Police Shoot Wrong Man in His Own Driveway

January 5th, 2009

Robert Tolan

Attorneys for a 23-year-old east Texas man, whom police shot in his own driveway after mistaking his SUV for a stolen car, say he was a victim of racial profiling. Robert Tolan, and his cousin, Anthony Cooper, were returning from a fast-food shop when police officers pulled up to Tolan’s home and ordered both men to the ground. Witnesses say that the two young men complied immediately and were lying on the sidewalk near his parents’ front door when Tolan looked up and protested the way the officers were treating his mother. She had come outside to see what all the commotion was about, United Press International reports. That’s when Bellaire Police Sgt. Jeff Cotton shot him, UPI reports. Police also fired at least two other shots, but they missed, witnesses said. Tolan, a former Bellaire High School baseball star and the son of former major league player Bobby Tolan, was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital. Officials said he is expected to recover fully, UPI reports. “We want the district attorney to charge this officer,” said Geoffrey Berg. “There can’t be an explanation that can justify what the police did to this kid.” David Berg, another family attorney, said race prompted the shooting. Tolan is Black, and Cotton is White. “There’s no doubt in my mind that if these had been two White kids, they never would have been shot,” Berg said. Cotton, who has been on the force for 10 years, is on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Bellaire Assistant City Manager Diane K. White told UPI. Bobby Tolan said his son was pursuing a professional baseball career and has never had any trouble with Bellaire Police.

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Comments

Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 »

:-( Said on

I can tell you one thing and that’s the cop that shot
him is going to wish that he would have never
stereotyped that young black man. I say this because
many of our black families don’t have the money
To pay for a good lawyer and this family does!!!
I don’t think that this cop is going to get away
With it…



cecilenoe Said on

THAT TRUE THIS IS A ACT RACIAL ?WHITE MEN RACISM STOP TO KILLING INNOCENT BLACK MEN AND HELP ISRAEL TO KILLED THEY KIDS OF HAMAS FOR NO RAISON FOR ELECTION COMING SOON APRIL ISRAEL STOP CRIMINEL YOU ARE.



cecilenoe Said on

THIS IS A ACT RACIAL WHITERACISM STOP TO KILLED BLACK PEOPLE FOR NO RAISON?ISRAEL STOP TO KILLED THE CHILDREN OF HAMAS FOR NO RAISON JUST FOR ELECTION SOON.NO BIAS NO BULL.OBAMA WAKE UP.MY MEN.



Nicee Said on

It does’nt matter if you are Black White Rich or Poor the police right is right and this cop is DEAD wrong in how he handled this young man and his friend!!



Nicee Said on

It does not matter if you are BLACK WHITE RICH or POOR right is right and this cop is DEAD wrong in how he handled this young man and his friend!! point blank….



msvinson36@att.net Said on

people what can we do to get this stupid person david off of bet



Pam Said on

David….you just really need to grow up. I guess you want even come close to pretending you have atleast a little common sense,until it’s your mother or child. JACK@$$!!!!!!!!



Trina55 Said on

David would not have the guts to say what he thinks to Blacks face to face, because he is the type of coward that has to hide behind his postings. This weakling will never go away, otherwise, how else can he vent his hatred of blacks with out getting a beat down. He probably has p**s envy and knows he can’t compete with black men in that area so he tries to protray us all as less than human so he can feel better about himself. David, they have surgery and psychiatry for problems like yours.



oluanwa Said on

People in this country has no respect for the law anyway. In my country, you would get the sh:t beat out of you.



Thelma Said on

Trina55, believe me not all white people are afraid of us. Black folks these days don’t fight with their fists. They drive down streets and open fire,usually missing their target. Not everything is solved with violence,just take a look at our black communities,are you as an american black, happy with what you see. Well I’m not. We need to look in the mirror as a people and quit blaming everything on the white man. I’m 47 years old and grew up in a black community and everybody I’ve ever known who was a victim of a violent crime was assaulted by a black person. So don’t worry about harmless words from people like David or Toni. GOD BLESS



DREA Said on

TRAGIC,SAD, …………………………….HISTORICALLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS AN EXTENSION OF W.A.S.P. BLUE EYED DEMONS WHO FOR OVER 400 YEARS HAVE TORTURED, MAIMED, BRUTALIZED AND MURDERED BLACK MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. BUT , THE LORD OUR FATHER KNOWS THAT THEY WILL PAY AND IT WILL BE HELL TO PAY. I PRAY FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY OF THIS YOUNG MAN. I LIVE IN SUGARLAND AND MOST BLACK FOLK KNOW THAT BELLAIRE IS NOT A FRIENDLY AND /OR WELCOMING SMALL RACIST CITY TO HAVE A DESIRE TO RESIDE IN THAT COMMUNITY!



Thelma Said on

DREA, I don’t see or hear Jewish people sitting around playing the constant victim card. They believe strongly that education is the key,and that is the reason for their success. I don’t think anyone can deny that Jewish people have been treated far worse than anyone else. Some of the young black kids on this website screaming about racism and the white man keeping me down,don’t have a clue of what struggle is about. You young people have every opportunity to succeed today. The only one holding you back is you. There have been so many programs created for young minorities,and to see those youngsters sitting around blaming the white man is a disservice to all the black americans who layed it on the line for you. Get off your butts and get yourselves educated. GOD BLESS



davids friend Said on

If blacks didn’t commit 85% of the crimes in this country , then maybe the cops wouldn’t profile you people. You people don’t value your own lives , so why should the cops ?



Educated Black Medical Diva Said on

And there it is “YOU PEOPLE”. David I am about to pray for you and I am going to pray hard for your soul. I am definetly going to pray on Jan 20, 2009 that you don’t do too much yapping and get slapped up. You know what time it is and in the next year even you will have to admit that you love us because the both halfs of OBAMA are going to be saving your behind from economic turmoil. The shooting was just what it said RACIAL. And you are just what I though you were IGNORANT!



people people Said on

people don’t you know that david is BET getting IT started and it works on blacks everytime,you give david power everytime you respond to him,so stop giving the stupid power or haven’t black people learned that yet..It don’t take much brains to figure that out.



mollie Said on

Mr. Robert Tolan I’m happy you are doing good. Sorry that the two of you had to deal with this type of Bull Sh$$, however I smell a great deal of money from this young man after he get paid from the city of Bellaire.



Tammi Said on

I am not sure how many of you are regular readers but David is the idiot that always post the dumbest comments. He is a racist that reads BET first thing in the morning and makes these stupid comments to piss everyone off and if you notice he is always at the top so this is the first thing he does daily !! So I am a regular and this is the last comment that David will ever get from me because yall he really gets off on this so dont feed into him !!



mrsking Said on

Tammi I agree with you about this stupid idiot. But in all honesty nothing really surprises me anymore with these sick ass people with their sick and twisted minds. From this crazy ass racist cop to stupid ass David



julie Said on

this white cop needs to lose his job his pension and his f….. freedom…..racial profiling is so prominant in our society it is f…. pathetic



julie Said on

that police officer needs to lose his job, his pension and his f…. freedom….racial profiling is so prominant in our society it is f….. pathetic