tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. the justice department releasing a scathing report on the louisville police department. what they've discovered. attorney general merrick garland traveling to louisville, revealing a list of blistering findings against the department, including what the justice department calls a pattern of racist behavior. saying officers disproportionately use excessive force against black people, including chokeholds, tasers, and police dogs. police accused of routinely abusing no-knock warrants, like the one used the night breonna taylor was shot and killed in her home. also tonight, the justice department revealing it is now launching a review into the memphis police department following the horrific police beating death of tyre nichols. pierre thomas standing by. the horrific fight breaking out on a plane. the flight from dallas to

phoenix, before it could even take off. what other passengers witnessed. some trying to stop the fight. all of this as the acting head of the faa is grilled on capitol hill today over the disturbing number of airline-related incidents. and gio benitez asks him, what's going on? we're tracking two major winter storms tonight. more than a dozen states on alert from california to wisconsin for heavy snow, flooding rain, and high winds. the system reaching the northeast by friday's commute. and rob marciano timing it out. the tragic new details tonight in the kidnapping of four americans in mexico. two of them shot and killed. the mother of one of the survivors on how the gunmen opened fire on that minivan. one of the survivors witnessing the two victims being shot and dying. matt rivers in mexico. tough questions on the hill tonight about the origins of covid-19 and will americans ever get an answer? what the former cdc director from the trump administration said today, and dr. fauci's response. the war in ukraine tonight.

the battle for bakhmut. the images here this evening. a ukrainian drone operator taking cover during a russian attack. james longman tonight, just 15 miles from the front lines. and tonight, here in the u.s., what the director of national intelligence said today about russia's strategy in ukraine. how russia believes they can win this. here in the u.s., emergency teams on the scene of yet another train derailment tonight. 22 cars off the tracks. tiger woods being sued by his ex-girlfriend over the nondisclosure agreement she claims she was forced to sign. the breaking news tonight on syracuse coaching legend jim boeheim. what the school is saying. what the coach is saying. and america strong tonight. the simple lesson about sunsets and holding hands. it got our attention. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. and we begin tonight with the

justice department sweeping investigation of the police department in louisville, kentucky, finding a damning pattern of illegal and discriminatory behavior, unnecessary use of force, unlawful traffic stops, detentions, and harassment. and racial bias. disproportionately targeting black people. the probe was launched after the fatal shooting of breonna taylor. attorney general merrick garland traveling to louisville himself today to reveal the findings, calling the misconduct heartbreaking. saying it erodes the community trust that is needed for effective community policing. breonna taylor was killed in a nighttime no-knock raid in her home in 2020 and it turned out she had no connection to the alleged crime they were investigating. and tonight, the justice department also revealing they are reviewing the police department in memphis, after the beating death of tyre nichols at the hands of police. abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas tonight leading us off. >> reporter: tonight, attorney general merrick garland flying to louisville to deliver a re y's

pattern of racial bias and constitutional rights violations. >> this conduct is unacceptable. it is heartbreaking. >> reporter: the attorney general visibly impacted by a doj investigation finding systematic abuse against the city's black residents, including the disproportionate use of excessive force. >> some officers have demonstrated disrespect for the people they are sworn to protect. some have videotaped themselves throwing drinks at pedestrians from their cars, assaulting people with disabilities, and calling black people "monkey," "animal," and "boy." >> reporter: the justice department's two-year probe launched after the 2020 police shooting death of breonna taylor during a botched raid. >> what is your emergency? >> i don't know what's happening. somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend. >> reporter: louisville metro pd executing a so-called no-knock warrant, killing taylor, who had no connection to the alleged

crime they were investigating. >> that it took this to even have somebody look into this department, it's -- i don't know. >> reporter: today's report finding more than 60% of no-knock search warrants and forced entries into buildings involved black people. the alarming findings come as the department of justice announces they're opening a separate review into the memphis police department after the horrific beating death of tyre nichols earlier this year. >> get out of the car. >> man, i didn't do anything. >> reporter: the five officers charged in nichols' death were members of the now deactivated scorpion unit, formed to patrol high crime hotspots. the doj now examining the use of specialized units like scorpion within law enforcement across the country. >> and pierre thomas with us live tonight. pierre, the justice department says it is going to review the memphis police department, as you reported right there. but i wanted to get back to louisville tonight and these

findings, because there have been alarming findings there before, but did the justice department say today how it expects change this time around? >> reporter: david, the hope is that the city will agree to a consent decree mandating changes that would be enforced by a federal judge. but david, in light of such damning investigation, it will take not only a change in training and culture, it will take time to build trust, especially in the black community. david? >> pierre thomas leading us off tonight. pierre, thank you. we turn next here this evening, the acting head of the faa facing tough questions on capitol hill. what's going on on flights in america? tonight here, yet another case, this time, a horrific fight breaking out on a passenger plane. the flight from dallas to phoenix, before it could even take off. abc's gio benitez asking the acting head of the faa, what's driving this? >> reporter: tonight, shocking new video of a brawl onboard a southwest airlines flight.

fist flying before the plane took off from dallas to phoenix monday. other passengers attempting to separate the men. this video showing one of the men trying to explain what happened. >> tell everybody what happened. he approached me aggressively with my family, i don't play with my family. tell them what happened. tell them what you did. >> reporter: witnesses say both men were removed from the plane. it comes after that terrifying midair attack, a passenger seen here trying to stab a flight attendant multiple times on a cross-country united flight. after so many incidents in the skies and close calls on the runways, the acting chief of the faa in the hot seat on capitol hill. and we pressed him on what lawmakers were asking. mr. nolen, i think that the average american is probably wondering, what is going on? at least six close calls here. does the faa have a grasp on the situation? >> the faa absolutely has a grasp on the situation, and it's something that we look at every day. i can tell you that this system is strong and safe and resilient. we operate the most complex airspace system in the world, bar none.

>> reporter: and david, all of these issues will be taken center stage next week, right here in washington, at a special faa safety summit. and, of course, we will be there. david? >> all right, gio benitez tonight. thank you, gio. tonight, we're tracking two cross-country storms. at least 16 states and 40 million people on alert from california to wisconsin already for heavy snow, flooding rain, and high winds. this will be in the northeast by friday's commute. all of this starting in the west again. a new blanket of heavy snow in lake tahoe. that storm already moving across the country at this hour. and then yet another system, what's called a new atmospheric river, about to slam california again with more snow and flooding rain. let's get right to senior meteorologist rob marciano tracking it all again for us tonight. hey, rob. >> reporter: hey, david. this next storm coming in is going to be much warmer than the storms we've seen slam california this past month. and that brings a whole other set of difficulties. that atmospheric river has a deep subtropical moisture plume pointed right at california. it arrives in northern california tomorrow night, then slides to southern california,

flooding rain, snow levels rise all the way, 8,000 feet, so, that's going to create some flooding. that will put more weight on the houses that are already buried. and 100-mile-an-hour winds are possible. a big chunk of california under flood watches. meantime, at the same time, the storm ahead of it is coming into the midwest. minnesota, wisconsin, measurable snow there, getting into chicago. down i-90. getting into the new york metro area friday night, just in time for the evening rush. likely some wet snow accumulating along i-95. david? >> rob marciano with us tonight. rob, thank you. we're learning more tonight, tragic new details of the kidnapping of four americans in mexico. one of the survivors telling her mother how the gunman opened fire on their minivan and that she watched her friends being shot, and watched two of them die. abc's matt rivers in mexico city tonight. >> reporter: tonight, new details emerging about that horrific kidnapping of four americans that left two of them dead after they drove to a mexican border town for cosmetic surgery. the mother of survivor latavia

"tay" mcgee telling cnn that the white minivan carrying mcgee and friends eric james williams, zindell brown, and shaeed woodard was first hit by a van. and then gunfire erupted. >> they all got shot at the same time, and she watched them. she watched them die. >> reporter: tonight, this new photo showing mcgee in an ambulance moments after she was rescued in mexico. the four entering matamoros around 9:00 a.m. on friday so that mcgee could get cosmetic surgery. nearly two hours later, gunmen opening fire on the group, then loading them into a pickup truck. officials say the gunmen then took the group to various locations, including a clinic, to cause confusion and throw off authorities. after a massive manhunt, authorities finding mcgee and williams still alive inside this wooden house early tuesday morning, nearly eight miles from where they were taken. the bodies of woodard and brown found at that same location covered in blankets, according to a source close to the investigation. that same source also saying one of the men was wearing a surgical gown, though it's

unclear if he received medical treatment before he died. and tonight, david, the two surviving victims of this kidnapping are on u.s. soil. one of them, eric james williams, remains in the hospital, injured. meanwhile, the two victims of this kidnapping who lost their lives, their bodies, according to one source, telling abc news they will likely be repatriated sometime tomorrow. david? >> all right, matt rivers in mexico city again for us tonight. thank you, matt. back here in the u.s., on capitol hill tonight, tough questions about the origins of covid-19 and will americans ever get a clear answer? house republicans holding their first public hearing on the origins. their first witnesses all testifying that they believe it came from an accidental leak at a chinese lab. what the former cdc director from the trump administration said today, and dr. anthony fauci's response tonight. rachel scott on the hill for us. >> reporter: tonight, republicans ramping up their investigation into the origins of covid-19, holding their first public hearing to tackle the burning question -- where did the virus come from? >> discovering the origins is

vital. it matters for the future of the world. >> reporter: all three witnesses invited by republicans argued the virus was a result of an accidental lab leak in wuhan, china. >> there is no smoking gun proving a laboratory origin hypothesis, but the growing body of circumstantial evidence suggests a gun that is, at very least, warm to the touch. >> reporter: it comes just days after a report that the department of energy suspects with low confidence that the pandemic likely started with a lab leak. the fbi agrees, a conclusion they reached with moderate confidence. dr. robert redfield, the former cdc director under president donald trump, testified he was excluded from discussions with dr. anthony fauci and other scientists, because he believed that the lab leak theory needed to be investigated. >> it was told to me that they

wanted a single narrative, and that i obviously had a different point of view. >> reporter: but dr. fauci telling politico that accusation is completely untrue, saying, "no one excluded anyone." pandemic started, the er the - intelligence community is still divided on how it all began. four other intelligence agencies have determined the virus was more likely spread through natural transmission, a human being exposed to an infected animal. today, the director of national intelligence was also on capitol hill, grilled on when americans will get an answer. >> china has not fully cooperated, and we do think that is a key, critical gap that would help us understand what exactly happened. >> reporter: the white house making it clear there is no consensus from the government, but insisting the president wants to get to the bottom of this. and tonight, intelligence officials are warning the mystery itself is a threat. david? >> all right, rachel scott on this again tonight. rachel, thank you. and to the war in ukraine tonight. the director of national intelligence also talking to congress about this today, about russia and the war. saying she does not believe russia will, quote, make major territorial gains this year, but also revealing how russia believes it will win this. all of this amid the raging battle tonight for bakhmut, and abc's james longman just miles

tonight from the front lines. >> reporter: ukrainian forces are holding on in bakhmut tonight despite seemingly endless russian attack. this drone operator taking cover from bombardment right outside the window. but he still holds up his ipad to try and keep the signal connection. there are rumors of a ukrainian retreat from bakhmut, but this is the road that leads to the city. it's been very active all day and it doesn't feel like they want to give it up any time soon. today, the director of u.s. national intelligence avril haines told the u.s. senate she does not believe russia "will make major territorial gains" in ukraine this year, because it's suffering such "high casualty rates." but she said putin is playing the long game. >> putin most likely calculates that time works in his favor and that prolonging the war, including with potential pauses in the fighting, may be his best remaining pathway to eventually securing russian strategic interests in ukraine, even if it

takes years. >> reporter: and tonight, david, poland says it is ready to give its mig-29 fighter jets to ukraine as part of an international coalition. david? >> james longman, thank you. back here in the u.s., there is news tonight about the 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in newport news, virginia. the chief prosecutor telling abc affiliate wvec that there is no legal basis to charge him and that he is so young, he likely wouldn't understand the charges. teacher abby zwerner was shot and wounded in the classroom in january. she is still recovering tonight. there is news this evening involving tiger woods. his ex-girlfriend is now suing to cancel a nondisclosure agreement that she says he made her sign years ago. here's kayna whitworth. >> reporter: tiger woods first started dating erica herman in 2017, when she was the manager at tiger's jupiter, florida, restaurant. six years later, she's taking the 15-time major champion to court. according to a civil complaint filed monday obtained by abc news, herman says when they first started dating, tiger made her sign a nondisclosure agreement, an agreement she is now asking the court to render

"invalid and unenforceable," or, "to define the scope of the agreement if any part is enforceable," citing among other reasons federal law, specifically the speak out act, which nullifies nondisclosure agreements in cases of "sexual assault, disputes, and harassment disputes." while the filing does suggest the case involves allegations of sexual assault or harassment, it makes no specific allegations against woods. >> until we know what her rights are underneath this nda, we won't know who her complaint is against. >> reporter: woods played all four rounds in the genesis invitational in los angeles last month after a seven-month hiatus, the same tournament he was apart of before his car accident, where he nearly lost his leg in 2021. herman there by his side. but the pair hasn't been seen together since last year's u.s. open. and david, herman filed a separate suit against woods' trust back in october, asking for $30 million, claiming that woods' agents asked her to leave the home they were sharing

together and then didn't let her return. david? >> all right, kayna whitworth, thank you. when we come back here, emergency teams on the scene of yet another train derailment tonight. 22 cars off the tracks. and the major news this evening about coaching legend jim boeheim. what syracuse university is saying tonight. get help reaching your goals with j.p. morgan wealth plan, a new tool in the chase mobile® app. use it to set and track your goals, big and small... and see how changes you make today... could help put them within reach. from your first big move to retiring poolside and the other goals along the way wealth plan can help get you there. j.p. morgan wealth management. for back pain, i've always been a take two and call in the morning guy. but my new doctor recommended salonpas. without another pill upsetting my stomach, i get powerful, effective and safe relief.

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acc tournament, su announced he will not be returning for another season. boeheim with more than 1,000 wins in his career. the school's chancellor saying tonight, there is no doubt in my mind that without jim boeheim, syracuse basketball would not be the powerhouse program it is today. boeheim saying he referenced his retirement in recent days, but that nobody picked up on it. i grew up watching coach boeheim, surely a legend in syracuse for years to come. on this international women's day, the images tonight. ukrainian female soldiers carrying awards and flowers from president zelenskyy. in kabul, afghan women rallying for their rights. and in scotland, look at this, hundreds of women taking a sunrise swim in the north sea. when we come back, america strong. a husband's devotion. the simple lesson about sunsets ad holding hands. holding hands. ♪ at prudential we think you should say it when things go right too.

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finally tonight he finally tonight here, the husband capturing sunsets again. america strong. tonight, in florida, as the sun set, a husband captured it. he does this every night to honor his late wife. rick and lil married june 15th, 1957, traveling the country together, starting a family, becoming grandparents, great-grandparents. every day, watching the sunset together, holding hands. for years, rick would photograph those sunsets. but when his beloved lil died last year, he couldn't do it. it was too painful. but then, thinking about his wife and how she encouraged him through the years on so many things, he began taking the photos again. so now, every night at sunset, rick is there. and he shares those images online, hoping to help others who have faced loss, too.

telling us tonight, "i'm still hurting, but the photos help the healing process. i feel like everyone who sees my photos is there with me during sunset." rick proudly scrolling through his latest images. and sharing his secret to a long and happy marriage. >> love one another and trust one another and love one another like you never -- you never know when your time is up. >> tonight, rick's advice on love and bravery. >> 65 years married, 85 years old, holding hands, watching television. and don't be afraid to hold her hand. not going to fall off. >> holding hands and capturing sunsets. i'll see you right back here tomorrow. good night >> building a better bay area,

moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7news. ama: this is literally the calm before the storm. by this time tomorrow, an atmospheric river will be dumping rain all over the bay area. dan: thank you for joining us. take a look around the bay area and enjoy the view because the clock is ticking on the sunshine. ama: sandhya patel is here to show you just how soon the rain will arrive. sandhya: the rain will arrive as early as tomorrow morning but the worst of it will be tomorrow afternoon and evening going into friday. let's talk about live doppler 7. it is a level three storm, a strong storm tapping into the atmospheric river. the rich, mois source of troubl subtropical air. let's talk about the flood watch. it is in effect tomorrow

afternoon through sunday morning. the entire bay area is under that flood watch. flooding is possible, caused by excessive rain. the ground is wet so when you have saturated soil and heavy rain, you could have problems like flooding. wind advisory until 4 p.m. friday afternoon gusts will likely cause some power outages, topple tree limbs and blow things around. let me give you a preview of what is to come. the morning commute begins at 5:00 p.m. -- a.m. here comes the main event. 3:00 in the afternoon, you are seeing downpours into tomorrow night. thunderstorms are possible. the risk for flooding the next two days will be in the moderate category for the bay area. much of the sierra tomorrow afternoon through friday morning. it is a level three. moderate to heavy rain at times. strong, potentially damaging winds.