White Plains Rally Puts Focus on Chamberlain, Trayvon Martin Investigations

A group gathered in front of the Westchester County Courthouse at around noon today to rally for justice in two cases that have gained national attention—the police shooting death of in White Plains and the shooting death of a teen by a neighborhood watch volunteer in February.

The peaceful group hoped to bring attention to the ongoing investigations in both controversial cases.

Chamberlain, 68, died on Nov. 19 after police went to his South Lexington Avenue apartment to see if there was a medical emergency. A standoff between Chamberlain and police ensued, with White Plains officers breaking down the door to the apartment and at first using non-lethal weapons on Chamberlain.

Chamberlain was shot by a city officer, police said, when Chamberlain was about to stab one of the officers. Police contend Chamberlain was armed with a hatchet and a knife.

Chamberlain's family is disputing the police accounts in the death.

In Floriday, , 17, was killed on Feb. 26 in a confrontation with George Zimmerman, a neigborhood watch volunteer. He has admitted fatally shooting the unarmed teen and the incident has become the focus of national and international attention.

A Florida special prosecutor, Angela Corey, is investigating the shooting and announced on Monday she would not put the case before a grand jury, saying she would determine whether Zimmerman will be charged in the incident.

Zimmerman says the shooting was in self-defense in the gated community of Sanford, Fla. Martin was black; Zimmerman's mother is Hispanic and his father is white.