Community Corner

Residents to Protest Chamberlain Report

A press conference Wednesday will assail the report that labelled Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr.'s death 'justified.'

Though an extensive, third-party study revealed last week that White Plains Police were "totally justified" in the shooting of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., not all residents are persuaded by the findings.

White Plains police officer Anthony Carelli shot Chamberlain while police responded to an early morning medical call from Chamberlain's apartment on Nov. 19, 2011. The shooting garnered national attention, with some claiming police used excessive force.

None of the officers involved in the shooting were indicted on criminal charges, but the Chamberlain family has filed a $21 million civil rights lawsuit in federal court.

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A group of friends, family, community members and BLEA and NAACP members are slated to gather Wednesday morning in the city's center to protest the report.

"As a community, we cannot allow the city of White Plains or their out of touch so-called paid law enforcement experts to give Police Officers a 'green light' to berate, use racial slurs, assault and kill people of color and label it Justifiable Homicide," wrote Damon K. Jones, a New York Representative for Blacks In Law En¬forcement of America, in an email this week.

Find out what's happening in White Plainswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"If the city of White Plains Police Officers cannot respect and treat people of color who live, spend money and pay taxes with justice, then we see no reason to do business, shop or patronize the city of White Plains until we are accepted and respected by the city government and their employees," Jones continued.

Jones is asking residents to denounce the report, and for law enforcement agencies to send representatives to the press conference.

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The details

When: Wednesday, October 10 at 11 a.m.

Where: In front of the MLK Statue by the Westchester County Courthouse, 111 Martin Luther King Blvd, White Plains


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