White Plains officer who killed ex-Marine identified

WHITE PLAINS

It turns out the officer who shot Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr. had been accused of excessive force before.

The Eyewitness News investigators broke the story earlier this year.

For months, White Plains Police refused to release the name of the officer who shot Kenneth Chamberlain.

Thursday, they did and it turns out he's the same officer involved in another police brutality case Eyewitness News has been looking into.

White Plains Police now say Anthony Carelli, an 8-year-veteran of the department, was the officer who shot and killed Kenneth Chamberlain.

Last November, Carelli and other officers responded to Chamberlain's home after his medical alert device accidentally went off.

The 68-year-old ex-marine refused to open the door insisting he was OK, but afraid.

Police claim he was emotionally disturbed and had a knife and threatened them.

That's when Officer Carelli fired two shots killing Chamberlain.

While Carelli waits to see if a Grand Jury indicts him, he's already fighting excessive force allegations stemming from a disorderly conduct arrest he made outside a bar back in 2008.

"There were severe blows to the face and body. (With a night stick? ) Yes!" said Gus Dimopoulos, attorney.

The attorney for Jereis Hattar says his client is suing Officer Carelli and others for "use of excessive and unreasonable force".

"He didn't resist arrest in the slightest bit. This fact, when he was beaten he was in police custody and handcuffed to a wall," Dimopoulos said.

Police dispute the claims and in court documents say Hatter's conduct "caused public alarm".

But, the son of Kenneth Chamberlain says it's the silence by White Plains Police that's alarming.

"Why wasn't the officer's name released? Now we know the answer to that because he has a consistent pattern of behavior," Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr. said.

Chamberlain says audio and video which the District Attorney gave him access to, shows his father had no weapon when police entered his apartment and shot his dad.

It took five months for White Plains police to tell the public it was Officer Carelli who fired the shots.

"It gives the appearance that there was an effort to prevent us from knowing that this individual has this past allegation that's going to be tried shortly for similar conduct," said Mayo Bartlett, attorney.

"We'd like to see released to the public the audio and the video tapes of that event. That's what we'd like to see," said Wali Muhammad, attorney.

White Plains Police refuse to even say whether Officer Carelli has been placed on modified duty.

The Commissioner of Public Safety says they have cooperated fully with the DA's office.

The case goes to the Grand Jury in days.

---

If you have a tip about this or any other issue you'd like investigated, please give our tipline a call at 877-TIP-NEWS. You may also e-mail us at the.investigators@abc.com.

Follow Jim Hoffer on Twitter at twitter.com/nycinvestigates and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jimhoffer.wabc

Follow Sarah Wallace on Twitter at twitter.com/swinvestigates and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sarahwallace.wabc

---

Get Eyewitness News Delivered

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Text Alerts

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.