Baltimore rioter cuts firehose live on CNN; Md. governor walks out on interview

During the riots in Baltimore Monday, CNN's cameras caught the moment a firehose that firefighters were using to put out the raging fire at a looted CVS drug store was cut.

As CNN's Miguel Marquez was interviewing a protestor on the street, the hose behind them was cut by a rioter, and water began shooting into the air.

"Wolf, did you see that?" Marquez asked host Wolf Blitzer, who was back in the "Situation Room" studio. "They just cut the hose with a knife."

As the camera panned back, a person wearing a pink and grey hoodie — face covered by a gas mask — circled back and stabbed the hose again.

Marquez continued the interview with the protestor, who did not seem concerned about what they just saw.

"So you would rather have your neighborhood burn?" Marquez asked.

"My neighborhood [is] not burned right now," he replied. "What you're getting an example of is what's really inside of everybody for about 20 years. I'm 41. I have witnessed atrocities that build up and build up."

Firefighters quickly replaced the cut hose and extinguished the blaze.

The riots broke out hours after the funeral for Freddie Gray, the black man who died this month while in police custody.

At least 15 police officers were hurt during the clashes, police said. According to the mayor's office, there were 144 vehicle fires, 15 structure fires and nearly 200 arrests. It's not clear whether the masked man was one of them.

Late Monday, CNN's Don Lemon pressed Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake about the state's response to the rioting and looting, asking why they waited until riots erupted to call in the state's National Guard.

After an 11-minute, sometimes testy exchange, Hogan and Rawlings-Blake ended the interview shortly before midnight, walking away as Lemon tried to ask about the enforcement of the city's planned curfew.

CNN, which was criticized for skipping the protests in Baltimore on Saturday for the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, was also criticized for parachuting in to cover the violence.

Baltimore city officials criticized the media for putting a spotlight on the violence.

"I'm heartbroken and I'm disturbed about how the news media are focusing on the negativity of this city and not looking at the great things that are going on in this city," City Council President Jack Young said at a news conference Monday night. "We have young people who are out there protesting peacefully. But you're not focusing on them. You're focusing on the people who are burning down buildings and rioting throughout the streets of Baltimore. Show the positive people who out there trying to stop these folk from doing this."

CNN's Anderson Cooper was dumbfounded.

"I'm not sure what he thinks cameras should be focused on at a time when police cars are being destroyed and lit on fire, 15 police officers are being injured, and stores are being looted," Cooper said. "I'm not sure exactly what images he would like us to be photographing at this time, but it seems pretty important that authorities know what's happening in their own city."

The same officials, Cooper added, vowed they would use the media images to identify individuals who committed crimes during the riots.

"You go to what's newsworthy, and that's the problem sometimes," William "Billy" Murphy, attorney for Freddie Gray's family, said on CNN Tuesday morning. "When you raced to the violence, you overdid it."