(ThyBlackMan.com) What do you do when justice remains elusive? While the focus of many has been on the Trayvon Martin case, there are so many other instances of alleged injustice perpetrated on minorities and or the disenfranchised “underclass” of society.
The case of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. is a case where a retired Marine, who also was a retired Corrections officer was killed by police officers sent to Mr. Chamberlain’s home by a medical alert dispatcher. The dispatcher was alerted by a signal from the medical alert pendant that Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. wore around his neck that somehow activated while he was asleep. Since he did not respond to the dispatcher who called to check on him, the dispatcher called emergency services and the police showed up on Mr. Chamberlain’s door. 
The police ordered Mr. Chamberlain to open the door and he refused. After a vocal exchange conducted with the door closed, during which Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. indicated that he was a 68 year old vet with a heart problem, the police took the door off the hinges. The police report indicated that Mr. Chamberlain tried to attack them with a hatchet when the door was taken off its hinges. The officers , then shot Mr. Chamberlain with a Taser which apparently did not diffuse the situation. They then according to the police report shot Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. with beanbag shotgun which also apparently did not diffuse the situation, again according to the police report. At this point Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. was shot and killed by one of the officers who claimed self-defense and that Mr. Chamberlain was brandishing a knife at them.
The major point of contention and difference in this case is that the medical alert company who contacted 911 to request assistance for Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., had as part of their service, an intercom installed in Mr. Chamberlain’s apartment. When the dispatcher was trying to contact Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., they never disconnected that line – and the entire audio confrontation was picked up. Additionally, the type of Taser that the officers used is equipped with a video camera that also caught part of the confrontation as well.
The tapes, both audio and video were made available to the Chamberlain family and their attorney’s. What should be noted is that, there were racial slurs directed at Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. that can be heard on the audio. There were also taunts made about Mr. Chamberlain being a Marine.
This all happened in November of 2011, and a grand jury was convened in April of this year which, as of yesterday refused to hand up any indictments against the officers involved in this incident. Which in basic terms means no charges will be filed against any of the officers involved. The family is looking at options right now but I repeat the initial query – what do you do when justice seems to be elusive?
When you do everything that you are supposed to do, serve your country, hold down a government job in a position of authority but your life ends in controversy, abruptly and with more questions than answers. What do you do?
The notion of happily ever after is one begun within the pages of fairy tales and continued in the Hollywood tradition of making money by giving people the happy endings and feel good stories that life wouldn’t. The belief that if something bad happens that it will all turn out “right” in the end, aside from divine implications does not always manifest here in the real world.
Life is not, by design intended to be fair. If the truth were allowed to BE told, there are more bad things happening to good people, and more injustices being visited among the innocent than there are numbers to count them all. However speaking that truth to power is not profitable. Speaking that truth leads down a long path where justice may ultimately be elusive. If it were your father who was killed in this fashion – what would you do? Would you seek and stand for justice? Would you leave no stone unturned? Or would you allow your father’s memory to ultimately consist of his becoming another unfortunate statistical number.
Knowing the answer to this question might come in real handy for folks real soon. Not every story has a good ending. Justice is not always served well or equitably.
Notes: not sure which if any of these links you might want to use – however I am providing links to the interviews and video footage related to this story.
Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. – Retired Marine killed by Police Officers
White Plains, NY Police Called out on Medical Alert Shoot Dead Black Veteran –
Soledad O’Brien – CNN – Actual Police Footage of the Confrontation with Mr. Chamberlain
