00:01:10,704 --> 00:01:13,272 - It was like one step forward, two steps back. 33 00:01:13,374 --> 00:01:14,640 - Now I'm on TV. 34 00:01:14,742 --> 00:01:16,608 People in my neighborhood think I have money. 35 00:01:16,710 --> 00:01:19,078 - Some guy on his block chased him with the knife. 36 00:01:19,180 --> 00:01:20,646 - He didn't trust anybody. 37 00:01:20,748 --> 00:01:22,614 He felt the police, the government, 38 00:01:22,716 --> 00:01:24,683 everybody was after him. 39 00:01:24,785 --> 00:01:26,418 - He just wasn't all there. 40 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,455 - The paranoia, the memories, 41 00:01:29,557 --> 00:01:31,723 it was just too much. 42 00:01:31,826 --> 00:01:33,826 - He was already a cause, 43 00:01:33,928 --> 00:01:36,328 but people forgot he was a kid. 44 00:01:36,430 --> 00:01:38,397 - 911, what's your emergency? 45 00:01:38,499 --> 00:01:41,400 [dramatic music] 46 00:01:41,502 --> 00:01:44,470 ♪ ♪ 47 00:01:44,572 --> 00:01:45,938 [gears whirring] 48 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,907 [tentative music] 49 00:01:49,009 --> 00:01:55,981 ♪ ♪ 50 00:01:56,083 --> 00:01:58,984 [music builds dramatically] 51 00:01:59,086 --> 00:02:06,058 ♪ ♪ 52 00:02:12,133 --> 00:02:13,065 [mechanical whirring] 53 00:02:13,167 --> 00:02:16,168 [radio tuning] 54 00:02:25,613 --> 00:02:28,113 - When I first came home from jail, 55 00:02:28,215 --> 00:02:30,883 I felt relieved. 56 00:02:30,985 --> 00:02:34,620 But I feel like I lost my childhood. 57 00:02:34,722 --> 00:02:36,688 You know, I could've graduated back then. 58 00:02:36,790 --> 00:02:38,323 I lost a lot of proms. 59 00:02:38,425 --> 00:02:41,760 I lost a lot of celebrations with my family. 60 00:02:41,862 --> 00:02:44,596 I lost-- I lost a lot, you know? 61 00:02:44,698 --> 00:02:46,565 I feel like... 62 00:02:46,667 --> 00:02:48,000 I don't know. 63 00:02:48,102 --> 00:02:50,669 Like, I know what I feel like, but it's hard to explain. 64 00:02:50,771 --> 00:02:52,137 - Like you're grown-up all of a sudden. 65 00:02:52,239 --> 00:02:53,172 - Yeah. 66 00:02:53,274 --> 00:02:54,773 It's just the transition is crazy. 67 00:02:57,478 --> 00:03:00,279 - When he got out, there was really nothing there 68 00:03:00,381 --> 00:03:03,282 to help him transition. 69 00:03:03,384 --> 00:03:04,683 - People were being left 70 00:03:04,785 --> 00:03:08,053 pretty much stranded once they're released, 71 00:03:08,155 --> 00:03:09,788 not getting the help that they need 72 00:03:09,890 --> 00:03:13,292 to rinse away that trauma of being in jail. 73 00:03:16,864 --> 00:03:20,732 - We drove him to psychosis and then kicked him out the door 74 00:03:20,834 --> 00:03:23,302 and basically said, "Deal with it on your own." 75 00:03:29,009 --> 00:03:33,212 - When Kalief came home, I couldn't believe it. 76 00:03:33,314 --> 00:03:35,280 I was so glad to see him. 77 00:03:39,286 --> 00:03:43,455 He had been away for so long, and finally he was home. 78 00:03:44,792 --> 00:03:47,292 It was a stranger. 79 00:03:49,063 --> 00:03:52,598 It wasn't like my son was home. 80 00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:56,468 The torture he went through at Rikers came home with him. 81 00:03:57,938 --> 00:03:59,771 You--you can't-- 82 00:03:59,873 --> 00:04:03,709 You can't escape stuff like that. 83 00:04:03,811 --> 00:04:06,578 - I called my mom and said, "Mom, let me speak to him! 84 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:08,146 I want to hear from him." 85 00:04:08,249 --> 00:04:09,214 I was like, you know, "How you doing? 86 00:04:09,316 --> 00:04:10,215 How's everything?" 87 00:04:10,317 --> 00:04:12,451 "I'm all right. I'm okay." 88 00:04:12,553 --> 00:04:15,053 That wasn't my brother. 89 00:04:15,155 --> 00:04:17,189 I literally looked at my phone, and I said, 90 00:04:17,291 --> 00:04:19,024 "This is not him. This is a joke." 91 00:04:23,864 --> 00:04:28,066 - I decided to invite, like, a couple people over, 92 00:04:28,168 --> 00:04:32,471 have a little get-together to make him feel love, 93 00:04:32,573 --> 00:04:35,340 to, like, relax, chill. 94 00:04:36,744 --> 00:04:40,312 I tried to bring him as much company as I can 95 00:04:40,414 --> 00:04:42,114 so he could have fun. 96 00:04:42,216 --> 00:04:44,316 [laughter] 97 00:04:44,418 --> 00:04:47,819 He wouldn't talk to nobody. 98 00:04:47,921 --> 00:04:49,321 He wouldn't even come downstairs. 99 00:04:49,423 --> 00:04:50,989 He would just stay to himself. 100 00:04:51,091 --> 00:04:54,326 Sometimes he would be just zoned out. 101 00:04:54,428 --> 00:04:57,296 - Young men who are really damaged, 102 00:04:57,398 --> 00:05:00,666 they're coming home to really damaged environments 103 00:05:00,768 --> 00:05:02,267 having a very difficult time 104 00:05:02,369 --> 00:05:04,002 finding their space in the world 105 00:05:04,104 --> 00:05:07,639 that's traditionally said, "We don't want you." 106 00:05:10,711 --> 00:05:12,177 - I was trying to get a job. 107 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,780 Nobody was giving me any job interviews. 108 00:05:14,882 --> 00:05:18,317 Nobody was giving me any call back. 109 00:05:18,419 --> 00:05:22,354 - Many of these young men are not employable. 110 00:05:22,456 --> 00:05:25,190 - Coming home, you know, I was very discouraged 111 00:05:25,292 --> 00:05:27,192 and sometimes I'm still discouraged. 112 00:05:27,294 --> 00:05:28,627 I don't really think I could make it 113 00:05:28,729 --> 00:05:31,430 like these guys out here. 114 00:05:31,532 --> 00:05:33,565 It's sad to say, you know, I don't really tell 115 00:05:33,667 --> 00:05:36,668 too much people about this, but it's like, 116 00:05:36,770 --> 00:05:38,637 sometimes I talk to myself. 117 00:05:38,739 --> 00:05:42,207 And it's like, it's--it's-- it's actually embarrassing. 118 00:05:42,309 --> 00:05:44,509 Sometimes on the train, and you know, 119 00:05:44,611 --> 00:05:46,411 I have a whole conversation with myself 120 00:05:46,513 --> 00:05:49,648 for like, for 5 to 10 minutes. 121 00:05:49,750 --> 00:05:51,216 The day I caught myself doing it, 122 00:05:51,318 --> 00:05:54,386 I was like, "Wow, like, you're really crazy. 123 00:05:54,488 --> 00:05:56,221 You really talk to yourself." 124 00:05:56,323 --> 00:05:58,724 And people look at me, and they look at me weird, 125 00:05:58,826 --> 00:06:01,727 and it's embarrassing. 126 00:06:01,829 --> 00:06:04,329 You know, before I went to solitary confinement, 127 00:06:04,431 --> 00:06:06,598 you know, I didn't have problems like this. 128 00:06:10,437 --> 00:06:13,839 - He came home, and he would shut the blinds. 129 00:06:13,941 --> 00:06:15,073 He would shut the curtains, 130 00:06:15,175 --> 00:06:16,541 and we would just be in darkness. 131 00:06:16,643 --> 00:06:19,611 - He just acted really strange. 132 00:06:24,418 --> 00:06:28,320 The driveway: he would just walk four corners. 133 00:06:28,422 --> 00:06:30,455 I said, "Kalief, what's wrong with you?" 134 00:06:30,557 --> 00:06:31,690 "Ma, you don't understand. 135 00:06:31,792 --> 00:06:33,325 That's all I was allowed to do." 136 00:06:33,427 --> 00:06:35,961 I said, "Yeah, but you're home now." 137 00:06:37,998 --> 00:06:41,133 - It was not that he just was a troubled child 138 00:06:41,235 --> 00:06:42,100 when he was a kid. 139 00:06:42,202 --> 00:06:43,268 He wasn't. 140 00:06:43,370 --> 00:06:45,470 [hinges squeak] 141 00:06:46,707 --> 00:06:49,374 The torture that he suffered on Rikers, 142 00:06:49,476 --> 00:06:50,876 you can't reverse any of this. 143 00:06:50,978 --> 00:06:51,910 [door clicks shut] 144 00:06:54,314 --> 00:06:57,749 - I got a call from Kalief's brother Akeem. 145 00:06:57,851 --> 00:06:59,050 He called me and said, 146 00:06:59,153 --> 00:07:00,719 "My brother was in Rikers for three years, 147 00:07:00,821 --> 00:07:03,755 and they just released him on a robbery charge." 148 00:07:03,857 --> 00:07:06,691 So that doesn't make sense at all. 149 00:07:06,794 --> 00:07:09,294 Kalief showed up, and he just started talking. 150 00:07:09,396 --> 00:07:13,265 He was really soft-spoken, but you could sense his anger 151 00:07:13,367 --> 00:07:15,667 and his resentment and his pain. 152 00:07:17,771 --> 00:07:19,104 The goal was to go forward 153 00:07:19,206 --> 00:07:22,073 on some type of lawsuit against the city. 154 00:07:22,176 --> 00:07:25,143 And there were a plethora of civil rights violations 155 00:07:25,245 --> 00:07:26,678 in Kalief's case: 156 00:07:26,780 --> 00:07:29,047 the false arrest, the malicious prosecution, 157 00:07:29,149 --> 00:07:31,116 denial of medical needs, 158 00:07:31,218 --> 00:07:33,618 the denial of the right to a fair and speedy trial, 159 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,989 the torture that he endured in solitary confinement. 160 00:07:38,091 --> 00:07:39,157 And that's what we filed 161 00:07:39,259 --> 00:07:41,059 in our lawsuit against the city. 162 00:07:41,161 --> 00:07:49,334 ♪ ♪ 163 00:07:49,436 --> 00:07:51,670 It was unfathomable that this could happen 164 00:07:51,772 --> 00:07:54,673 to this kid in New York, 165 00:07:54,775 --> 00:07:56,775 not some obscure developing nation 166 00:07:56,877 --> 00:07:59,177 or somewhere you've never heard of. 167 00:07:59,279 --> 00:08:00,679 And then to just let him out 168 00:08:00,781 --> 00:08:04,516 without even any sort of apology. 169 00:08:04,618 --> 00:08:07,118 I reached out to the media. 170 00:08:07,221 --> 00:08:10,255 ♪ ♪ 171 00:08:10,357 --> 00:08:13,358 - It is an outrageous case of justice derailed. 172 00:08:13,460 --> 00:08:16,661 - Kalief Browder has now filed a civil rights lawsuit. 173 00:08:16,763 --> 00:08:19,698 - You brought a civil suit against the city, the NYPD, 174 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,132 Department of Corrections. 175 00:08:21,235 --> 00:08:23,702 - There was such a reckless disregard for his rights. 176 00:08:23,804 --> 00:08:25,203 - What was bad about this case? 177 00:08:25,305 --> 00:08:28,173 - Hmm. Pretty much everything. 178 00:08:28,275 --> 00:08:30,809 - Claims he was starved and beaten, which prompted him 179 00:08:30,911 --> 00:08:33,445 to try and commit suicide several times. 180 00:08:33,547 --> 00:08:34,713 - And I was missing a lot. 181 00:08:34,815 --> 00:08:36,214 I was missing school. 182 00:08:36,316 --> 00:08:37,749 I wanted to be out there working. 183 00:08:37,851 --> 00:08:39,518 I wanted to be around my family and friends. 184 00:08:39,620 --> 00:08:42,420 And I was getting abused by the COs. 185 00:08:42,523 --> 00:08:45,156 - He filed a civil lawsuit against the NYPD, 186 00:08:45,259 --> 00:08:46,658 the Bronx District Attorney, 187 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,294 and New York Department of Corrections. 188 00:08:49,396 --> 00:08:52,397 - He was suddenly freed with no explanation. 189 00:08:52,499 --> 00:08:53,899 - No apology, no nothing. 190 00:08:54,001 --> 00:08:56,368 They just said, "Oh, case dismissed. 191 00:08:56,470 --> 00:08:57,702 Don't worry about nothing." 192 00:08:57,804 --> 00:08:59,538 What do you mean, "Don't worry about nothing?" 193 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:01,273 Y'all just took over three years of my life. 194 00:09:01,375 --> 00:09:04,910 I didn't get to go to prom, graduation, nothing. 195 00:09:05,012 --> 00:09:07,412 Those are main years; I'm never gonna get those years back. 196 00:09:07,514 --> 00:09:10,749 Never. 197 00:09:10,851 --> 00:09:11,950 Never. 198 00:09:13,487 --> 00:09:15,520 I spent three New Years in there. 199 00:09:15,622 --> 00:09:19,891 - He wanted to tell what goes on there. 200 00:09:19,993 --> 00:09:22,260 And I'm proud of him for doing it. 201 00:09:22,362 --> 00:09:25,397 I worried, though, at the same time 202 00:09:25,499 --> 00:09:28,500 that people would come after him. 203 00:09:28,602 --> 00:09:30,435 That was a fear to me: 204 00:09:30,537 --> 00:09:32,203 somebody there would get angry, 205 00:09:32,306 --> 00:09:36,775 and they all know where he lives. 206 00:09:36,877 --> 00:09:40,645 I have seen cop cars parked down the street 207 00:09:40,747 --> 00:09:43,348 cruise by and look this way. 208 00:09:43,450 --> 00:09:44,583 - At first I didn't believe him 209 00:09:44,685 --> 00:09:46,785 'cause I thought it was just all in his head. 210 00:09:46,887 --> 00:09:49,788 So one day I was like, "Let me go outside with him 211 00:09:49,890 --> 00:09:51,189 to see if he's telling the truth." 212 00:09:51,291 --> 00:09:53,959 And I went outside with him, and I seen it for myself. 213 00:09:54,061 --> 00:09:57,429 I seen the parked car down the block on the corner. 214 00:09:57,531 --> 00:10:01,566 I seen the unlicensed car up the block towards this door, 215 00:10:01,668 --> 00:10:05,604 and I'm like, "Wow, they're really following him." 216 00:10:05,706 --> 00:10:07,205 - He said they were watching him 217 00:10:07,307 --> 00:10:10,108 and listening to everything we say. 218 00:10:10,210 --> 00:10:11,443 And sometimes I'd talk, and he go, 219 00:10:11,545 --> 00:10:13,778 [whispers quietly] "Shh. 220 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:15,814 Outside. Outside." 221 00:10:15,916 --> 00:10:18,483 Now, with the paranoia setting in, 222 00:10:18,585 --> 00:10:20,986 Kalief didn't trust nobody anymore. 223 00:10:21,088 --> 00:10:25,156 There were times he didn't trust me or anybody in this house. 224 00:10:25,258 --> 00:10:27,592 - It was really, really bad. 225 00:10:27,694 --> 00:10:29,427 - He went through an episode. 226 00:10:29,529 --> 00:10:30,795 He was peeing on the floor. 227 00:10:30,897 --> 00:10:34,065 - He had all of these bottles lined up. 228 00:10:34,167 --> 00:10:35,667 He was talking to them. 229 00:10:35,769 --> 00:10:37,002 - I said, "Ma, call 911. 230 00:10:37,104 --> 00:10:39,437 Kalief is gonna try to kill himself." 231 00:10:39,539 --> 00:10:41,706 [rapid footsteps, phone dialing] 232 00:10:41,808 --> 00:10:43,241 - 911, what's your emergency? 233 00:10:43,343 --> 00:10:45,510 - He's barely breathing. How many times-- 234 00:10:45,612 --> 00:10:46,544 [sirens wailing] 235 00:10:48,849 --> 00:10:52,150 [sirens wailing] 236 00:10:52,252 --> 00:10:55,153 [dramatic music] 237 00:10:55,255 --> 00:11:02,160 ♪ ♪ 238 00:11:06,333 --> 00:11:07,766 - When I first came home, 239 00:11:07,868 --> 00:11:10,802 you know, I tried to kill myself. 240 00:11:10,904 --> 00:11:15,140 It was just a matter of all the stress 241 00:11:15,242 --> 00:11:17,208 and everything I was going through, you know. 242 00:11:17,310 --> 00:11:21,279 The transition of not worrying about bills and having fun, 243 00:11:21,381 --> 00:11:22,614 to just coming home 244 00:11:22,716 --> 00:11:26,918 and just being strictly business is-- 245 00:11:27,020 --> 00:11:28,453 I feel like I'm losing my sanity. 246 00:11:28,555 --> 00:11:30,622 I never even got to have my fun. 247 00:11:30,724 --> 00:11:34,626 And it's like-- 248 00:11:34,728 --> 00:11:36,494 I don't know. It just brings me down. 249 00:11:39,566 --> 00:11:42,133 - I went to see Kalief. 250 00:11:42,235 --> 00:11:43,802 I spoke with the doctor and said, 251 00:11:43,904 --> 00:11:46,805 "Can I see what kind of medication you're giving him?" 252 00:11:46,907 --> 00:11:53,845 ♪ ♪ 253 00:12:00,554 --> 00:12:03,021 The doctor sat him down, I was in the room, 254 00:12:03,123 --> 00:12:04,322 and he asked Kalief, 255 00:12:04,424 --> 00:12:06,825 "Well, how does the medication make you feel?" 256 00:12:06,927 --> 00:12:08,493 So Kalief said he don't like it 257 00:12:08,595 --> 00:12:11,496 'cause it makes him feel, like, spaced out. 258 00:12:11,598 --> 00:12:13,832 - They told me, "If you don't take your medication, 259 00:12:13,934 --> 00:12:15,133 you're not going home." 260 00:12:15,235 --> 00:12:19,671 So I guess I have to take my medication. 261 00:12:19,773 --> 00:12:21,840 It was like reality check. You know? 262 00:12:21,942 --> 00:12:24,342 I did all this, I stayed in jail 263 00:12:24,444 --> 00:12:25,844 just to prove I was innocent, 264 00:12:25,946 --> 00:12:27,545 and to just to come home and take your life, 265 00:12:27,647 --> 00:12:29,447 that's when it hit me. 266 00:12:29,549 --> 00:12:33,351 It just woke me up. 267 00:12:33,453 --> 00:12:35,019 I wanted to live. 268 00:12:35,122 --> 00:12:38,690 ♪ ♪ 269 00:12:38,792 --> 00:12:40,291 I just wanted more for myself. 270 00:12:40,393 --> 00:12:44,696 I feel like I deserve more, and I should've-- 271 00:12:44,798 --> 00:12:46,397 I don't know. 272 00:12:50,604 --> 00:12:53,004 Right now, this is Broadway. 273 00:12:53,106 --> 00:12:54,072 I like the environment. 274 00:12:54,174 --> 00:12:55,874 Everybody has a sense of purpose out here. 275 00:12:55,976 --> 00:12:58,376 Everybody that you see out here, they either going to 276 00:12:58,478 --> 00:12:59,878 or they coming from work. You know? 277 00:12:59,980 --> 00:13:02,514 Where I come from, you know, there's not too much of that. 278 00:13:02,616 --> 00:13:04,382 So when I come here it motivates me. 279 00:13:04,484 --> 00:13:07,018 It motivates me to do better. 280 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,555 I have to catch up on my life. 281 00:13:10,657 --> 00:13:13,558 I didn't have anything to my name. 282 00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:18,062 So I enrolled in school so I could get my GED. 283 00:13:18,165 --> 00:13:19,397 - He wanted to change his life. 284 00:13:19,499 --> 00:13:20,899 He wanted to do good. 285 00:13:23,003 --> 00:13:25,303 - Kalief had it in him. 286 00:13:25,405 --> 00:13:27,872 He wanted to go places. 287 00:13:27,974 --> 00:13:29,741 [metallic clattering] 288 00:13:29,843 --> 00:13:31,776 These were some of the books he had read. 289 00:13:31,878 --> 00:13:36,714 And I just assume it was when he was in jail. 290 00:13:36,817 --> 00:13:39,350 "Organized Crime and American Power," 291 00:13:39,452 --> 00:13:40,952 "48 Laws of Power," 292 00:13:41,054 --> 00:13:44,255 "House of Bush, House of Saud." 293 00:13:44,357 --> 00:13:48,092 - Now, he's reading that in Rikers Island. 294 00:13:48,195 --> 00:13:51,496 What if he had read that in the 11th grade? 295 00:13:51,598 --> 00:13:54,766 - He was very curious, 296 00:13:54,868 --> 00:13:57,235 very bright. 297 00:13:57,337 --> 00:13:59,337 He wanted to feel normal. 298 00:13:59,439 --> 00:14:03,374 He wanted to feel in control and empowered, you know, 299 00:14:03,476 --> 00:14:06,144 like everyone else making decisions in life. 300 00:14:06,246 --> 00:14:09,314 - Took his GED and passed it on the first try. 301 00:14:11,218 --> 00:14:14,886 - He was trying to make the best of his life. 302 00:14:14,988 --> 00:14:16,921 I said, "What is the next step for you?" 303 00:14:17,023 --> 00:14:18,189 It was really a journey 304 00:14:18,291 --> 00:14:22,293 bringing him to Bronx Community College. 305 00:14:22,395 --> 00:14:26,965 - He started going to Bronx Community. 306 00:14:27,067 --> 00:14:30,301 They became like a family to him. 307 00:14:30,403 --> 00:14:32,804 - I'm majoring in business management, 308 00:14:32,906 --> 00:14:36,774 and probably maybe running my own business one day. 309 00:14:36,877 --> 00:14:41,112 - And he was happy there. 310 00:14:41,214 --> 00:14:43,648 - The first time I met Kalief, he was sitting in the hallway. 311 00:14:43,750 --> 00:14:46,684 He had a notebook and he was writing things down. 312 00:14:46,786 --> 00:14:50,388 I always thought he was very humble, very quiet. 313 00:14:50,490 --> 00:14:51,723 Basically very consistent. 314 00:14:51,825 --> 00:14:53,191 Kalief always-- 315 00:14:53,293 --> 00:14:55,860 When Kalief said, "I'm gonna be there," he always was here. 316 00:14:58,064 --> 00:14:59,931 - This... 317 00:15:00,033 --> 00:15:01,699 is his famous bike. 318 00:15:05,005 --> 00:15:08,239 This is how he used to get to BCC every day, 319 00:15:08,341 --> 00:15:12,877 and he was so proud of his bike. 320 00:15:12,979 --> 00:15:16,180 ♪ ♪ 321 00:15:16,283 --> 00:15:18,683 And everybody used to say, "Oh, here come Kalief, 322 00:15:18,785 --> 00:15:20,084 him and his bike." 323 00:15:23,290 --> 00:15:26,024 He was determined. 324 00:15:26,126 --> 00:15:29,127 When he first started, he didn't know how to write. 325 00:15:29,229 --> 00:15:31,596 He'd say, "Ma, will you help me with this? 326 00:15:31,698 --> 00:15:33,298 Ma, check this for me." 327 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:35,867 And I would proofread it and everything. 328 00:15:35,969 --> 00:15:37,135 Next thing I know, I felt bad. 329 00:15:37,237 --> 00:15:38,569 He didn't need my help anymore. 330 00:15:38,672 --> 00:15:40,538 He did everything on his own. 331 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,642 That was like a dream come true. 332 00:15:44,744 --> 00:15:46,177 - That was a proud moment for her, 333 00:15:46,279 --> 00:15:50,181 to figure out that one child that had that hard life 334 00:15:50,283 --> 00:15:52,583 is now in college and doing very well. 335 00:15:52,686 --> 00:15:57,555 - When he went to BCC, it was like a new life. 336 00:15:57,657 --> 00:15:59,490 - It's not about what happened in Rikers. 337 00:15:59,592 --> 00:16:02,427 It's what can happen now, and your life can be different. 338 00:16:02,529 --> 00:16:06,064 - Kalief was the humble soul, 339 00:16:06,166 --> 00:16:07,865 very dedicated 340 00:16:07,968 --> 00:16:11,002 to what he wanted to accomplish in life. 341 00:16:11,104 --> 00:16:14,572 But he told me one day, "I don't know myself. 342 00:16:14,674 --> 00:16:16,741 I don't know who I am." 343 00:16:16,843 --> 00:16:19,344 And my only response was, 344 00:16:19,446 --> 00:16:22,080 "Your memories are not serving you. 345 00:16:22,182 --> 00:16:24,415 "You need to re-create new memories. 346 00:16:24,517 --> 00:16:25,750 You need a vacation." 347 00:16:25,852 --> 00:16:29,053 ♪ ♪ 348 00:16:29,155 --> 00:16:30,822 Go somewhere and just try to 349 00:16:30,924 --> 00:16:34,759 take your mind away from everything. 350 00:16:34,861 --> 00:16:37,462 - Coming out of incarceration, you're confined. 351 00:16:37,564 --> 00:16:39,697 You've got no freedom; 352 00:16:39,799 --> 00:16:41,366 you're not getting much respect. 353 00:16:41,468 --> 00:16:43,634 So I've spent the last two years 354 00:16:43,737 --> 00:16:45,436 developing a program called Rewilding 355 00:16:45,538 --> 00:16:48,573 that's focused on taking formerly incarcerated guys 356 00:16:48,675 --> 00:16:50,541 on life changing adventures. 357 00:16:50,643 --> 00:16:52,110 I flew into New York from Colorado 358 00:16:52,212 --> 00:16:54,012 and spent a week meeting with young men 359 00:16:54,114 --> 00:16:57,215 who were interested in coming on the adventure with us. 360 00:16:57,317 --> 00:16:59,117 - The first person that came to mind 361 00:16:59,219 --> 00:17:01,719 for the director and myself was Kalief. 362 00:17:01,821 --> 00:17:03,254 - [indistinct]. 363 00:17:03,356 --> 00:17:05,123 - No, you're cool. Cool. 364 00:17:05,225 --> 00:17:06,591 All right. Sweet. 365 00:17:06,693 --> 00:17:07,892 - Kalief. 366 00:17:07,994 --> 00:17:09,694 - Glad we got that through, the beginning part. 367 00:17:09,796 --> 00:17:11,295 So essentially what I'm gonna do is just 368 00:17:11,398 --> 00:17:14,465 chat with you about, um-- 369 00:17:14,567 --> 00:17:16,467 So I sat down with Kalief, you know, 370 00:17:16,569 --> 00:17:18,803 and just, you know, tried to have a conversation with him, 371 00:17:18,905 --> 00:17:19,971 get to know him. 372 00:17:20,073 --> 00:17:22,473 - I would describe myself as, 373 00:17:22,575 --> 00:17:26,644 I don't know; I guess I would say I'm driven. 374 00:17:26,746 --> 00:17:31,049 I just-- I don't know what to say. 375 00:17:31,151 --> 00:17:33,284 - He was just a sweet kid, you know? 376 00:17:33,386 --> 00:17:34,786 Thoughtful. 377 00:17:34,888 --> 00:17:36,654 - As a person I want to grow, 378 00:17:36,756 --> 00:17:41,726 but it's just hard to talk about when, you know, 379 00:17:41,828 --> 00:17:43,728 there's just a lot of stuff I've been through. 380 00:17:43,830 --> 00:17:46,230 I'm trying to get over that stuff. 381 00:17:46,332 --> 00:17:48,099 It's hard. I go to counseling, 382 00:17:48,201 --> 00:17:51,002 and I take medication now. 383 00:17:51,104 --> 00:17:53,671 But I'm just trying to-- 384 00:17:53,773 --> 00:17:56,474 I don't know. I don't know. 385 00:17:56,576 --> 00:17:58,176 Stuff is personal. 386 00:17:58,278 --> 00:18:00,445 - Yeah. [indistinct]. 387 00:18:00,547 --> 00:18:02,880 There was so much going on inside of him. 388 00:18:02,982 --> 00:18:04,782 And he needs help, and he's asking for help, 389 00:18:04,884 --> 00:18:06,217 and he's looking for help, 390 00:18:06,319 --> 00:18:10,688 - I just feel like me leaving and going somewhere, 391 00:18:10,790 --> 00:18:13,691 maybe I could just, you know, 392 00:18:13,793 --> 00:18:16,094 let it out and leave it there. 393 00:18:16,196 --> 00:18:20,531 [waves crashing] 394 00:18:20,633 --> 00:18:23,301 I would love to learn how to climb rocks. 395 00:18:23,403 --> 00:18:25,770 I would love to learn about everything involved in nature. 396 00:18:25,872 --> 00:18:27,405 I've never did anything like that: 397 00:18:27,507 --> 00:18:33,277 fish, swim, um, make a tent. 398 00:18:33,379 --> 00:18:36,514 I might come back with a whole nother personality, 399 00:18:36,616 --> 00:18:39,717 a whole nother me, or a whole nother outlook on life. 400 00:18:39,819 --> 00:18:41,018 - I immediately knew that this is 401 00:18:41,121 --> 00:18:42,954 probably the guy we needed to bring. 402 00:18:43,056 --> 00:18:45,990 But there is this caveat that we expressed to him 403 00:18:46,092 --> 00:18:47,225 and made clear that, you know, 404 00:18:47,327 --> 00:18:48,693 "Even if you do end up 405 00:18:48,795 --> 00:18:50,294 "getting selected to come on this trip, 406 00:18:50,396 --> 00:18:52,263 "it's not gonna happen for, you know, 407 00:18:52,365 --> 00:18:55,032 six to eight months." 408 00:18:55,135 --> 00:18:56,901 There was disappointment. 409 00:18:57,003 --> 00:18:59,904 I think his need for relief was more immediate. 410 00:19:00,006 --> 00:19:02,907 ♪ ♪ 411 00:19:03,009 --> 00:19:05,576 - I used to watch movies and TV. 412 00:19:05,678 --> 00:19:08,012 I'd see people in Paris 413 00:19:08,114 --> 00:19:10,381 or London 414 00:19:10,483 --> 00:19:13,084 or Africa, 415 00:19:13,186 --> 00:19:16,754 and I see pyramids. 416 00:19:16,856 --> 00:19:18,222 When I see it in the movies like that, 417 00:19:18,324 --> 00:19:19,657 you gotta get stressed out. 418 00:19:19,759 --> 00:19:23,060 I just be like, "I'll never be able to do that stuff." 419 00:19:23,163 --> 00:19:27,098 Like, sometimes I think like that. 420 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:28,933 But I don't know. 421 00:19:29,035 --> 00:19:31,969 [siren wails distantly] 422 00:19:34,541 --> 00:19:35,640 [clock hand clicks] 423 00:19:38,878 --> 00:19:42,213 [ominous music] 424 00:19:42,315 --> 00:19:45,016 - We were possibly on a track to settle the case, 425 00:19:45,118 --> 00:19:47,652 getting some of the discovery from the city, 426 00:19:47,754 --> 00:19:50,555 and obviously, we were in shock by what was saw 427 00:19:50,657 --> 00:19:52,256 in terms of the records 428 00:19:52,358 --> 00:19:55,560 and some of the stuff that the city had turned over. 429 00:19:55,662 --> 00:19:57,895 He wanted to get out there and tell the story. 430 00:19:57,997 --> 00:19:59,730 He thought that was important. 431 00:19:59,832 --> 00:20:01,933 - I meet lots of people whose lawyers tell me, 432 00:20:02,035 --> 00:20:04,035 "You gotta hear my client's case." 433 00:20:04,137 --> 00:20:05,469 When I actually met Kalief Browder, 434 00:20:05,572 --> 00:20:07,405 my entire world changed. 435 00:20:07,507 --> 00:20:08,839 You're a better man than me. 436 00:20:08,942 --> 00:20:11,475 You made a decision that you were gonna fight this. 437 00:20:11,578 --> 00:20:12,543 - That's correct. 438 00:20:12,645 --> 00:20:13,978 - How'd you come to that conclusion? 439 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:15,746 - Because I know deep down inside in my heart, 440 00:20:15,848 --> 00:20:16,914 I didn't do it. 441 00:20:17,016 --> 00:20:18,716 But a lot of people aren't strong. 442 00:20:18,818 --> 00:20:20,251 They would take the plea deal and take it 443 00:20:20,353 --> 00:20:21,485 knowing that they didn't do it. 444 00:20:21,588 --> 00:20:22,753 And that happens every day. 445 00:20:22,855 --> 00:20:27,625 Happens every day, so I just--I don't know. 446 00:20:27,727 --> 00:20:30,428 - Jennifer, could you tell us how it is 447 00:20:30,530 --> 00:20:33,431 that you came to write the story about Kalief Browder 448 00:20:33,533 --> 00:20:35,700 and how that story unfolded? 449 00:20:35,802 --> 00:20:38,002 - Kalief filed a civil suit against New York City 450 00:20:38,104 --> 00:20:42,607 and got a tiny bit of press. And in early 2014, 451 00:20:42,709 --> 00:20:45,610 I thought maybe I would write about him. 452 00:20:45,712 --> 00:20:47,645 But I ended up meeting him and sitting down with him 453 00:20:47,747 --> 00:20:51,282 and at this point, he was 20, about to turn 21 454 00:20:51,384 --> 00:20:53,284 and told him I wanted to write a story about him 455 00:20:53,386 --> 00:20:55,152 and asked him if he wanted to be written about, 456 00:20:55,255 --> 00:20:57,088 and, uh, and he did. 457 00:20:57,190 --> 00:21:00,091 [mysterious music] 458 00:21:00,193 --> 00:21:08,132 ♪ ♪ 459 00:21:08,234 --> 00:21:10,568 - Jennifer Gonnerman, it was a blockbuster story-- 460 00:21:10,670 --> 00:21:12,069 a really important story. 461 00:21:12,171 --> 00:21:13,738 - He spent three years on Rikers Island 462 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,107 trapped there without having been convicted of a crime. 463 00:21:16,209 --> 00:21:19,644 - A "New Yorker" profile is not just any kind of journalism. 464 00:21:19,746 --> 00:21:23,080 It's the top of New York investigation. 465 00:21:23,182 --> 00:21:25,416 - How did he become the face of this story? 466 00:21:25,518 --> 00:21:26,984 - Almost everything that could go wrong 467 00:21:27,086 --> 00:21:29,520 in the criminal justice system had happened to him. 468 00:21:29,622 --> 00:21:30,988 - Jennifer, how does this happen in America? 469 00:21:31,090 --> 00:21:31,989 We have a constitution. 470 00:21:32,091 --> 00:21:33,424 You have a right to a speedy trial. 471 00:21:33,526 --> 00:21:37,662 - Reality is that the media has a very tough job 472 00:21:37,764 --> 00:21:39,664 of telling big stories. 473 00:21:39,766 --> 00:21:41,732 You think about what's going on in Syria. 474 00:21:41,834 --> 00:21:43,067 You have, you know, 475 00:21:43,169 --> 00:21:45,336 hundreds of thousands of people that get killed; 476 00:21:45,438 --> 00:21:46,804 it's just a number. 477 00:21:46,906 --> 00:21:49,507 Then you see one baby wash up on a beach, 478 00:21:49,609 --> 00:21:52,009 and the whole world goes crazy. 479 00:21:52,111 --> 00:21:53,177 In some ways, Kalief was 480 00:21:53,279 --> 00:21:55,313 the baby that washed up on the beach. 481 00:22:02,622 --> 00:22:05,289 - I read a piece in "The New Yorker." 482 00:22:05,391 --> 00:22:08,559 I just felt compelled to meet with him, 483 00:22:08,661 --> 00:22:10,161 have a conversation with him, 484 00:22:10,263 --> 00:22:11,362 tell him I'm proud of him 485 00:22:11,464 --> 00:22:13,898 and I'm sorry that this happened to him 486 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,468 and just encourage him to keep moving forward. 487 00:22:17,570 --> 00:22:19,804 [camera shutter clicks] 488 00:22:19,906 --> 00:22:21,272 He walked in the door, 489 00:22:21,374 --> 00:22:23,808 and I'm like, "How you doing? How you feeling? 490 00:22:23,910 --> 00:22:25,643 I'm really proud of you for everything 491 00:22:25,745 --> 00:22:27,578 that you went through in this ordeal 492 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,215 and standing up for yourself and what you believe in 493 00:22:31,317 --> 00:22:35,720 and having your fortitude to continue on. 494 00:22:35,822 --> 00:22:37,488 [camera shutter clicks] 495 00:22:37,590 --> 00:22:40,091 - I read the article in "The New Yorker"... 496 00:22:40,193 --> 00:22:41,158 [camera shutter clicks] 497 00:22:41,260 --> 00:22:44,428 And it blew my mind. 498 00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:46,263 What's the worst thing you could ever think 499 00:22:46,366 --> 00:22:48,065 that could happen to a child? 500 00:22:48,167 --> 00:22:50,000 That is it. 501 00:22:50,103 --> 00:22:51,268 [camera shutter clicks] 502 00:22:51,371 --> 00:22:53,104 And I looked at the picture of his face, 503 00:22:53,206 --> 00:22:56,574 and I was like, "Oh, I gotta help this kid." 504 00:22:56,676 --> 00:22:59,410 I called Paul, and I said, "I wanna help him. 505 00:22:59,512 --> 00:23:00,945 How can I help him?" 506 00:23:01,047 --> 00:23:04,081 He started telling me about what he was planning to do, 507 00:23:04,183 --> 00:23:06,050 and eventually, we booked him. 508 00:23:06,152 --> 00:23:07,952 Please welcome Kalief Browder. 509 00:23:08,054 --> 00:23:08,919 [applause] 510 00:23:09,021 --> 00:23:09,954 That's right. 511 00:23:10,056 --> 00:23:12,156 [applause continues] 512 00:23:12,258 --> 00:23:15,526 How are you? 513 00:23:15,628 --> 00:23:17,595 Excited about this show or a little nerve-racking? 514 00:23:17,697 --> 00:23:18,763 - A little nerve-racking. 515 00:23:18,865 --> 00:23:20,097 - Right. 516 00:23:20,199 --> 00:23:21,265 I went into the dressing room, 517 00:23:21,367 --> 00:23:22,767 and I just grabbed him 518 00:23:22,869 --> 00:23:23,934 and I held his face in my hands 519 00:23:24,036 --> 00:23:27,271 and I said, "You survived the unsurvivable, 520 00:23:27,373 --> 00:23:29,273 "and you are here to talk about it. 521 00:23:29,375 --> 00:23:32,476 "And there are people like me who you don't know 522 00:23:32,578 --> 00:23:36,480 who will do everything they can to help you." 523 00:23:36,582 --> 00:23:39,083 You found it inside of you to say no. 524 00:23:39,185 --> 00:23:40,117 - Right. 525 00:23:40,219 --> 00:23:41,685 - Where do you think that came from? 526 00:23:41,788 --> 00:23:43,320 - It came from within. 527 00:23:43,423 --> 00:23:44,822 It's like, that's my feelings. 528 00:23:44,924 --> 00:23:46,457 And it's-- 529 00:23:46,559 --> 00:23:49,393 You know, everything I've been through in there, and it's like, 530 00:23:49,495 --> 00:23:51,629 "You want me to just walk away like it's okay?" 531 00:23:51,731 --> 00:23:53,297 It's not okay. - Yeah. 532 00:23:53,399 --> 00:23:54,698 - You know, that's not okay. 533 00:23:54,801 --> 00:23:56,467 - You are really a hero, 534 00:23:56,569 --> 00:23:58,836 and I wanted you to know that and to feel that. 535 00:23:58,938 --> 00:24:01,906 [applause] 536 00:24:05,244 --> 00:24:06,577 And you're going to college now? 537 00:24:06,679 --> 00:24:07,578 - Yes. 538 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,180 [applause] 539 00:24:09,282 --> 00:24:10,648 - We got you a little something. 540 00:24:10,750 --> 00:24:12,583 [applause] We knew you didn't [indistinct]. 541 00:24:12,685 --> 00:24:14,885 Got you just a little laptop for you 542 00:24:14,987 --> 00:24:16,821 so that you can work your way up. 543 00:24:16,923 --> 00:24:19,323 Just to get what you need to get. 544 00:24:19,425 --> 00:24:20,991 - Thank you. Thank you. 545 00:24:21,093 --> 00:24:22,660 - And we want you to keep in touch 546 00:24:22,762 --> 00:24:25,229 because, uh, we care about you. 547 00:24:25,331 --> 00:24:27,031 I love you; I'm gonna give you a kiss. 548 00:24:27,133 --> 00:24:29,500 [applause] 549 00:24:29,602 --> 00:24:31,268 - There'd be so much stuff going on, 550 00:24:31,370 --> 00:24:33,871 so many people trying to contact him, 551 00:24:33,973 --> 00:24:36,707 so many people trying to ask him to interview. 552 00:24:36,809 --> 00:24:39,543 It felt surreal. 553 00:24:39,645 --> 00:24:41,612 - This is a letter to Kalief. 554 00:24:41,714 --> 00:24:43,514 "Dear Kalief, 555 00:24:43,616 --> 00:24:44,682 "I want to encourage you 556 00:24:44,784 --> 00:24:46,851 to continue pursuing your dreams." 557 00:24:46,953 --> 00:24:49,053 "As Michelle Alexander points out 558 00:24:49,155 --> 00:24:51,388 "in her book 'The New Jim Crow,' 559 00:24:51,491 --> 00:24:55,192 what happened to you is not unique." 560 00:24:55,294 --> 00:24:59,029 - Kalief's story was not terribly unusual, 561 00:24:59,131 --> 00:25:01,031 but I was moved because 562 00:25:01,133 --> 00:25:04,702 it's impossible not to be moved if you really listen 563 00:25:04,804 --> 00:25:08,172 and really open your heart to stories like this. 564 00:25:08,274 --> 00:25:10,541 [leaves rustling] 565 00:25:10,643 --> 00:25:13,277 - Somebody told me, "Can you please go to 'The New Yorker' 566 00:25:13,379 --> 00:25:16,647 and read the story about him?" 567 00:25:16,749 --> 00:25:17,715 [deep breath] 568 00:25:17,817 --> 00:25:21,285 That was hard. 569 00:25:21,387 --> 00:25:24,221 He asked that we didn't share it with the school, 570 00:25:24,323 --> 00:25:25,990 you know, which was difficult to contain, 571 00:25:26,092 --> 00:25:28,893 you know, because now it's in the public eye. 572 00:25:28,995 --> 00:25:30,394 - I'm in the public eye. 573 00:25:30,496 --> 00:25:32,663 You know, when your name's in the newspaper, 574 00:25:32,765 --> 00:25:35,566 your face is on TV, it's stressful. 575 00:25:35,668 --> 00:25:37,268 All the sudden, you feel very exposed; 576 00:25:37,370 --> 00:25:39,436 you feel vulnerable. 577 00:25:39,539 --> 00:25:41,605 - The people on campus would have him come 578 00:25:41,707 --> 00:25:45,442 meet with the presidents and vice presidents, 579 00:25:45,545 --> 00:25:47,278 and he would be aggravated. 580 00:25:47,380 --> 00:25:48,579 He didn't like the attention. 581 00:25:48,681 --> 00:25:50,314 And he didn't want the attention. 582 00:25:50,416 --> 00:25:51,515 He didn't want fame. 583 00:25:51,617 --> 00:25:53,417 He wanted justice. 584 00:25:53,519 --> 00:25:59,023 ♪ ♪ 585 00:25:59,125 --> 00:26:01,258 - I don't really think Kalief understood. 586 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:03,761 And I was just like, "It's gonna be a lot of questions. 587 00:26:03,863 --> 00:26:06,130 "They have to take this testimony from you. 588 00:26:06,232 --> 00:26:10,100 'Cause all they've seen is the Kalief Browder on TV." 589 00:26:10,202 --> 00:26:11,101 He was nervous. 590 00:26:11,203 --> 00:26:12,770 He wasn't sure what to expect. 591 00:26:12,872 --> 00:26:14,638 And then, like, almost immediately, 592 00:26:14,740 --> 00:26:16,373 she got into asking him, like, 593 00:26:16,475 --> 00:26:19,076 what his attendance record was in kindergarten. 594 00:26:19,178 --> 00:26:20,644 You know, which was like, "What?" 595 00:26:20,746 --> 00:26:22,179 - Who was your math teacher? 596 00:26:22,281 --> 00:26:24,014 What was your favorite subject in ninth grade? 597 00:26:24,116 --> 00:26:25,349 Did you cut classes? 598 00:26:25,451 --> 00:26:26,817 Tell me one thing you learned in sociology. 599 00:26:26,919 --> 00:26:28,085 What kind of sports do you like to play? 600 00:26:28,187 --> 00:26:29,153 Tackle football? 601 00:26:29,255 --> 00:26:30,254 What kind of Bible study was it? 602 00:26:30,356 --> 00:26:31,689 Do you want to tell me about that? 603 00:26:31,791 --> 00:26:32,923 I see you're wearing beads around your neck. 604 00:26:33,025 --> 00:26:34,158 You're not Catholic, are you? 605 00:26:36,095 --> 00:26:38,862 - He started having this paranoid delusion. 606 00:26:38,965 --> 00:26:41,665 - Yesterday I just felt like everybody was watching me. 607 00:26:41,767 --> 00:26:43,701 They're trying to put me back in jail. 608 00:26:43,803 --> 00:26:47,037 - He went off about people on Facebook that weren't real. 609 00:26:47,139 --> 00:26:49,306 - I talked to some of my friends, and it's not them. 610 00:26:49,408 --> 00:26:51,976 The whole time I'm talking to them thinking they're real, 611 00:26:52,078 --> 00:26:55,245 and they're not real. 612 00:26:55,348 --> 00:26:57,648 - Now, he just wasn't all there. 613 00:26:57,750 --> 00:27:00,818 - Some days he would question who I was. 614 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:03,187 He would say, "I know who you are. 615 00:27:03,289 --> 00:27:04,822 You're working with the FBI." 616 00:27:04,924 --> 00:27:06,523 And I'm like, "What are you talking about?" 617 00:27:06,626 --> 00:27:08,759 - He said, "Miss, I know who you are. 618 00:27:08,861 --> 00:27:09,960 I know who you are." 619 00:27:10,062 --> 00:27:12,096 - I didn't notice at first, 620 00:27:12,198 --> 00:27:15,065 but I believe honestly they are cops. 621 00:27:15,167 --> 00:27:18,168 - "Miss, are you bringing the police to my house? 622 00:27:18,270 --> 00:27:20,004 "Miss, where are you? 623 00:27:20,106 --> 00:27:21,705 Miss Frida, where are you?" 624 00:27:21,807 --> 00:27:22,740 - Even in my classroom. 625 00:27:22,842 --> 00:27:23,907 I know they're in my classroom. 626 00:27:24,010 --> 00:27:24,942 I feel it. 627 00:27:25,044 --> 00:27:25,909 I can tell. 628 00:27:26,012 --> 00:27:27,911 They stand out. 629 00:27:28,014 --> 00:27:29,346 - He goes to his neighborhood. 630 00:27:29,448 --> 00:27:32,449 People look at him like, "Man, you're fronting. 631 00:27:32,551 --> 00:27:33,684 We know who you are." 632 00:27:33,786 --> 00:27:35,219 - Now I'm on TV. 633 00:27:35,321 --> 00:27:38,122 People in my neighborhood, they think that I have money. 634 00:27:38,224 --> 00:27:40,691 - Some guy on the block, 635 00:27:40,793 --> 00:27:42,960 he approached Kalief in an offensive way. 636 00:27:43,062 --> 00:27:44,461 Kalief approached back, 637 00:27:44,563 --> 00:27:46,030 and I think they started fighting. 638 00:27:46,132 --> 00:27:48,198 And then he just shot Kalief. 639 00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:49,199 [gunshot] 640 00:27:49,301 --> 00:27:50,367 [siren wails] 641 00:27:50,469 --> 00:27:52,703 - Kalief got shot in the stomach. 642 00:27:52,805 --> 00:27:54,838 It was a train wreck. 643 00:27:54,940 --> 00:27:56,907 [siren wails] 644 00:27:59,478 --> 00:28:02,513 - After "The View," we stayed in touch. 645 00:28:02,615 --> 00:28:04,548 One day I hadn't heard from him in a while, 646 00:28:04,650 --> 00:28:06,684 and I kept saying to Paul, "What's going?" 647 00:28:06,786 --> 00:28:09,586 And then he called me up and said he was shot. 648 00:28:09,689 --> 00:28:10,821 And I said, "What?" 649 00:28:10,923 --> 00:28:15,592 ♪ ♪ 650 00:28:15,695 --> 00:28:17,928 - You know, there was just a trail of bad luck, 651 00:28:18,030 --> 00:28:21,598 bad people, demons. 652 00:28:21,701 --> 00:28:23,801 You know, he always said he was cursed. 653 00:28:27,206 --> 00:28:28,472 Like, tormented. 654 00:28:34,113 --> 00:28:40,617 ♪ ♪ 655 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,622 - So then he came home, and he went Christmas shopping. 656 00:28:45,725 --> 00:28:49,359 And he went shopping to buy his mother a Christmas present. 657 00:28:49,462 --> 00:28:53,130 He said he bought, you know, a set of pots and pans 658 00:28:53,232 --> 00:28:55,065 'cause he knows I like to cook. 659 00:28:55,167 --> 00:28:57,634 And he was downtown. 660 00:28:57,737 --> 00:28:59,470 He had a lot of bags. 661 00:28:59,572 --> 00:29:02,473 And he said "Mommy, nobody would stop to give me a ride." 662 00:29:02,575 --> 00:29:04,208 He said he tried to get a cab. 663 00:29:04,310 --> 00:29:08,011 - Let's see how long it takes a black to get a yellow taxi. 664 00:29:08,114 --> 00:29:10,080 Hello? Hello? 665 00:29:10,182 --> 00:29:11,615 You drove right by me. - I didn't see you, sir. 666 00:29:11,717 --> 00:29:13,917 - No, you did see me. How come you didn't pick me up? 667 00:29:14,019 --> 00:29:15,285 You didn't see me waving at you? 668 00:29:15,387 --> 00:29:16,987 - Something would trigger him, 669 00:29:17,089 --> 00:29:19,490 then he would go into that dark place. 670 00:29:19,592 --> 00:29:23,660 He ended up in a building and he went to the top floor, 671 00:29:23,763 --> 00:29:28,999 and he was preaching about cops and the internet 672 00:29:29,101 --> 00:29:31,935 and how they're watching; you gotta be careful. 673 00:29:32,037 --> 00:29:34,838 Somebody called the cops. 674 00:29:34,940 --> 00:29:37,941 The cops came and he wouldn't stop rambling on, 675 00:29:38,043 --> 00:29:40,511 so they took him to the psych ward at Harlem Hospital. 676 00:29:40,613 --> 00:29:43,514 [mysterious music] 677 00:29:43,616 --> 00:29:50,554 ♪ ♪ 678 00:29:55,461 --> 00:29:58,662 The doctor called him in and he asked Kalief, 679 00:29:58,764 --> 00:30:02,299 "Well, Kalief, how does the medicine make you feel?" 680 00:30:02,401 --> 00:30:03,834 So Kalief said he didn't like it 681 00:30:03,936 --> 00:30:08,539 because it made him walk around like in a haze like a zombie. 682 00:30:08,641 --> 00:30:15,579 ♪ ♪ 683 00:30:22,154 --> 00:30:23,854 - Please give our best regards to the young man. 684 00:30:23,956 --> 00:30:26,023 We hope that he'll continue to heal. 685 00:30:26,125 --> 00:30:28,559 - He's had setbacks. 686 00:30:28,661 --> 00:30:31,028 He's been hospitalized since his, uh-- 687 00:30:31,130 --> 00:30:32,329 since his release from jail, 688 00:30:32,431 --> 00:30:33,897 but he's making progress 689 00:30:33,999 --> 00:30:37,067 and taking each day as it comes. 690 00:30:37,169 --> 00:30:41,872 - Out here in New York City, you know, I'm struggling. 691 00:30:41,974 --> 00:30:45,909 And just being in counseling, and-- 692 00:30:46,011 --> 00:30:47,110 I don't know. 693 00:30:49,348 --> 00:30:52,583 - I mean, for the first two hours. 694 00:30:52,685 --> 00:30:54,685 You know, 'cause you go in there 695 00:30:54,787 --> 00:30:56,954 because you stressed or depressed, 696 00:30:57,056 --> 00:30:58,889 so you talk your problems out. 697 00:30:58,991 --> 00:31:00,824 And, you know, it's soothing 698 00:31:00,926 --> 00:31:04,361 and it's comforting, but it after it's over, 699 00:31:04,463 --> 00:31:08,699 you know, it's like you're walking right back into reality. 700 00:31:08,801 --> 00:31:11,935 Talking doesn't solve your problem. 701 00:31:12,037 --> 00:31:14,338 I just feel as if 702 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,040 me leaving and going somewhere 703 00:31:17,142 --> 00:31:18,242 and getting some air 704 00:31:18,344 --> 00:31:21,945 and instead of thinking about jail 705 00:31:22,047 --> 00:31:23,447 and what was done to me 706 00:31:23,549 --> 00:31:27,451 and what I saw and stuff like that in there is the-- 707 00:31:27,553 --> 00:31:30,621 you know, just an escape of what I see every day 708 00:31:30,723 --> 00:31:33,824 and to do something new, I feel, 709 00:31:33,926 --> 00:31:37,461 would be, you know... 710 00:31:37,563 --> 00:31:38,528 a reliever to me. 711 00:31:38,631 --> 00:31:40,597 It would be-- it would bring a relief. 712 00:31:40,699 --> 00:31:42,065 That's how I feel about it. 713 00:31:42,167 --> 00:31:46,803 ♪ ♪ 714 00:31:46,906 --> 00:31:51,141 - Rock climbing, skylining, camping in general 715 00:31:51,243 --> 00:31:53,310 was a golden opportunity 716 00:31:53,412 --> 00:31:58,482 for Kalief to get his mind away from everything 717 00:31:58,584 --> 00:32:00,951 and get a refreshed idea 718 00:32:01,053 --> 00:32:02,953 of what life was supposed to be like. 719 00:32:03,055 --> 00:32:05,322 - Reached out to Kalief, and, you know, 720 00:32:05,424 --> 00:32:07,257 we had this conversation, you know, on the phone, 721 00:32:07,359 --> 00:32:08,992 and he's like, "I do wanna go. I do. 722 00:32:09,094 --> 00:32:12,029 "You know, but there's questions. 723 00:32:12,131 --> 00:32:14,498 "I'm having this conversation with my lawyer, 724 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:15,999 "and he's making me concerned, like, 725 00:32:16,101 --> 00:32:18,835 maybe it's not gonna be the best thing to do." 726 00:32:18,938 --> 00:32:20,237 - What day is that? 727 00:32:20,339 --> 00:32:22,773 You know, and he was going through a rough time. 728 00:32:22,875 --> 00:32:24,441 I told him, like, "Look. 729 00:32:24,543 --> 00:32:26,843 "Just keep yourself together. 730 00:32:26,946 --> 00:32:28,045 "Just hang in there. 731 00:32:28,147 --> 00:32:30,847 You can do any of that stuff afterwards." 732 00:32:30,950 --> 00:32:32,316 - You know, his lawyer didn't want him 733 00:32:32,418 --> 00:32:33,884 to go on this adventure. 734 00:32:33,986 --> 00:32:35,285 I guess at the end of the day, 735 00:32:35,387 --> 00:32:38,422 um, Kalief, you know, took that advice. 736 00:32:39,725 --> 00:32:41,425 - He knew people supported him. 737 00:32:41,527 --> 00:32:43,860 But until the city had took some accountability 738 00:32:43,963 --> 00:32:46,363 and admitted wrongdoing, 739 00:32:46,465 --> 00:32:47,898 he wouldn't get justice. 740 00:32:50,703 --> 00:32:52,703 I didn't want her to keep jurying this through. 741 00:32:52,805 --> 00:32:55,505 Ideally, a settlement would have allowed him 742 00:32:55,607 --> 00:32:58,041 to put all this behind him 743 00:32:58,143 --> 00:33:00,010 and maybe start fresh. 744 00:33:00,112 --> 00:33:02,946 And all the bad things that were following him, 745 00:33:03,048 --> 00:33:05,549 maybe there'll be an end 746 00:33:05,651 --> 00:33:08,885 and some sort of closure and everything. 747 00:33:08,988 --> 00:33:10,153 - Good morning, Mr. Browder. 748 00:33:10,255 --> 00:33:11,588 - Good morning. 749 00:33:11,690 --> 00:33:14,024 - Would you like for me to go over the rules again? 750 00:33:14,126 --> 00:33:15,792 - I know you need his words under oath. 751 00:33:15,894 --> 00:33:17,027 I understand that. 752 00:33:17,129 --> 00:33:18,729 But talk to whoever you have to talk to, 753 00:33:18,831 --> 00:33:21,565 and let's start discussing settlement. 754 00:33:21,667 --> 00:33:24,735 - Kalief never really cared about money. 755 00:33:24,837 --> 00:33:26,069 I asked him; I said, 756 00:33:26,171 --> 00:33:29,239 "If you were a millionaire, what would you do?" 757 00:33:29,341 --> 00:33:31,575 "Um...I don't know what to do. 758 00:33:31,677 --> 00:33:34,344 What would you do?" was his response. 759 00:33:34,446 --> 00:33:36,346 ♪ ♪ 760 00:33:36,448 --> 00:33:40,517 He needed to get away from it all. 761 00:33:40,619 --> 00:33:42,786 There was so much stuff going on. 762 00:33:45,691 --> 00:33:48,358 Something told me to go check on him. 763 00:33:48,460 --> 00:33:50,260 And I asked him; I said, "Are you all right?" 764 00:33:50,362 --> 00:33:52,696 And he asked me, "Can I see your phone?" 765 00:33:52,798 --> 00:33:55,265 And he said, "You wanna see something?" 766 00:33:55,367 --> 00:33:56,933 - Jennifer Gonnerman and "The New Yorker" 767 00:33:57,036 --> 00:33:58,869 recently released surveillance footage 768 00:33:58,971 --> 00:34:01,171 showing some of the abuse that Browder endured. 769 00:34:01,273 --> 00:34:04,875 - We turn right now to explosive video 770 00:34:04,977 --> 00:34:06,610 depicting violence inside 771 00:34:06,712 --> 00:34:08,678 New York City's Rikers Island jail. 772 00:34:08,781 --> 00:34:10,347 - Footage like this never, ever comes out. 773 00:34:10,449 --> 00:34:13,216 It's not as if this was shot by some kind of camera crew. 774 00:34:13,318 --> 00:34:15,285 This is what goes on when nobody is looking. 775 00:34:15,387 --> 00:34:17,120 - And by the way, how did you get this video? 776 00:34:17,222 --> 00:34:18,889 - You know, I can't really get into how I got it, 777 00:34:18,991 --> 00:34:20,090 except that-- 778 00:34:20,192 --> 00:34:23,260 - He explained every moment of that tape 779 00:34:23,362 --> 00:34:26,897 as if he was replaying 780 00:34:26,999 --> 00:34:30,901 that event over in his head. 781 00:34:31,003 --> 00:34:34,805 I never saw no one shake as much as he was shaking 782 00:34:34,907 --> 00:34:39,643 as he was watching that video. 783 00:34:39,745 --> 00:34:43,313 The pain that he experienced is unique. 784 00:34:43,415 --> 00:34:44,648 ♪ ♪ 785 00:34:44,750 --> 00:34:47,584 There's no one that could identify 786 00:34:47,686 --> 00:34:51,088 with someone who experienced 787 00:34:51,190 --> 00:34:53,156 such an injustice 788 00:34:53,258 --> 00:34:56,159 that the world 789 00:34:56,261 --> 00:34:58,028 is affected by it. 790 00:35:10,375 --> 00:35:12,175 [clock hand squeaks] 791 00:35:13,645 --> 00:35:16,113 - I remember when we had a race on the campus, 792 00:35:16,215 --> 00:35:18,181 and we had to be here at 8:00 in the morning. 793 00:35:18,283 --> 00:35:20,283 He was here at 7:00 in the morning. 794 00:35:20,385 --> 00:35:22,085 And he's like, "I'm ready." 795 00:35:22,187 --> 00:35:24,955 He ran 5 miles, came first. 796 00:35:25,057 --> 00:35:26,590 He couldn't even breathe. 797 00:35:26,692 --> 00:35:28,959 Bent down, grabbed his knees and said, "Miss, I can't!" 798 00:35:29,061 --> 00:35:30,727 [laughs] But he did it. 799 00:35:30,829 --> 00:35:31,962 Even if it was going to kill him, 800 00:35:32,064 --> 00:35:32,996 he was gonna finish, 801 00:35:33,098 --> 00:35:34,965 and he was gonna finish first. 802 00:35:35,067 --> 00:35:36,466 It was a happy day. 803 00:35:36,568 --> 00:35:38,168 - Yep. - Yep. 804 00:35:38,270 --> 00:35:45,809 ♪ ♪ 805 00:35:45,911 --> 00:35:48,345 - Even though he had taken some steps forward, 806 00:35:48,447 --> 00:35:51,815 he was constantly taking steps back at the same time. 807 00:35:51,917 --> 00:35:56,153 - It was a troubled spirit and soul with him. 808 00:35:56,255 --> 00:35:58,822 I asked about his neighborhood, and just-- 809 00:35:58,924 --> 00:36:01,358 we spoke about just being uncomfortable. 810 00:36:02,461 --> 00:36:05,729 - He came to school with a big mark. 811 00:36:05,831 --> 00:36:08,765 He explained to me it was some guy on his block 812 00:36:08,867 --> 00:36:11,601 that asked him what happened with the case. 813 00:36:11,703 --> 00:36:13,904 He told him, "I don't want to talk about it." 814 00:36:14,006 --> 00:36:16,439 He said the guy ran upstairs, got a knife, 815 00:36:16,542 --> 00:36:19,876 chased him with the knife; the guy came over him. 816 00:36:19,978 --> 00:36:22,512 He literally had to hold the guy's hand 817 00:36:22,614 --> 00:36:25,048 so that he won't stab him in his face. 818 00:36:25,150 --> 00:36:32,355 ♪ ♪ 819 00:36:32,457 --> 00:36:34,558 - Kalief just thought he was cursed. 820 00:36:34,660 --> 00:36:35,926 ♪ ♪ 821 00:36:36,028 --> 00:36:39,095 And he couldn't overcome his nightmares. 822 00:36:39,198 --> 00:36:42,098 Even when he was back in the Bronx, 823 00:36:42,201 --> 00:36:45,235 it might as well have just been Rikers. 824 00:36:45,337 --> 00:36:47,037 - This dude, he had beef with Kalief. 825 00:36:47,139 --> 00:36:48,538 And he said, "I know you have money. 826 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:49,806 Give it up, give it up." 827 00:36:49,908 --> 00:36:51,208 I'm like, "What are you talking about, bro?" 828 00:36:51,310 --> 00:36:53,310 One of them threw me to the ground; 829 00:36:53,412 --> 00:36:56,546 another one took my wallet and ran off. 830 00:36:56,648 --> 00:36:58,548 Kalief, well, he was like, "Show me where they at." 831 00:36:58,650 --> 00:37:00,116 Like he wanted to fight. 832 00:37:00,219 --> 00:37:01,718 So I told him, like, "Come on, Kalief, 833 00:37:01,820 --> 00:37:03,086 let's go, let's go, let's go." 834 00:37:03,188 --> 00:37:06,223 Next thing you know, the cops is coming. 835 00:37:06,325 --> 00:37:07,557 They threw me to the ground. 836 00:37:07,659 --> 00:37:08,892 My face on the pavement. 837 00:37:08,994 --> 00:37:10,894 I knew Kalief was getting out of hand. 838 00:37:10,996 --> 00:37:12,495 Once they tried to put the cuffs on him, 839 00:37:12,598 --> 00:37:15,031 it just brought back flashbacks. 840 00:37:15,133 --> 00:37:17,901 Well, they took us to the precinct, 841 00:37:18,003 --> 00:37:21,671 and they charged us with resisting arrest. 842 00:37:21,773 --> 00:37:23,306 Once we was in Central Booking, 843 00:37:23,408 --> 00:37:24,908 he just started pacing back and forth, 844 00:37:25,010 --> 00:37:26,943 and I could see it in his eyes, like, 845 00:37:27,045 --> 00:37:30,180 Rikers is just flicking in his head over and over 846 00:37:30,282 --> 00:37:31,581 like this is the first step. 847 00:37:31,683 --> 00:37:34,184 It's like he's reliving his thing all over again. 848 00:37:34,286 --> 00:37:37,687 All he kept worrying about was school, school, school. 849 00:37:37,789 --> 00:37:39,589 "I gotta make it to school." 850 00:37:39,691 --> 00:37:41,424 Once Prestia came and got us, 851 00:37:41,526 --> 00:37:43,093 he just went straight to school. 852 00:37:43,195 --> 00:37:49,766 ♪ ♪ 853 00:37:49,868 --> 00:37:54,204 - He had a situation where he had to go back to court. 854 00:37:54,306 --> 00:37:57,540 And, um, his demeanor just literally dropped 855 00:37:57,643 --> 00:38:01,244 like his whole soul left him. 856 00:38:01,346 --> 00:38:03,513 - Not too long after Kalief was arrested, 857 00:38:03,615 --> 00:38:06,416 I had a call from one of the attorneys for the city. 858 00:38:06,518 --> 00:38:08,818 I was just calling to follow up. 859 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,187 It wasn't their prerogative to settle the case. 860 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,127 This was the city that [bleep] him. 861 00:38:17,229 --> 00:38:18,528 And now they were doing it again: 862 00:38:18,630 --> 00:38:20,630 dragging this case out, 863 00:38:20,732 --> 00:38:21,798 doubting him, 864 00:38:21,900 --> 00:38:23,066 being cynical, 865 00:38:23,168 --> 00:38:25,935 saying to me, "Maybe he wasn't a good kid. 866 00:38:26,038 --> 00:38:27,771 "Maybe he did do something wrong. 867 00:38:27,873 --> 00:38:29,639 Maybe he did rob that guy." 868 00:38:29,741 --> 00:38:30,974 What? 869 00:38:31,076 --> 00:38:33,977 Dude, they [bleep] dismissed the case. 870 00:38:34,079 --> 00:38:35,912 It's not even an issue. 871 00:38:36,014 --> 00:38:40,317 ♪ ♪ 872 00:38:40,419 --> 00:38:41,551 He was frustrated. 873 00:38:41,653 --> 00:38:43,820 He was like, "When can I move on from this? 874 00:38:43,922 --> 00:38:46,790 Now they don't believe me?" 875 00:38:46,892 --> 00:38:48,525 - Good morning, Mr. Browder. 876 00:38:48,627 --> 00:38:49,726 So as you're aware, 877 00:38:49,828 --> 00:38:51,227 this is our third day of deposition 878 00:38:51,330 --> 00:38:52,629 in this matter. 879 00:38:52,731 --> 00:38:55,332 - There were a lot of questions asked over and over, 880 00:38:55,434 --> 00:39:00,470 as to the way that he actually hung a noose 881 00:39:00,572 --> 00:39:02,672 around his neck in solitary. 882 00:39:02,774 --> 00:39:04,941 - So which did you do first? 883 00:39:05,043 --> 00:39:08,511 Did you tie it around your neck or around the ceiling first? 884 00:39:08,613 --> 00:39:09,979 How many times did you knot it? 885 00:39:10,082 --> 00:39:11,514 - About once or twice. 886 00:39:11,616 --> 00:39:12,916 - Was it loose around your neck, 887 00:39:13,018 --> 00:39:14,851 tight around your neck? 888 00:39:14,953 --> 00:39:17,520 - The attorney was really hammering him 889 00:39:17,622 --> 00:39:19,189 about these suicide attempts, 890 00:39:19,291 --> 00:39:21,157 you know, almost as if she didn't believe him. 891 00:39:21,259 --> 00:39:23,193 - And how did you tie it around your neck? 892 00:39:23,295 --> 00:39:25,161 - I tied it around my neck in a knot... 893 00:39:25,263 --> 00:39:26,563 - How did you do it? 894 00:39:26,665 --> 00:39:29,366 - Wrapped it around my neck and then I made a knot. 895 00:39:29,468 --> 00:39:31,334 - That's a really sensitive thing to question, 896 00:39:31,436 --> 00:39:34,838 if somebody's actually gonna kill themselves. 897 00:39:34,940 --> 00:39:38,108 - Kalief, I'm walking you through this step by step, 898 00:39:38,210 --> 00:39:40,543 and you have said five or more times 899 00:39:40,645 --> 00:39:44,881 that as soon as we looped it through you tied it 900 00:39:44,983 --> 00:39:46,549 and then you tied it to your neck. 901 00:39:46,651 --> 00:39:48,284 It's not making sense to me. 902 00:39:48,387 --> 00:39:51,221 - I hadn't seen him that angry in while. 903 00:39:51,323 --> 00:39:54,524 They were implying that he was lying 904 00:39:54,626 --> 00:39:58,895 when all he's done this entire time is be truthful. 905 00:39:58,997 --> 00:40:01,431 Maybe one day it'll all make sense. 906 00:40:04,970 --> 00:40:07,937 [hissing, garbled voices] 907 00:40:10,842 --> 00:40:14,577 - He was reading messages every 15 minutes. 908 00:40:14,679 --> 00:40:17,414 He kept saying, "Ma, they after me." 909 00:40:17,516 --> 00:40:20,750 Whatever it was, it terrified him. 910 00:40:20,852 --> 00:40:23,753 And he tried showing a message to me, 911 00:40:23,855 --> 00:40:28,425 but I didn't see what he saw. 912 00:40:28,527 --> 00:40:30,994 Kalief doesn't cry, 913 00:40:31,096 --> 00:40:33,530 but his eyes started to fill up with tears 914 00:40:33,632 --> 00:40:35,098 and he was terri-- 915 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:36,866 whatever these messages were. 916 00:40:36,968 --> 00:40:39,769 He's, "Ma, they warned-- they said they warned me, 917 00:40:39,871 --> 00:40:42,338 "and I didn't listen, so my life is over. 918 00:40:42,441 --> 00:40:43,606 They're coming after me." 919 00:40:48,346 --> 00:40:51,214 The next morning, I made breakfast. 920 00:40:51,316 --> 00:40:53,750 Kalief don't turn down food. 921 00:40:53,852 --> 00:40:55,452 But this particular morning, he said, 922 00:40:55,554 --> 00:40:57,320 "No, I'm good, Ma. You eat it." 923 00:41:01,526 --> 00:41:03,493 - He was like "Kamal, where you going?" 924 00:41:03,595 --> 00:41:07,030 I'm like, "I'm going to orientation for a job." 925 00:41:07,132 --> 00:41:08,932 He gave me a hug; he was like "Yo, 926 00:41:09,034 --> 00:41:11,468 "I'm proud to call you my brother. 927 00:41:11,570 --> 00:41:13,636 You're doing something with your life." 928 00:41:16,575 --> 00:41:18,007 He never did that. 929 00:41:21,313 --> 00:41:23,480 - Kalief came in the room. 930 00:41:23,582 --> 00:41:26,282 He said, "Ma, are you all right?" 931 00:41:26,384 --> 00:41:29,319 I said, "Yeah, I'm okay." 932 00:41:29,421 --> 00:41:31,354 I heard all this moving upstairs. 933 00:41:33,959 --> 00:41:36,125 All of a sudden, I hear... 934 00:41:36,228 --> 00:41:37,527 boom! 935 00:41:39,764 --> 00:41:43,166 [siren wails distantly] 936 00:41:43,268 --> 00:41:47,971 When I opened the back door, I saw him hanging. 937 00:41:49,774 --> 00:41:52,208 I screamed, and I called 911. 938 00:41:53,945 --> 00:41:56,346 Before they took him away, 939 00:41:56,448 --> 00:41:59,549 I asked them, "Could I at least give him 940 00:41:59,651 --> 00:42:03,653 a last kiss good-bye?" 941 00:42:03,755 --> 00:42:06,356 [sobbing] 942 00:42:06,458 --> 00:42:08,358 And I kissed him on his cheek, 943 00:42:08,460 --> 00:42:12,529 and his-- his face was all swollen. 944 00:42:12,631 --> 00:42:14,030 [sniffles] 945 00:42:14,132 --> 00:42:16,366 And that was it. 946 00:42:16,468 --> 00:42:18,535 Then they took him away. 947 00:42:18,637 --> 00:42:19,869 [sniffles] 948 00:42:19,971 --> 00:42:22,906 [siren wailing distantly] 949 00:42:24,643 --> 00:42:26,509 [sniffles] 950 00:42:26,611 --> 00:42:30,380 [sighs] 951 00:42:30,482 --> 00:42:33,416 [siren wailing]