Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.

Sixty-eight-year-old Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., a former Marine, was killed by White Plains police after his medical-alert device triggered a response at his apartment in November 2011.

What happened

Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.'s medical-alert pendant activated early on November 19, 2011 at his White Plains apartment. Chamberlain told the alert operator that he did not need police and asked officers outside his door to leave. The alert-company audio recorded a lengthy confrontation as officers insisted on entry. Police eventually forced their way inside, used a Taser and fired fatal gunshots. Chamberlain's family challenged whether any emergency justified breaking into his home and alleged that officers used unnecessary and degrading force against an elderly Black man who had called for no police assistance. The family pursued independent investigation, civil rights claims and advocacy over officers' handling of vulnerable residents.

Investigation & findings

A New York grand jury declined to indict. A federal civil jury ruled against the family on certain liability claims, and the U.S. attorney closed a criminal civil-rights inquiry in 2018 citing insufficient evidence under that standard; this should not be represented as an affirmation of every police tactic.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records