Update on killing of elderly black ex-Marine by police: no charges will be filed

[Bonobo]

http://boingboing.net/2012/05/03/update-on-killing-of-elderly-b.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

No criminal charges will be filed in the fatal police shooting of Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., a 68-year-old ex-Marine who was shot to death in his White Plains, NY apartment after his medical alert device accidentally went off and signalled police to his apartment. According to reports, audio recordings captured by that device captured police using racial slurs.

Coverage around the web: CNN, Associated Press, CBS NYC, NY Daily News, The Journal News, NY Mag.

Anthony Carelli, the White Plains police officer who killed Chamberlain, has been accused in a separate racially-charged incident of police brutality.

[silverweb]

1. Utterly unacceptable and unforgivable!

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Even if Carelli goes to jail for the other case, action needs to be taken in this one.

[Smilo]

46. I totally agree - this is absolutely disgusting.

[dixiegrrrrl]

47. Family may be able to sue on civil rights violation grounds.

That often happens, hope it can be done in this case.

[silverweb]

52. I hope so, too!

[EFerrari]

2. Good luck with that, White Plains PD.

[BlueIris]

3. This is just awful.

[MuseRider]

4. How is this possible?

I thought they had all kinds of tape to prove what was going on and his daughter (?) who lived next door who was there trying to explain and stop them.

[EFerrari]

9. They have video from the police until they turned it off. They have audio of the full incident

from the medical alert company. They have the niece who lives upstairs and had come down to talk with the police.

I don't think they will get away with this and, there is a LOT of liability here because in addition to the police, there were fire fighters and EMTs present, too.

His family has good spokesman, especially his son, Kenneth Jr. Maybe Amy will stay with this and get them on again.

[MuseRider]

10. Thank you for clarifying.

I was not totally sure of the details, who was there and where the audio/video came from but I knew from what I read that there was a lot of evidence against the police.

I hope they don't get away with this, it is despicable.

[EFerrari]

11. If my father was executed like this, I'd be in a padded room.

The coroner found that Mr. Chamberlain was not facing the police at the time he was shot and he was not holding a weapon. So, their story that he was charging them with a weapon is disputed by the autopsy.

His son put up a facebook page but there's not much there right now. He seems to be having a very rough time.

[MuseRider]

13. It is very upsetting.

Not only provoking anger but much sadness. I will look for the FB page. He will need a lot of support.

[EFerrari]

15. It's Justice for Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.

Thanks, MuseRider.

[MuseRider]

45. Thank you. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

24. It's a travesty of justice

There likely will be a HUGH fight over release of the tapes, as they are so damaging to the police.

[EFerrari]

25. I hope the White Plains PD gets their @ss handed to them.

This is like the third one of these cases in just a couple of years. There's video of the family's presser after the Grand Jury verdict although I can't stream it and haven't seen it:

http://www.lohud.com/VideoNetwork/1620087200001/Chamberlain-Press-Conference

[pinboy3niner]

26. The attempted coverup is really stupid

The facts will come out in the end, with audio and videotpe.

This makes me think of an Onion piece:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002640623

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Completely unacceptable.

I'm speechless.

[newspeak]

40. it looks like to me it's cold blooded murder

if a citizen did this they'd be in prison for murder and hate crimes; someone with a badge, no charges. How utterly, utterly loathsome!

[Politicalboi]

6. Unbelievable

Even with the recordings.

[Dawson Leery]

7. Horrible!

[patrice]

8. Oh god.

[freshwest]

12. +1

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

14. Tragic... Nothing else to say.

[Ken Burch]

16. I still don't understand why they even sent the cops to his house

It was a MEDICAL alert that was received...not a 911 call.

[Trillo]

21. I wonder how sales of those alert services are going.

The day your medic alert goes off, you can expect a FAST dispensation by the local police! Avoid medical bankruptcy! Just press the little button, and RELAX, it'll all be over soon.

[sabrina 1]

17. Time to bring in the Feds. This is just not acceptable.

This was a case of murder, and they have the tape to prove it.

Par for the course which is why internal investigations are a joke.

[Comrade Grumpy]

19. Yes, a federal civil rights investigation would seem to be in order.

Now, if we can get Holder and the DOJ to quit busting dispensaries for awhile, looking into this would be a good use of their resources.

[azurnoir]

18. I wish I could say this is unbelievable but it's not

and if you read the transcript it seems the WP police are pretty habitual liars

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/5/exclusive_cop_in_fatal_shooting_of

[suffragette]

20. This is terrible

[HiPointDem]

22. That's a travesty. Democracy Now reportage includes some of the video/audio evidence:

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/5/exclusive_cop_in_fatal_shooting_of

MAYO BARTLETT: It’s astonishing. I mean, you hear the people who called you to give assistance say, "We are canceling our request for assistance." The police ignore that. They say it’s too late for that. The same company says that "We have Mr. Chamberlain’s son, who lives only five minutes away."

AMY GOODMAN: That’s you, Kenneth.

MAYO BARTLETT: "Do you mind if we contact his son, so you can speak to him? Maybe he can help you." They say, "We don’t need any mediators." His sister, Mr. Chamberlain’s sister, Kenneth Chamberlain Jr.’s aunt, was on the phone, and they were asking whether she could speak with her brother. The police said no. And at one point, when Tonyia Greenhill is present, what occurs is—

AMY GOODMAN: This is your cousin.

KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN JR.: Yes.

MAYO BARTLETT: Yes. She’s downstairs, and she overhears the police asking Mr. Chamberlain, "Do you have any family?" She goes over to give assistance. She says, "I’m his niece." They ignore that. So they’ve had every opportunity to take advantage of people who could have been of assistance. And again, it’s not a situation where they were investigating a crime and they’re putting a civilian into harm’s way. They’re there to give assistance. And in particular, if you’re dealing with an elderly individual, you don’t know whether that person even has dementia or whether they’re actually able to give you all of their medical history. If you have a family member that’s present, you should take full advantage of the fact that that individual is there.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And I think that the—that’s a critical point, in discussions with you, not only that they seem to have made up their minds that they were going to just go in there, but also that even when they did make up their minds, there was someone in full body gear that could have led the way, been the first person in there. But they claim—but that person did not go in, and instead it was these officers who went in there and who then claim that Mr. Chamberlain came at them with a knife, and they had no recourse but to shoot.

[EFerrari]

23. The family is pushing for a federal investigation and I hope they get it.

The shooter is already in court on another case of brutality.

[DiverDave]

27. I ask again, WHERE ARE THE 'GOOD COPS'??

The one's that are spoken of so highly around here?
The ones that are supposedly the 'majority' of cops?

Until the 'good cops' stand up to this murderous behavior we will
NEVER have real justice in the United States.

I wonder how the rest of White Plains feels about the message sent by this
announcement?

[EFerrari]

36. Here are some:

Politics
Police must answer for crimes against minorities

By theGrio

9:29 AM on 03/22/2012

Damon Jones, president of the Westchester Black Law Enforcement is fighting against the rise of questionable police shootings in the black community with a federal lawsuit. In a report by Lohud.com, Jones talks about the most recent killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. The organization has been steadily monitoring the issue of police crimes in communities of color across the United States and how law enforcement needs to make a change.

Incidents of questionable police shootings and conduct are on the rise throughout the nation, particularly as it relates to people of color and poor communities.

The recent shooting of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. -- a black man shot and killed by White Plains police responding to a medical alert at his apartment Nov. 19 -- is just a piece in a larger puzzle of deep-rooted "isms" in the institution of law enforcement in the United States.

As Blacks in Law Enforcement, we all know too well the embedded stereotypes of people of color in the law enforcement institution. Many off-duty or plainclothes black officers have been shot, shot at, or killed by their white counterparts, by mistake; the same never happens in reverse.

http://www.thegrio.com/politics/police-must-answer-for-crimes-against-minorities.php

[DLevine]

28. Absolutely disgusting.

What ever happened to protect and serve?

[Egalitarian Thug]

41. It originated in LA, and the whole quotation is,

"To Protect the Status Quo and Serve the Wealthy".

[newfie11]

29. This is fucking bullshit!!!

I want out of this country NOW!!!!

[KG]

30. of course not...

[Festivito]

31. I notice, "No criminal charges will be filed" instead of ARE FILED.

They're hoping to pre-create the history.

[yodermon]

32. sue them into FUCKING OBLIVION. n/t

[hifiguy]

33. Judge, jury and executioner.

Cops in this country are completely out of control and completely unaccountable. I suspect that a majority of cops belong behind bars themselves. Assholes.

[deutsey]

34. I'm stunned...

[EFerrari]

35. Amy has a whole report this morning, with audio and video. n/t

[CoffeeCat]

37. I saw this reported on Anderson Cooper...

...and the police are saying that the man had a knife. That they told him to open the door and he refused. And
when he cracked the door he had a large knife in his hand. I didn't believe it when the police were saying this.
I watched the video on Anderson Cooper and I didn't see a knife.

Are they lying???

Also, Anderson Cooper reported that they called the man a n*gg*r and were mocking him and taunting him. And prior
to arriving at this man's residence, the police were told that this man could be mentally unstable. So, why were they
calling him names and taunting him? These pathetic police sound SICK and like thugs!

The son of Mr, Chamberlain was on Anderson Cooper. He pointed out that the audio/video that was being shown on CNN
was not complete, and all of the footage of the police calling him names, was not shown. Great. Don't you just love
the media? What in the hell are they doing? "Keeping em honest" my ass.

This whole situation is so sick.

Mr. Chamberlain was afraid to open the door because he was afraid of the police. He knew how they treated minorities in his
area, and he was terrified. He kept telling them that he was fine and that they should go away. They refused. I guess these
wussies just didn't like to be told what to do. I'm sure it angered them. They had no business shooting him.

It's just disgraceful and so sad. These police officers both need to be put a way in prison for a long, long time.

[uponit7771]

39. It seems that some in the media are uncomfortable with overt racism these days

[EFerrari]

42. Amy had the audio this morning.

The PD first said he had a hatchet, then a butcher knife and it turned out to be a butter knife, no kidding. But that was AFTER he told them repeatedly that he was okay and that he didn't need help and that he would not open the door. Yeah, they taunted him for a good fiften minutes before they busted down the door for no reason.

You can hear the whole thing at the Democracy Now! website.

[Number23]

50. The Australian media reported something similar

about them taunting Chamberlain and calling him the n word.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/veterans-view-to-a-killing-20120414-1x02x.html

Yes, this story has made international news though much less than the Trayvon Martin killing.

[uponit7771]

38. Why aren't the FEDs involved here? TIA for any input

[EFerrari]

43. There are two requests for a federal civil rights investigation in the works.

One is by a civil liberties group and now, the Chamberlain family lawyer has also submitted a request.

[felix_numinous]

44. NO criminal charges???

I guess it means it is just A-OK for police to barge in and start shooting. The whole idea of law and order has become FUBAR'd.

[littlewolf]

48. I am just so tired of POLICE doing

what ever they want ... they have zero liability
no matter what they do they have immunity ...
I hope the city is sued into near bankruptcy ...
people need to go to jail but they won't police
have immunity while on duty ...
don't know what it takes to strip them of that
but I hope they do take it from them and they
go to jail. prayers for the family.

[Number23]

49. I'm shocked. Really

My heart weeps for that man's family.

[1620rock]

51. Fuck the cops!...

I swear I'll die in my home before I call them. Murdering bastards!

[6000eliot]

53. Do they even have the humanity to feel ashamed of what they did?

[krispos42]

54. Okay, call in the NY State Police

Obviously the White Plains PD can't be trusted n/t