Victim of Texas Police Shooting Files Suit

By Evan Mix

Published on May 05, 2009

Early on the morning of January 1st, 2009, Robert Tolan was shot in his driveway during a dispute with police who misidentified his car as a stolen vehicle. The 23-year-old resident of Bellaire, Texas, who sustained injuries to his lung and liver, filed a civil rights lawsuit this week against the officer who shot him and other city officials.

According to Tolan's family, the young man and his cousin arrived home from a New Year's Eve celebration around 2 am and were ordered onto the ground by police in the driveway. Tolan's mother came out of the house and asked what was going on. An officer allegedly shoved her against a wall, at which point Tolan began to get up. He was then shot through the chest. The officer who shot Tolan, Sergeant Jeff Cotton, was indicted last month for aggravated assault by a public servant in connection with the incident. He continues to maintain his innocence.

Tolan, who is the son of Major League Baseball player Bobby Tolan, claims in the lawsuit that racial profiling and discrimination are endemic in the city's police department and government. The city's representatives have denied his allegations.

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