Cops won't take "no" for an answer after accidental "LifeAlert" dispatch; 1 dead

[rambone]

68-year-old Kenneth Chamberlain accidentally pushed his "LifeAlert" button, immediately dispatching emergency responders. He called to cancel the request multiple times, and the info was relayed to police. He also verbally told officers through his door that he was fine. However, he adamantly refused to open the door. The cops wouldn't take "no" for an answer and broke down his door, tased him, and then shot him to death.

As Grand Jury Clears White Plains Police in Kenneth Chamberlain

This video has the 9-1-1 calls that clearly shows the police knew that the dispatch was an accident. And there was no question that he wanted them to leave him alone and did not need "assistance".

The murderers were cleared of all wrongdoing.

 

[greghvac]

its the same as calling 911 they need to see if every thing was ok, have 3 kids one called ,next thing they were at my door . had a good talk with my girl

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

They claimed he tried to attack them with a knife? Really?

 

[rambone]

its the same as calling 911 they need to see if every thing was ok, have 3 kids one called ,next thing they were at my door . had a good talk with my girl

Please watch the clip. There was no question that the guy was OK. He cancelled the dispatch and was quite obviously not dying on the floor.

 

[SSGSAD]

68-year-old Kenneth Chamberlain accidentally pushed his "LifeAlert" button, immediately dispatching emergency responders. He called to cancel the request multiple times, and the info was relayed to police. He also verbally told officers through his door that he was fine. However, he adamantly refused to open the door. The cops wouldn't take "no" for an answer and broke down his door, tased him, and then shot him to death.

As Grand Jury Clears White Plains Police in Kenneth Chamberlain

This video has the 9-1-1 calls that clearly shows the police knew that the dispatch was an accident. And there was no question that he wanted them to leave him alone and did not need "assistance".

The murderers were cleared of all wrongdoing.

IMHO, this is TOTALLY ridiculous ..... govt gone..... gone .....

 

[rambone]

Police officer cleared in shooting death of ailing veteran in New York

The Taser is equipped with a video camera that recorded the incident, but it cuts off before the bullets were fired. The medical alert device also recorded audio of the encounter. Chamberlain's family was allowed to review that evidence earlier and accused officers of acting too aggressively on an ailing man inside his own home who was not suspected of any crime. They also and said a police officer used a racial epithet when referring to Chamberlain.

"He feared for his life," said Chamberlain's son, also named Kenneth. "He kept asking them to go away and that he didn't need their help."

Chamberlain's niece, Tonya Greenhill, was outside the door with police asking them to let her talk to her uncle instead of forcing their way in, she said. "I heard my uncle begging and pleading them to please leave him alone. I could begin to almost hear fear in his voice."

 

[Bunnykid68]

This is how they make you get used to it. This happened 11/19/2011 if I saw correctly and Jesse and Al have nothing to say about it. REALLY?

 

[bcannon]

Wow insane and were to feel secure with those type of police protecting us, really? Cmon they could shoot the "ailing" "VETERAN" in the leg, they had him tazed, really? To top it off they werent charged? Seriously, who do you call for help if needed? Is the gov't trying to tell us not to ask for help, in their own gov't way?

 

[j706]

Oh boy here we go again. The lifealert dispatch gave the guy the best advice. But for whatever reason he would not listen to reason. His vet status means nothing. His race and the officers race means nothing. Once LE was there they pretty much had to follow up on the call. Considering the information available the LE officers acted in a manner they had to. No grand jury would have indited them.

Was it just me or was the news casters acting like they were on downers,stoned or something. It was like listening to a slo mo movie.

Anyway our daily police bashing thread by INGO's resident police hater. I can only imagine how much fun it must be to spend hours on line looking for anti cop stuff to post. Pathetic and quite weird.

 

[mike8170]

I read the transcripts, and fully believe everyone one of those B******s should be hung. JBT's at their best.

 

[theweakerbrother]

Oh boy here we go again. The lifealert dispatch gave the guy the best advice. But for whatever reason he would not listen to reason. His vet status means nothing. His race and the officers race means nothing. Once LE was there they pretty much had to follow up on the call. Considering the information available the LE officers acted in a manner they had to. No grand jury would have indited them.

Was it just me or was the news casters acting like they were on downers,stoned or something. It was like listening to a slo mo movie.

Anyway our daily police bashing thread by INGO's resident police hater. I can only imagine how much fun it must be to spend hours on line looking for anti cop stuff to post. Pathetic and quite weird.

I'll just take this to mean that you would have been the arriving officer to have shown up and shot the unarmed vet with legal force? Is there a statute requiring police to gain entry into homes once a life alert type signal is activated?

 

[Kutnupe14]

I'm not familiar with life alert. Exactly how does it work? If police are dispatched because they believe a person is close to death, and they arrive an find a person in perfect health, how are they to determine if that person is the "person in need," or a person that may have injured another?

It would look pretty bad if somebody killed someone else, life alert notified them, police arrive, an "unknown" person says "I'm the guy you're looking for, I'm fine." police leave, and later find out that they hadn't investigated as thoroughly as they shouldve.

 

[rambone]

I'm not familiar with life alert. Exactly how does it work?

Surely you remember the "I've fallen and I can't get up!" commercials?

LifeAlert is basically a pendant/remote that elderly people wear around their necks with an emergency dispatch button.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=52RHVQ9Ybqo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsi8suIoAH0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_oMKnHm4A

 

[KLB]

Why would the police need to break down the door of a house for a cancelled medical emergency? It isn't like this was a call for a breakin or domestic dispute.

 

[j706]

I'm not familiar with life alert. Exactly how does it work? If police are dispatched because they believe a person is close to death, and they arrive an find a person in perfect health, how are they to determine if that person is the "person in need," or a person that may have injured another?

It would look pretty bad if somebody killed someone else, life alert notified them, police arrive, an "unknown" person says "I'm the guy you're looking for, I'm fine." police leave, and later find out that they hadn't investigated as thoroughly as they shouldve.

If the LEO's would have walked away from the call in question and something had indeed happened (Intruder ect.) than the same people would be on here bashing LE for that. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Certain people (with an agenda) would like everyone to believe that a Life Alert dispatch went out, the police showed up and killed the guy because he would not answer the door. The way I was brought up we would call that a flat out lie.

What reasonable person would have a dispatch paging system and then after knowing a call went out and the police was at your door, refuse to answer the door? The guy knew he had LEO's at his door. The Life Alert dispatch can be clearly heard telling the RP to answer the door and let them know he was OK....more than once. But no he had to refuse and then arm himself with a knife....full well knowing the LE was at his door. Yea it sucks the guy got smoked. Maybe he had mental problems. One thing for certain is the call was very suspicious. Any first year rookie would have know it called for further investigation including a positive ID on the person they were speaking with.

 

[shortyforty]

That is a weak argument since how many ilegals are in this country? how many of them have contact with police? how many of them have "positive" i.d.? if that was the case every cop in this country would be busy sorting it out. and for all of you damned if you do damned if you dont people the emergency call was called off by life alert(you know the people who called) bottom line they knew they were not needed and stayed to prove a point,that the 4th amendment means nothing

 

[j706]

That is a weak argument since how many ilegals are in this country? how many of them have contact with police? how many of them have "positive" i.d.? if that was the case every cop in this country would be busy sorting it out. and for all of you damned if you do damned if you dont people the emergency call was called off by life alert(you know the people who called) bottom line they knew they were not needed and stayed to prove a point,that the 4th amendment means nothing

You completely lost me on that one. Can you break that down for me because I don't get what the illegals have to do with anything. I have a simple mind.

 

[thebishopp]

My question would be if the man confirmed his identity with some sort of ID. If so I would agree the police had no further reason to "investigate".

Also if this guy was so frail that he couldn't walk a flight of stairs and had major health issues how exactly did he shrug off tasers. And bean bag rounds and was such a threat they had to shoot him.

 

[black label]

Here are my questions. Obviously the guy was upset the police were at his door, why he was upset the article dosen't say, maybe mental problems alzheimers or something to that effect. The article said his niece was there and they had contact with the sister, why couldn't one of the cops ask if the man had any mental illnesses, or have one of them try and talk him out. I understand that the police have to make sure that he really is ok, but couldn't the niece have positively identify him for the police. They knew he had a knife and was agitated why would they bust in through the door without exhausting every possible way to end the situation as calmly as possible. Why would you shoot him after they tazered him, I've been tazered before( not by the police. It was a training exercise) and your not immediatly jumping back on your feet, grabbing your knife and resuming to attack the cops. It seems the police were pretty heavy handed on this one, and it should be investigated. I'm just going from the 911 transcript and nothing else.
I think it is a good thing people like rambone post these articles to let us know what is happening in this country, instead of listening to the talking heads telling us that the militarization of the police is a good thing. I'm not a cop hater or lover, but I do think the police in this country have taken a turn for the worse, they have been given way to much power that they have no right to have. They can't protect us, and they no longer serve us.

 

[thebishopp]

Just watched the video...

Same questions and a few others.

1. Why were police dispatched to a medical emergency before the ambulance? I've always thought that was ridiculous.

2. Once identity was confirmed by life alert that should have been it. Its on life alert at that point. Why the need to "make entry"? The man was clearly not wanting police and was well enough to be very verbal about it.

If they had backed off after life alert reported he was OK then this whole situation would have been avoided. It was no longer there responsibility. There was no crime being committed and life alert took on the civil liability when they called off the alert saying he was OK.

Makes me think that at that point it was more about making him obey then checking on his welfare.