Did you hear about Kenneth Chamberlain?

Most likely, you have not heard about Kenneth Chamberlain.  So, just who was Kenneth Chamberlain, and why is he important?  Kenneth Chamberlain was a 68-year old African American Marine Veteran who was harassed and later shot dead in his home by a White Plains, New York police officer in November 2011.

The incident began to unfold after Chamberlain's LifeAid medical alert pendant accidentally went off in the early morning of November 19th.  LifeAid had a two way speaker box installed in Chamberlain's apartment, and attempted to speak with him regarding the alert that morning.  When the LifeAid company received no response, they contacted the local police department and had a squad car sent over to check on the heart patient.

When the police arrived, Chamberlain came to the door (but refused to open it because he was not dressed) and let the officer know that everything was okay, and that the pendant went off by mistake.  The officer demanded that Chamberlain open his door because he heard suspicious noises coming from inside, and thought someone else was there and in distress.  Chamberlain repeatedly refused to open the door, so the officer called for backup.

The whole scenario unfolded while Mr. Chamberlain spoke with the LifeAid operator, who could also hear everything that was going on in the apartment.  Chamberlain told the LifeAid operator that police were banging on his door, that he had not called the police, and that he was not opening his door because he was alright and had no reason to speak to them.  The operator eventually contacted the police department to let them know that Chamberlain was in fact alright, and that it was a mistake that they were called.  The police responded by letting LifeAid know that they did not need them to interfere, and that they were handling the situation on their end.  The full transcript of the event can be found here.

Eventually a number of officers broke down Chamberlain's door, and found him in his boxers holding a knife,  afraid for his life, and wondering why the police would not leave him alone.  One police officer is recorded on the LifeAid tape telling Mr. Chamberlain "I don't give a Fuck, Nigger!" in response to Chamberlain repeatedly letting them know that he was okay and they should leave.  After shooting him with bean bags, tasing him, and finally shooting him, Kenneth Chamberlain lay shot dead in his own apartment.

This unnecessary death occurred in 2011, though not many people knew about it since it was not reported through mainstream media outlets.  The reason that this story has made the spotlight issues on 2sisters is to make people aware of the blatant disrespect this man endured, the racial slurs that were hurled at him, and the treatment he received based on the color of his skin.

If we do not stand up for each other, these types of incidences will continue to occur because there is little respect for the lives of African Americans, and especially African American males.

Chamberlain's family has filed a $21 million civil rights suit against the city of White Plains, New York and it's police department.