Chamberlain family updated on fed probe
March 20, 2013 BY TIMOTHY O'CONNOR
Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. and his family's lawyers met with federal prosecutors and investigators in Manhattan for an hour and 30 minutes Wednesday morning to get an update on the U.S. attorney's review of the Nov. 19, 2011, shooting death of Chamberlain's 68-year-old father by a White Plains police officer.
A Westchester County grand jury voted in May of 2012 not to indict Officer Anthony Carelli, the White Plains officer who shot Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. twice in the chest following a three-hour standoff at the door of Chamberlain's first-floor apartment in the Winbrook Public Housing complex.
The Chamberlain family has charged that race played a role in the shooting. Chamberlain was African-American. Carelli is white. At least one police officer used a racial slur against Chamberlain during the standoff. Officer Steven Hart has been suspended for that alleged infraction, though he has denied using the slur.
Chamberlain family lawyer Mayo Bartlett contends the slur was used twice by two officers during the incident.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced May 4, 2012, that his office would review the case to determine whether to open a criminal civil rights investigation.
Wednesday's meeting was an update on that review, said Randolph McLaughlin of the law firm Newman-Ferrara LLP. He and Bartlett are representing the Chamberlain family.
"At the end of the day, we believe a full and fair review of the facts and the evidence will result in a positive outcome for this family," McLaughlin said.
He declined to comment on the substance of the meeting, saying all parties agreed not to discuss that publicly.
A spokesman for Bharara declined to comment.
The meeting marked the second time Chamberlain has sat down with federal prosecutors and investigators regarding the case.
"They've always been responsive to us when we feel we need to meet about the case," McLaughlin said.
The family has filed a $21 million federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of White Plains.
Carelli has said through his lawyer that he shot the elder Chamberlain to save a fellow officer, Sgt. Keith Martin, whom Chamberlain was charging at with a knife. Police had tried to subdue him using a stun gun and a beanbag gun.
The incident started when police responded to a call from the elder Chamberlain's medical alert pendant, which he accidentally activated.
Via Newsday.com: http://newyork.newsday.com/westchester/kenneth-chamberlain-family-updated-on-federal-probe-of-shooting-1.4851020