The parallels to the Martin case are quiet clear: A black male is killed and it has taken months for a grand jury to even consider if there was any crime committed. Chamberlain Jr: I could remember when the film was being done, and upon its completion, I began to say, The world will know! I began to hashtag that. Documented in audio recordings, the White Plains police reportedly used a racial slur, burst through Chamberlains door, tasered him, then shot him dead. Far from showing compassion for a man they supposedly were trying to help, they taunted him. We dont understand it. Responding to the erroneous medical alert, the police dispatcher sent an ambulance and a squad car to Chamberlain's apartment. Inspiring Stories of Black History and Achievement. The film, The Killing Of Kenneth Chamberlain, produced and directed by David Midell, provides insights into the events that led to Chamberlains death. On November 17, 2016, a federal jury in a civil case filed by Mr. Chamberlains family concluded that the City of White Plains and the officer who shot Mr. Chamberlain were not liable for the death of Mr. Chamberlain. And I am staring at my father wondering, what happened? Attorney Abdulwali Muhammad notes that audio recordings of the incident were key in debunking police attempts to cast Kenneth Chamberlain as a hatchet-wielding, mentally disturbed man, while ignoring the fact that he was shot in his own home after accidentally triggering a medical alert. "Despite the dispatcher's warning that Chamberlain was a person with mental illness," the court says, "the officers began banging loudly on his door and shouting demands that they be allowed to enter." They want to overwhelm families, they want to drag things out in court, and by the time they decide to sit at a table or discuss things with you, or make you believe that they will be some type of accountability, the statute of limitations is up, so you cant do anything (laughing). In 2012, a grand jury failed to return indictments against the officers who killed my father. And on that day, a jury will hear all the evidence. After a long stand-off with the police, who ridiculed Chamberlains military service Now, more than four months later, a grand jury is scheduled to convene this week to hear the details of the incident and determine if the police committed a crime. But police claim that since they were responding to a medical alert that needed to enter the apartment. I am protecting myself." Pierson v Ray The Start of Qualified Immunity, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Ishango Bone Early African Mathematical Calculations, Belinda Sutton and the Connection to Harvard School of Law. The summary above is a great look into this matter, but we encourage you to further enlighten yourself with videos and books selected to enhance your understanding of this matter. The group has called on officials in White Plains to appoint an independent civilian review board for the Police Department. The WPPD dispatcher also ran a computer check on Mr. Chamberlain and his address, and learned that there had previously been calls from that address that had been described as involving a person who was potentially emotionally disturbed. In 2013 a federal judge dismissed several claims against the White Plains officers based on qualified immunity, which shields officials from liability when the rights they allegedly violated were not "clearly established" at the time. The officers who responded to his apartment in 2011 were aware that the department had made previous calls to his address. WebOfficers were sent to do a welfare check on Chamberlain a move that would cost him his life. The defund-the-police movement isn't about fully abolishing a law enforcement presence. Earlier story - DA Will Present White Plains' Chamberlain Shooting to Grand Jury WebAccording to police, Chamberlain charged at them with a knife and he was tasered, and then fatally shot. WebJewelry designer Sushilla Done accused a police officer of taking a heavy-handed approach during a visit to her home after she posted leaflets in her neighbourhood about the sale Chamberlain Jr: Yes, that was the conversation that I had with him. We are outraged, but only for a moment. In this particular situation, they did everything I always say, it wasnt a crime until they made it one. Exactly the opposite of what the cops did in White Plains. Chamberlains son said he agrees but notes that the White Plains police failed to grant his father the same opportunity. Last year, the city instituted a more in-depth training regime for officers on the issue, but so far only a fraction have received it. After the Tasers were deployed, one of the officers fired non-lethal beanbag ammunition rounds, striking Mr. Chamberlain in his chest and thigh. Zenger: And he could sense that it was going to end badly. The call was for Medical Assistance. Trying to figure out how to deal with my father'sdeath has meant hours of therapy for me. Continue to scroll for fascinating Videos and Books to enhance your learning experience. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit recently revived some of the dismissed civil rights claims against those officers. The Chamberlain shooting occurred on the early morning of Nov. 19 when police responded to an alert from the veterans medical bracelet. The officers said Chamberlain charged at Martin, knife in hand, leaving Carelli no choice. But I have played the audio over and over again. WebThe burden that Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. and the Chamberlain family have carried has now hit a decade. That means, the same way they would charge you and I if we were to commit an egregious act like that, they would charge the officers the same way. Chamberlain had refused to open the door. Use our links to Amazon anytime you shop Amazon. The evidence from the investigation reveals the following: At approximately 5:00 a.m. on November 19, 2011, a medical alert company, Life Aid, received an alert from the console in Mr. Chamberlains apartment in the Winbrook Houses complex on South Lexington Avenue in White Plains. Chamberlain, who was allegedly miffed that he had been awakened, had refused to open the door. After his LifeAid medical alert was accidentally triggered, police came to his home At every step, the officers seemed determined to turn an accidental medical alertan alert theyknew was accidentalinto a death sentence. Chamberlain tells the officers hes fine and that hitting the alert was an accident, but their mounting frustrations and unhealthy valuation of their time causes them to dig their heels in deeper as a point of unwarranted pride. co-host Juan Gonzalez has obtained a photograph of White Plains police officer Anthony Carelli, the officer alleged to have fired the two shots that killed WebKenneth Chamberlain was shot and killed by police after being zapped with a stun gun during a conflict in his White Plains, New York, apartment last November. Continue scrolling down for more amazing information, videos that include Morgan Freeman and others, books and value items. Thathappened when George Floyd was killed in May. Stolen Lives documents over 2000 cases of people killed by law enforcement agents throughout the U.S. since 1990. The Louisville police officer who delivered the bullet that killed Breonna Taylor in March 2020 is back working in law enforcement. The police used a master key they obtained from the White Plains Housing Authority, which owned Chamberlain's apartment, to unlock the door. After lengthy deliberations, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the single officer on trial for the final fatal shooting. WHITE PLAINS Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. had accidentally triggered his medical alert pendant early one morning five years ago. The White Plains police have refused to say whether Carelli has been disciplined or assigned to desk duty after the fatal shooting of Chamberlain. Chamberlain objected to allowing police into his house and it seems that he was frightened about treatment that he would receive from the police. Around 5 a.m. on November 19, 2011, Kenneth Chamberlain, a 68-year-old former Marine and retired corrections officer with a heart condition, accidentally set off his LifeAid medical alert pendant while sleeping in his White Plains, New York, apartment. A hallway security camera and a camera on an officers stun gun have captured video of the interaction as well. In mid-October, Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned a police sergeant, who was stripped of his gun and badge and put on modified duty, for fatally shooting a woman with schizophrenia in her Bronx apartment. The weight of the evidence indicates that, at the time the shooting took place, the WPPD officers believed that Mr. Chamberlain was threatening Sergeant Martin with a knife and that Officer Carelli believed that Sergeant Martin was in danger of being seriously injured by Mr. Chamberlain. Throughout this time period, the officers continued to explain that they were not there to hurt him, but just wanted to see him to make sure he was fine before they could leave. Even when plaintiffs manage to get their day in court, jurors are highly sympathetic to police officers and loath to second-guess their decisions. At the end, he is saying, Mr. Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. outside of his fathers former home in White Plains. Morgan Freeman, Academy Award winning actor and an executive producer of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, joins Joy Reid to discuss this new film that captures these tragic events. Unfortunately, this is an incomplete record, but an important reminder just the same. At our age, members of the Class of 48 have an abundance of free timeand Joyce Van Denburgh Doty, MFA 50, made excellent use of it with a detailed response to the Share Your News form.. Perhaps invigorated by the oxygen she uses (though she never smoked, she presumes she inhaled others), she goes beyond her What were the qualifications of the defense witnesses? See our privacy policy. So far, the story has been covered by alternative news organizations like Democracy Now and extensively by local newspaper Daily White Plains. WebAfraid and alone, Chamberlain, a veteran who suffered from bipolar disorder, feared for his life. Of course, when we watch this film, it just brings up those feelings. On Nov. 19, 2011, White Plains police were called to the home of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. after his medical alarm went off. I tell people, trauma is very real. The answer is when both groups agree it is time to stand up and make their objections known. Our patience was rewarded. The first thing they did you could see the Taser light up and you could see it going directly toward him.. Chamberlain Jr: Surprisingly enough, he didnt get any insight from me. The City of White Plains, he said, jabbing a finger in the air, will be on trial inside the courtroom and outside the courtroom., Police Killing of Mentally Ill Black Man Is, 5 Years Later, Headed to Trial, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/nyregion/police-shooting-of-mentally-ill-black-man-kenneth-chamberlain-trial-set-to-begin.html. The details laid out in the 2nd Circuit's May 29 decision, most of which are uncontested, are damning. Nine years later, Chamberlain's family is still trying to hold the officers who shot him dead after breaking into his home for no discernible reason accountable for their egregious actions that day, which needlessly turned an erroneous medical call into a lethal confrontation. Thats what I will continue to push and continue to fight for. Percy Crawford interviewed Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. for Zenger. The Tasers failed to incapacitate Mr. Chamberlain, as only one of the two barbs fired from the weapon connected with Mr. Chamberlains body. WebIn the early morning hours of Nov. 19, 2011, Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., a 68-year-old former Marine with a heart condition and a history of mental health challenges, Terms Of Use, Kenneth Chamberlain Jr., whose father was killed by White Plains police in 2011 (Bryan Smith/Zuma Press/Newscom), As Oklahoma's Attorney General Calls for Clemency, the State Keeps Planning to Execute Richard Glossip, Rivian Continues To Hemorrhage Money Despite $1.5 Billion in State Incentives, Minnesota Is Poised To Join 22 Other States in Legalizing Recreational Marijuana, Oren Cass Notices One of Industrial Policy's Fatal Flaws, Regulators Seize First Republic Bank and Sell It to JPMorgan Chase. Again, that is part of the playbook that they use. Now the cops, who had already viewed Chamberlain as a threat requiring "tactical reinforcements," were even more convinced. We also posted a 5 part mini-series on the 100th anniversary of one of the most horrific massacres in the history of America. Please note that this is NOT a reflection on the medical alert, it is 100% on the White Plains, New York Police Department. At some point between 6:13 a.m. and 6:29 a.m., one of the officers kicked the apartment door open. Theres been no accountability. Newly added material brings the story through 2020, including analysis of the Ferguson protests, the Obama and Trump administrations, and the George Floyd protests. At approximately 5:25 a.m., Life Aid received a second call from Mr. Chamberlain, who stated, I have the White Plains Police Department banging on my door and I did not call them, and I am not sick. Life Aid attempted to cancel the dispatch, but the WPPD dispatcher informed Life Aid that the police officers needed to enter the apartment to make sure Mr. Chamberlain was not in distress. WebKenneth Chamberlain, Sr. was fatally shot on November 19, 2011, in White Plains, New York. I filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court. The non-lethal rounds did not incapacitate Mr. Chamberlain and he started to advance toward Sergeant Martin with the knife. The White Plains police have refused to say whether Carelli has been disciplined or assigned to desk duty after the fatal shooting of Chamberlain. Your email address will not be published. The lawsuit also accuses White Plains of having failed to establish police guidelines for dealing with emotionally disturbed people, or E.D.P.s as they are known in law-enforcement parlance. Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. was fatally shot by White Plains police officers following an inadvertent Life Alert activation that led to cops being dispatched for a welfare check on him on Nov. 19, 2011. Accordingly, this Offices investigation into Mr. Chamberlains death has been closed. Chamberlain Jr: Most definitely. Required fields are marked *. The Marine veteran was killed during a conflict with police in 2011. Yet with or without qualified immunity, they may never be held accountable for actions that would send ordinary citizens to prison for life. Explore below! That's when police tasered then fatally shot him. Now, David [Midell] definitely got information from me about my father, especially surrounding the killing. Based on that information, the dispatcher sent two additional police officers, including Sergeant Keith Martin, to the building as back-up and informed them of the possibility of encountering an emotionally disturbed person. The tears will start to fall. Soon after, the 68-year-old Black man and Marine While the award-winning film sheds light on the situation, Chamberlains son and namesake continues to push for accountability from the city and the officers involved. Mr. Chamberlain was 68 years old at the time. Officer Carelli grabbed the knife with bolt cutters and tossed it out of reach. Still, Mr. McLaughlin seemed eager for the attention and activism the trial might bring. Chamberlain, who has a chronic heart condition, may have set off the alert accidentally. To watch Frankie and one thing that he did tell me when I was on the set was, It seems like Im out of it, but Im in the role. The Life Aid operator informed the police dispatcher that Chamberlain was not in need of medical assistance. Are the jurors sequestered? In the wake of the much-publicized Trayvon Martin shooting, the Chamberlain case has thrown another spotlight on how local authorities have handled incidents with potential racial implications. WebOn Nov. 19, 2011, White Plains police were called to the home of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. after his medical alarm went off. The case vividly shows how hard it is to obtain compensation under 42 USC 1983, a federal statute that authorizes lawsuits against government officials who violate people's constitutional rights. Mr. Chamberlain was 68 when he was shot. The officers used the key to open the door to the apartment, but were only able to open the door a few inches because Mr. Chamberlain had engaged a safety lock on the door. Was it "clearly established" at the time that forcibly entering Chamberlain's home without a warrant based on "exigent circumstances" that did not exist violated the Fourth Amendment's ban on "unreasonable searches"? Chamberlain Jr: Im 55 years old now, I was 45 when my father was killed. Zenger: Was it difficult to watch the movie? After serving in the Marine Corp, he worked for the Westchester County New York Department of Corrections for 20 years. Officers have testified that Carelli shot Chamberlain as the 68-year-old man rushed toward Martin while holding a knife and after threatening to kill officers. As part of this informative post, you will find videos and books to increase your enlightment. In New York City, the police respond to more than 100,000 calls about emotionally disturbed people a year. Never in 45 years had I heard fear in my fathers voice, said Kenneth Chamberlain Jr., 50, an alcohol and substance abuse counselor. Since that terrible day, my life has revolved around a quest for justice, which got one step closer in Maywhen an appeals court reverseda federal judge's decision to, among other things, allow the officers in the case to usequalified immunitycurrently under fire across the country as an escape valve for police who break the law. To prove a violation of the federal criminal civil rights statute, prosecutors must establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a law enforcement officer willfully deprived an individual of a constitutional right, meaning that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. According to all four officers who entered the apartment, the object in Mr. Chamberlains right hand was a knife. I dont want you to think that something is wrong, but Im in the role. He died aboutan hour laterat the hospital. Though White Plains did not have established procedures for dealing with emotionally disturbed people at the time of the shooting, New York City did. The officers refused to let Chamberlain talk to his niece, who lived in the same building, or his sister, who was on the line with LifeAid from her home in North Carolina. Despite his report that he did not need assistance, the police broke down Chamberlains door, tasered him, and then shot and killed him. This represents a pattern of how African-American communities have been policed in our society, said Nada Khader, executive director of the Wespac Foundation, a nonprofit group in White Plains that says it advocates social justice. "The law was clearly established at the time of entry that a warrantless entry into a private dwelling, absent exigent circumstances, is unlawful," the 2nd Circuit says. Edited by Kristen Butler and Judith Isacoff. Unable to contact Chamberlain via its two-way audio box, LifeAid called the White Plains Department of Public Safety. They perversely insisted on "helping" a man who manifestly did not need it, who told them so over and over again, and rejected the intercession of relatives who might have helped calm him down. COLUMN:Does Black Lives Matter apply to immigrants as well? Democrats and Republicans in Congress are arguing about the details, while more African Americans are being traumatized by police, threatened during protests and attacked by law enforcement for exercising their civil rights. This is better than asking for donations since most people are going to shop these stores anyway and it costs you nothing. Instead they ended up killing him. A perfect world, I would have my dad back and we would all live happily ever after. When Im on this set, I am Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. And he was awesome. | This is covered in the videos below. Those that dont see things like this in their neighborhoods dont have to contend with it and only scratch their heads. Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. was fatally shot by White Plains police It is a magnificent perusing material suggest for everybody. The crash happened on April 24 around 4 a.m. on Ga. 286 in Murray County. Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr. reacts to the news that his fathers alleged killer has been accused of beating people in the past, saying it triggers memories of his fathers death. I dont want to look at trainings and stuff like that because thats usually the knee-jerk response when things like this happen. When people say they didnt know about the case or the killing, I say, Yeah, because the city of White Plains was almost effective at doing their job. They didnt want you to know. The Louisville police detective fired for shooting the bullet that killed Breonna Taylor has found a new job in law enforcement, his lawyer said Monday. I was speaking to someone who watched the movie and they said, This movie could have been over so many times already. The first time he said I didnt call you. That is the feeling with that it could have been handled so many different ways, and thats something else that we are pushing as well. The Office expresses no view regarding any claims made against any party under the standard applicable to civil cases, which is proof by a preponderance of the evidence. But my family andothers dealing with the trauma of police violencefeel like we've been here before. The family of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., a black, mentally ill man killed in his White Plains, N.Y., apartment during a police confrontation in 2011, had its civil rights claims of excessive force reinstated by the Second Circuit on Monday. He selected a talented cast for The Killing Of Kenneth Chamberlain to reenact the welfare check that went wrong that night. Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Kenneth Chamberlain. We know that police officers are not mental health professionals. David Patterson is an American author and philanthropist. The post Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. Seeks Accountability And Closure In Fathers Killing By Police appeared first on Zenger News. All the information he received is available through freedom of information. Chamberlain Jr. received a call from a friend who was a In the context of this case, to establish a violation of federal law, the Department of Justice would be required to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that, at the time of the shooting, Officer Carelli lacked probable cause to believe that Mr. Chamberlain posed a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to others, and that Officer Carelli willfully deprived Mr. Chamberlain of his right to be free from excessive force. Anyone can read what you share. See the videos that accompany this post. 5.1.2023 2:25 PM, Eric Boehm I listened to the recorded medical alert call and heard my father pleading for officers to leave him alone. "You got your gun ready." We see incidents like this day in and day out. | 5.1.2023 3:52 PM, Joe Lancaster What occurs if the jury doesnt return a consistent choice? Their actions demonstrated that they had no regard for Chamberlain's life, let alone the sanctity of his home. After a stand-off that lasted an hour, the authorities pried the door open. Frankie Faison (The Wire) stars as Chamberlain, a man of 70 with age-related health problems and some psychiatric issues. But the officers insisted on checking on Mr. Chamberlain in person. No criminal charge was laid against the police officers involved. The consequences have been dire: the home is no longer a place of sanctuary, the Fourth Amendment has been gutted, and police today have been conditioned to see the citizens they serve as enemies. With each incident of police violence and each report of an unarmed African Americanman dying at the hands of a cop, my family relives the trauma of losing my father all over again. That turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Accident, mistake, fear, negligence, or bad judgment is not sufficient to establish a federal criminal civil rights violation. In response to the alert, a Life Aid operator called the console and asked if Mr. Chamberlain needed medical assistance. I also want to really force real dialogue. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Thats why I often introduce myself by saying, My name is Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. He later died at the hospital. Zenger: There are no signs of you giving up this fight, but Im sure this has been an exhausting process for you? WebThe ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, filed Monday, restores claims of unlawful entry and non-lethal excessive force in the Nov. 19, 2011 killing of Chamberlain, a 68 Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason. Three and a halfyears after the civil trial,a panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York reversed the federalcourt judges rulings on a number of the claimsincluding her findings on unlawful entry, the use of excessive forceand qualified immunity and remanded the case back to the lower court for further hearings. Real Times Media. You need someone who is able to respond immediately, Mr. Gurian said, but you also need someone who doesnt feel that its soiling his honor or masculinity to wait for help., Randolph M. McLaughlin, one of Mr. Chamberlains lawyers and a professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, appeared confident the evidence would lead a jury to conclude that this wasnt a fair fight that Mr. Chamberlain was not a threat when he was shot.. Cop in Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain IDd, Sued in 2008 Racism Case. To see the posts, click here. My hands shook, my head began to hurt. A lot of that is due to the fact that there has been no closure. As a result, our country has generally worked to keep the military out of law enforcement. They had no business breaking down his door. The autopsy report indicates that Mr. Chamberlains death was caused by the bullet shot by Officer Carelli. But thats what these governments are hoping for. WebThe family of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., a black, mentally ill man killed in his White Plains, N.Y., apartment during a police confrontation in 2011, had its civil rights claims of The trial, set to begin on Nov. 7, will explore claims of assault and battery as well as excessive force. Patterson received the Libertarian Award from the National Book Foundation, A generous supporter of universities, teachers colleges, independent bookstores, school libraries, and college students. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The road to justice for my father has not been an easy one. Could you elaborate on that? The absence of a mental health professional on that police call is a recipe for escalation,violence and possibly death, as we've seen in the case of my father and many others. He read the script. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); NEXT: Cops Who Shot Homeless Man 22 Times While He Lay on the Ground Are Not Protected by Qualified Immunity, Appeals Court Rules. The Taser also recorded Sergeant Fottrell instructing Mr. Chamberlain to put the knife down and Mr. Chamberlain responding shoot me, come on motherfucker, shoot me. Sergeant Fottrell deployed his Taser twice from the hallway. It also predated a growing debate about police tactics involving emotionally disturbed people. But outside of that, as far as the film goes, if nothing else, let it be a teaching tool of what not to do. But as the 2016 verdict in favor of Officer Carelli shows, qualified immunity is by no means the only barrier to successfully suing police officers for constitutional violations. Word on the street is that there was a White Plains unit on the streets that was not friendly to people of color.
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