>> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight from washington, peter alexander. good evening. tonight the chaos has finally simmered down in turkey, but there are growing concerns about the stability of that country, one of america's most important allies in the fight against isis. turkey's government beating back a violent coup attempt, reestablishing control, but not before nearly 200 people were killed and thousands of military personnel there detained. the turkish prime minister today calling the failed uprising a stain on the history of democracy. it's a situation the white house is watching closely. we begin tonight with our chief foreign correspondent richard engel. he is on the ground in istanbul. richard? >> reporter: good evening, peter. supporters of president erdogan have poured into the streets. i just drove across this entire city. i saw erdogan supporters standing on top of tanks that had been used in this coup cheering for their president. the turkish government said it survived a treasonous and disgraceful attempted coup by a faction in the military. and today supporters of president tayyip erdogan were celebrating victory. after a night of battles between rebellious soldiers and government loyalists in which at least 160 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured, the crackdown is now under way. more than 2800 soldiers and officers, alleged conspirators, have already been arrested. and more than 2700 judges have been dismissed the government said. they are now calling for the death sentence to be reinstated to punish some of them and the extradition of a cleric, fethullah gulen, based out of the u.s. that erdogan has called the head of terror. tell obama, president erdogan said, either deport gulen or give him to us. from pennsylvania, the cleric said it's possible that erdogan staged the coup to tighten his grip on power. turkey suspended all military flights, including u.s. flights. the faa banned all flights from and to turkey, leaving american passengers like kristin carter who is six months pregnant and her family from ohio stuck at the istanbul airport. she described the harrowing night they spent there. >> we saw people screaming and crying, so we went to the bathroom to hide the children to keep them -- we didn't know what was going on. >> reporter: as night fell 24 hours later, the attempted coup appears to have been somewhat haphazard. rebellious troops from the secular military cut bridges in istanbul and occupied buildings and pro-government television stations, but failed to hold them. a u.s. official told nbc news they didn't have much air power or many heavy weapons. when president erdogan, who had been in southern turkey, managed to return to istanbul, the coup was effectively over. and the pro-erdogan celebrations began. secretary kerry spoke to the turkish foreign minister tonight. washington has expressed its support for the turkish government. however, kerry said it's unhelpful for any turkish officials to suggest that washington was somehow involved in the coup. >> richard engel in istanbul for us tonight. richard, thank you. this morning president obama spoke with his national security advisers about the crisis in turkey after publicly urging support for the democratically elected government there. jim miklaszewski is at the white house tonight. >> reporter: while there's relief here at the white house that the attempted coup failed, there are still serious concern over turkey's immediate future and what that could mean for its military relationship with the u.s. following president obama's consultation with his national security team, the white house released a statement in which the president sounded concerned over the future of turkey's cooperation in the war against isis. president erdogan has been a reluctant ally from the war effort from the very start and it's not clear whether this coup attempt could shake his resolve. and as of tonight, u.s. war planes remain grounded at turkey's air base upon the orders of erdogan's government, peter. now to american politics. donald trump making it official for the first time, taking the stage with his running mate, indiana governor mike pence. the two together today in new york punctuating a chaotic vp rollout. we are in manhattan tonight with the new republican ticket. >> indiana governor mike pence was my first choice. >> reporter: in their debut together, donald trump made it clear who was in charge of the ticket and it's not his running mate. speaking for nearly half an hour before introducing pence, trump bashed hillary clinton. >> hillary clinton is the embodiment of corruption. she's a corrupt person. >> reporter: and dwelled on himself. >> but i won the right to have the old post office building on pennsylvania avenue right near the white house and it's amazing. >> reporter: when he did officially unveil pence, he explained away his initial endorsement of ted cruz. >> it was the single greatest nonendorsement i've ever had in my life. >> reporter: as usual, trump's announcement was unusual. by contrast, john mccain and mitt romney rounded out their tickets in battleground states amidst thousands of supporters. trump did his in a hotel ballroom with his children and tourists. >> we asked if we could come. >> reporter: trump didn't even stay as pence took the podium. >> donald trump understands the frustrations and the hopes of the american people like no leader since ronald reagan. hillary clinton must never become president of the united states of america. >> i think there was an incongruity today to the coordination between the two speeches. donald trump gave his typical stump speech and mike pence got up and introduced himself without particularly being well credentialed by donald trump. >> reporter: notably absent for the rollout and the official photo, melania trump, who spent the day in new jersey with son barron instead. the clinton campaign wasted no time taking aim at pence calling him the most extreme pick in a generation, criticizing his position on abortion rights and his opposition to same-sex marriage. peter? >> thank you. quickly a programming note here. chuck todd will have much more on the republican party ticket tomorrow morning on "meet the press." new details are emerging tonight about the truck driver after this week's deadly attack in france. we are in nice tonight as investigators there hunt for a motive. kelly cobiella is in the nice for us. >> reporter: in the neighborhood where mohamed bouhlel lived, police detained three people today for questioning, reportedly friends of the tunisian-born delivery driver who committed mass murder on the french riviera. today the french interior minister said bouhlel wasn't on any jihadi list, but seemed to be radicalized very quickly. a close friend of his estranged wife said it didn't add up. >> translator: he wasn't a true muslim, the friend said. he drank. he didn't pray. >> reporter: in bouhlel's hometown in tunisia, his father described his son and always depressed, always alone, and violent. >> translator: he would become angry. he'd yell. he's break everything, his father said. >> reporter: 84 people died when the truck he was driving plowed down nice's waterfront promenade thursday. more than 200 injured. tonight, family members are still looking for their loved ones, their pictures posted at the hospital and online. for some, heartbreak learning their sons and daughters are among the dead. the father of 4-year-old killian whose smiling face was shared on social media found him today. the little boy died with his mother. his body was still at the hospital. pain for those who escaped uninjured as well. >> you close your eyes swimming in the water or trying to go to sleep, and all you can imagine is that scene again. >> reporter: alstair talbot was having dinner with his grandfather at a waterside restaurant when he heard gunfire. >> all the glasses were broken and a lot of tables were covered in blood. >> reporter: he, like so many, questions why it had to happen and whether more could have been done to stop it. more than 20 people are still fighting for their lives tonight, including 5 children in critical condition. the youngest victim just six months old. peter? >> such a terrible story. kelly in nice tonight. kelly, thank you. tonight we're learning more about the victims and those still missing after that deadly attack, including an american father and his son, a family on vacation, and a student studying abroad. >> reporter: a community filled with ribbons in honor of a father and son. >> sean adored brodie and vice versa. >> reporter: joel spent weekends on the baseball field and off with sean copeland and his 11-year-old son brodie. >> brodie was a kid that every parent hopes for as a kid. >> reporter: brodie was one of ten children killed in thursday's attack along the french riviera. his father, sean copeland, also dead. among the americans injured, three students from university of california berkley. 21-year-old darrius medora still hospitalized with a broken leg, a 23-year-old man, and 20-year-old diane wong were treated and released. another berkley student nicholas leslie is still missing. in nice, friends handed out fliers with nicholas' photo. >> basically, we lost our friend. >> reporter: the 20-year-old was part of a study abroad program. he posted daily videos of his time in nice. >> for me, the biggest or interesting thing about nice is the diverse mix of cultures. >> reporter: in san diego, neighbors offered his family support. >> it breaks my heart. this is just frightening that this may have happened. >> reporter: nicholas' father conrad now headed to nice for answers and to find his son. in the wake of that attack and others, law enforcement officials in cleveland are preparing for the possibility that protests turn violent at the republican national convention that begins monday. jacob rascon is there with more on their last-minute measures. >> reporter: a taste of what's to come. the first of many expected protests, this one sponsored by the new black panther party. two days ahead of the rnc convention in downtown cleveland is all but locked down. inside what's called the secure zone, the final layers of fencing are going up. to get past this point during the convention, you'll need a credential from the secret service and a pass through a metal detecter. >> we're ready to go. >> reporter: the deputy chief says major attacks like those in france and dallas prompted last-minute enhancements to the security plan. >> it's been a challenge. what's happened across the country in the last 12 months, all during this planning process we just keep changing our plan, enhancing our plan. >> reporter: 123 departments have been granted to demonstrate inside the event during the convention at four locations and along one parade route. this city is preparing for the worst. 73 law enforcement agencies, 5,000 officers from around the country, including hundreds from california and pennsylvania sworn in today. deployed on horseback, motorcycle, and bikes, and for those who call cleveland home, keeping the city safe is personal. >> i've been on the job now for 18 years, so this is what i really love to do, protecting and serving the citizens here of cleveland. it's what i'm here to do. >> reporter: among the final security preps put in place are these giant city trucks. snowplows blocking the entrance to cleveland's public square just behind me where hundreds, if not thousands, of people will be protesting during the convention. peter? >> all right. jacob, thank you very much. cleveland, as you have seen, will be the center of the political universe this week, but we're going to take you to a part of that city where it might be impossible to find a republican voter. later, remembering the life of one of the biggest big men ever to take the court in the nba. as thousands of republicans converge on cleveland ahead of the party's convention, it's ohio itself that may determine the presidential election this fall. no republican has ever gotten to the white house without winning the state, but donald trump faces a steep climb at a few ohio precincts that effectively become republican free zones. >> reporter: as republicans meet here in cleveland, one man will take center stage. but in ohio's primary in this cleveland precinct and several others, donald trump didn't get a single vote. he shouldn't take it too personally. neither did any other republican and beyond the three precincts without a republican vote, an additional 15 east of downtown only a solitary voter cast a ballot in each for the gop. what's the deal with not having too many donald trump fans around here? >> people are looking for someone who is going to speak to them, that is going to speak to their needs, their issues. >> reporter: the reverend preaches in the heart of this democratic stronghold. have you ever met a donald trump supporter that's come into your church or in this neighborhood? >> no. >> reporter: not one? >> not one ever. >> you have the best barbecue in town? >> the best barbecue in the world. >> reporter: at wayne whittmore's barbecue, customers have their own theories about why republicans got shut out around here in the primary. >> he's going to be their president. it's going to be much harder for them. >> reporter: who will you vote for? >> hillary. >> reporter: hillary clinton? you look at me like i'm crazy. >> i'm not going with trump. >> he's not the right material. >> reporter: what makes hillary the right material? >> because she's already been in politics. >> she might not be the right one, but she's the best one we've got going now. >> reporter: with ohio in a virtual dead heat, donald trump might need these voters to win the white house. despite the convention taking place miles away, when it comes to politics, it feels like a world apart. >> the view tonight from a few precincts in cleveland. when we come back, the inspiring work of an organization giving abandoned dogs a second chance. dogs a second chance. nba hall of famer nate thurmond has died after a fight with leukemia. known largely for his punishing defense, thurmond dominated at the center position mostly with the golden state warriors back in the 60s and 70s. he was a seven-time all-star, was voted one of the league's 50 greatest players of all time. nate thurmond was 74. tonight, police in some communities are benefitting from a new ally on the streets, dogs abandoned by their owners now getting a second chance and a new mission. anne thompson introduces us to the rescue dogs making a difference. >> reporter: canine rousey on patrol with officer chris shelton in rocky mount, virginia, using her nose to track people and sniff out drugs, a rookie earning rave reviews. but unlike most police dogs specifically bred in europe to do this work, rousey's origins are much humbler. this was her a year ago, a street dog in the shelter, a skinny dog with bald patches and sores. >> she just had such great potential and i said i will take her. >> reporter: it is the mission of the throwaway dog project. can any dog be a police dog? >> no. no. that dog needs to be a special dog. good boy. >> reporter: still some label her rescues junkyard dogs. >> a rescue dog has the same qualities as an imported dog. i have seen it. i have proved it. >> reporter: being a former police dog came to carol after his handler left the force. he's working on his bite, aided by canine officers like jennifer doyle. >> it would be virtually impossible for us to duplicate what they're able to do. >> reporter: married to a police officer, carol is aware of the financial pressures departments face, so she donates her dog. how much money can you save a department? $5,000 to $10,000 to $12,000 depending on the training of the day. >> reporter: nine are working today that have been trained. filling the need and saving the lives of man's best friend. ann thompson, nbc news, rocky mount, virginia. up next, welcome stories of strength and resilience after a painful week in france. finally tonight, hope in the wake of heartbreak. along the french riviera this weekend still stunned by that deadly terror attack, it's small acts of kindness that are slowly helping a community heal. janet sham b janet shamlian is in nice tonight. >> reporter: they have sprung up everywhere on patches of asphalt still stained by blood, wrapped around lamp posts, and in the very center of the promenade des anglais. memorials growing by the hour. this is where an international crowd has come to collectively cry. >> can't help but be moved by what you see here. >> reporter: the attack on nice was an assault on a carefree summer holiday, a vacation and family celebration. but a night that revealed the worst in one brought out the best in so many others. >> so many people help other people. >> reporter: yes. is that what you'll remember? >> i will try to remember that. >> reporter: she works in her family's beach front restaurant 100 yards away and ran towards the chaos. susan owns a hotel and is housing loved ones of the victims from several countries all without charge. >> translator: she tells me i am from nice and i have nothing else to give but that. >> reporter: from the london eye to the tel aviv city hall, a show of solidarity. and here in nice a show of strength from people like san francisco native eric. you're an american hero. are you going to go to a venue again? >> yeah. can't let them win. you can't let the terrorists win. >> reporter: with that sentiment in mind, nice and its visitors ventured back out today to pristine beaches under crystal clear skies back to the business living. jan janet sham plea plea an, nbc news, nice. >> that's a powerful show of strength there tonight. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm peter alexander reporting from washington. lester holt will be in cleveland tomorrow. for all of us here at nbc news, thank you for watching and have a good night. ==rryu==go evingandhan fojoingsi good evening everyone. we begin with the latest developments in france. five people are now being questioned after thursday's truck attack in nice. police are trying to figure out if the 21-year-old tunisian man worked alone. among those in custody, his wife. 84 people died after he drove his truck into crowds of people. another 202 are injured and 25 of those are still in intensive care. we have team coverage of this developing story. we have the latest on the search to find the missing cal student not seen since the attack. >> reporter: he was part of a group of uc berkley students studying abroad in nice. and his parents have not been able to reach him. this is his family leaving their del mar home earlier today to catch a flight to france. three of them suffered injuries in the attack,