Robby Tolan shot

[Clove]

Tolan shot by police

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090108/SPORTS/901080315

January 8, 2009


Former Vermont Lake Monster Robby Tolan remained in an intensive care unit at a Houston hospital after being shot by a police officer, who authorities said mistakenly thought the baseball player was in a stolen Nissan Xterra.

Sgt. Jeff Cotton, a 10-year veteran of the Bellaire Police, has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigative by the Harris County District Attorney's office, the Houston Chronicle said.

The paper also reported the following:

Tolan, 23, is likely to live the rest of his life with a bullet in his liver. Cotton fired at least three times and one shot hit Tolan, who was unarmed. The .45-caliber slug passed through his lung before lodging in his liver. Tolan had returned home with another relative from a restaurant on Dec. 31 just before the shooting, which was witnessed by family members, including his mother. He also is the son of former major league outfielder Bobby Tolan, who won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967.

Lake Monster General Manager C. J. Knudsen said Wednesday night he was shocked when he heard the news earlier in the day.

"Anytime this happens to one of your former players, it's a little scary."

Robby Tolan, who played 11 games for the Lake Monsters in 2007, was involved in one of the most dramatic comebacks in Vermont minor league history. Tolan blasted a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to lift Vermont over the Hudson Valley Renegades, 12-10, in New York Penn League action. Vermont had fallen behind 10-1 and most of the starters had been replaced by manager Darnell Coles when the rally began.

Tolan was one of two Lake Monsters that helped Gov. James Douglas to discuss highway safety during a news conference at the Interstate 89 rest area in Williston in August 2007.

Tolan, who signed with the Washington Nationals as a free agent in 2007, played in the Continental Baseball League with the Bay Area Toros in Texas City last year.

-- Mike DonoghueFor the life of me, I can't think of why police would assume the vehicle was stolen.

[diethx]

"Anytime this happens to one of your former players, it's a little scary."

So this has happened to a lot of Lake Monsters? (rofl at Lake Monsters, too). Anyway, sucky situation.

[Daniel]

For the life of me, I can't think of why police would assume the vehicle was stolen.

Here. Let me show you a picture of the family.

http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/01/05/14670284/260xStory.jpg

They are the two on the left.

[CrystalTears]

Here. Let me show you a picture of the family.

http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/01/05/14670284/260xStory.jpg

They are the two on the left.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/Jemah/funnies/1166293700503.jpg

[TheEschaton]

Why is this in the politics folder?

[Daniel]

Yea. That's a total facepalm. A black man sitting in his own car in front of his own house is dragged out, forced on the ground, all on the mistaken belief that the car is stolen. His mother who comes out to clear up the situation is assaulted and he is then shot when protesting that act.

Yea. I'm sure that happens to white people all the time in Vermont.

Here's a fuller story from the picture I posted:
According to a statement later released by Bellaire police, officers approached Tolan and Cooper under the mistaken belief that their 2004 Nissan Xterra had been stolen.

Police said an argument broke out as the officers tried to detain and question the two men, but family members said both Tolan and Cooper complied after officers ordered them, at gunpoint, to drop to the ground.

Drawn by the commotion, Tolan's parents came outside. His mother, Marian Tolan, told police she was the homeowner and that her son's car wasn't stolen, said Berg, the family's attorney. He said Sgt. Cotton grabbed the 55-year-old woman and threw her against her garage door. When her son rose slightly from the ground to protest, Cotton fired, striking him once in the abdomen, Berg said. At least two other shots missed and somehow wound up in the ceiling of the home's front porch.

At Monday's council meeting, City Manager Bernie Satterwhite said he felt bad for Tolan and wished him a speedy recovery, but declined to comment on the details of the case or the investigation.

"I don't know what, why or how the shooting happened," Satterwhite said. "Any comment I could provide would only be based on speculation."

Satterwhite, who is in charge of disciplining city employees, including police officers, acknowledged that he was a personal acquaintance of Cotton's.

Mayor Cindy Siegel declined to comment on the case until the District Attorney's Office finishes its investigation, but said city officials would be fair and impartial.

"Based on the findings, the city will take any steps needed to ensure the safety of all citizens," she said at the meeting.

[Sean]

I feel bad for him and his family. I can't imagine being shot infront of my own family by the police unarmed in my own car.

[Daniel]

In front of your own house.

[AnticorRifling]

Was it Friday? We all know that DWB is illegal on Fridays.

[Sean]

Was it Friday? We all know that DWB is illegal on Fridays.

South Central Vermont is dangerous like that.

[NocturnalRob]

Was it Friday? We all know that DWB is illegal on Fridays.
isn't that when they're supposed to sit on the porch anyway?

http://www.cinemademerde.com/Friday-daaaamn.gif

[Ravenstorm]

Was it Friday? We all know that DWB is illegal on Fridays.

Stop fanning the flames. That's not only unproven but blatantly false as well.

He was parked, not driving.

[Stanley Burrell]

I guess he never encountered a skin-color minority in those 10 years.

Someone reports my Chevy as being stolen, it is not, I get pissed at an officer, but am compliant. Makes sense.

My mom comes screaming about how it is my registered vehicle. Officer looks like he's going to give my mom some shit under already false pretenses and I get fidgety. Makes sense.

My mom is pasty white and I'm about half a shade darker, officer listens to my mom, white neighbors validate my statement, there is no bullet permanently lodged in my liver. Makes sense.

[Paradii]

I liked how the spokesman for the police dept. had already announced that the racial profiling charge wouldn't float.

Shit, if they get away with this one, I am going to have to consider going around shooting unarmed black kids in front of their mothers at midnight, just for the free cheeseburgers.

[DeV]

Scatterwhite should recuse himself as there is an obvious conflict of interest here.

[Drew]

Being 1/8th black myself I can certainly identify with 1/8th the concern about racial profiling that our black posters feel.


PS: From the article this definitely sounds like bullshit but all the facts need to come out too. I think you give cops leeway because they work in such a stressful/dangerous job and have to make split second decisions, but I feel like this guy should at least lose his job and possibly face some minor jail time.

[Tisket]

It doesn't sound like this particular officer has a history of abuse of power:


Cotton, 39, joined the Bellaire Police Department in September 1998. Before that, he worked for seven months as an officer with the Pasadena City Marshal's Office, according to state records. He has an advanced peace officer rating with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, the state's licensing agency for law enforcement officers.

Cotton also is certified as a mental health officer and crime prevention inspector, according to state records. He has taken a variety of law enforcement training courses, including classes in cultural diversity a month ago and in March 2006, May 2005, August 2001, May 1999 and August 1997.

State records also show he received four credit hours in May 2003 after a training class about racial profiling.

Cotton has no public complaints filed against him. The only blemish on his record is a written reprimand for a past auto accident, Holloway said.

"That's the extent of it. He's got quite a few letters of commendations (and positive) letters from citizens," Holloway said

But yeah, even if it was not racially motivated in any way, the result is still horrific. I don't think he should keep his job.

[Clove]

Well, he was trained in racial profiling; so apparently he's good at it now.

[AnticorRifling]

Race should be thrown out the window.

He shot another human and was wrong for it.

Now if the situation was more heated than the family lets on, let's be honest people lie, or there was some other factor that could possibly make deadly force an option he was wrong and needs removed.


Right now it's too early to pass judgement and he is still innocent.

[Daniel]

Race should be thrown out the window.

He shot another human and was wrong for it.

Now if the situation was more heated than the family lets on, let's be honest people lie, or there was some other factor that could possibly make deadly force an option he was wrong and needs removed.


Right now it's too early to pass judgement and he is still innocent.

To be fair, I posted the picture in response to the question of "I can't understand why the police thought he was stealing the vehicle".

[Clove]

To be fair, I posted the picture in response to the question of "I can't understand why the police thought he was stealing the vehicle".Racist.

[AnticorRifling]

Was he pulling out of the driveway with no lights on, or something else suspicious? Don't know yet. We can't just assume it's because the guy that got shot is black. Well we could but that's just using our jump to conclusions mat.

[Tisket]

I think it's pretty amazing that the cop has been in service for ten years and has not a single complaint filed against him.

[Daniel]

Was he pulling out of the driveway with no lights on, or something else suspicious? Don't know yet. We can't just assume it's because the guy that got shot is black. Well we could but that's just using our jump to conclusions mat.

Care to make a wager?

[AnticorRifling]

Care to make a wager?

Sure.

And since you're the black guy with the job and I'm currently the unemployed cracker I think you owe me.

:)

[Daniel]

Sure.

And since you're the black guy with the job and I'm currently the unemployed cracker I think you owe me.

:)


Lol. Okay. We'll discuss this later, but it must involve some form of public internet humiliation.

[AnticorRifling]

Lol. Okay. We'll discuss this later, but it must involve some form of public internet humiliation.
Deal sucker! Wait how are we going to prove this anyway? It's always going to be speculation and/or opinion.

[Clove]

Well there will be a review. He was returning home in his car. His brother said they didn't even know they were officers at first. The car wasn't reported stolen.

I don't see how they could have concluded he stole the car without some sort of prejudicial judgement.

Oh and thanks for the pictures, Captain Obvious.

[Keller]

Speaking of wagers . . . Clove, Keller is in Ta'Vaalor. I'll log in when you're ready to pay up.

[Clove]

Speaking of wagers . . . Clove, Keller is in Ta'Vaalor. I'll log in when you're ready to pay up.Keller better haul his ass to Wehnimer's, Solhaven or Icemule.

Besides I have it in writing that you defered your winnings to CT.

[AnticorRifling]

Regardless it's shitty. The only plus side is with the bullet lodged in his liver he won't ever have to worry about low blood iron.

[Sean]

Who would want to steal an Xterra anyway it's just barely a step up from a Honda Element or a Scion xB

[Kuyuk]

<Former Vermont Lake Monster Robby Tolan remained in an intensive care unit at a Houston hospital after being shot by a police officer, who authorities said mistakenly thought the baseball player was in a stolen Nissan Xterra.



Sgt. Jeff Cotton, a 10-year veteran of the Bellaire Police, has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigative by the Harris County District Attorney's office, the Houston Chronicle said.>


He got shot in texas folks, not VT.

Dont give VT a bad name. :)

You damn texans are the trigger happy people, not the hippies

[Keller]

Keller better haul his ass to Wehnimer's, Solhaven or Icemule.

I would get so lost it is not funny. How about you hop your ass out to the Nations.

[AnticorRifling]

Who would want to steal an Xterra anyway it's just barely a step up from a Honda Element or a Scion xB

You bad mouth my xB and I'll hate crime your ass.

[Clove]

Why is this in the politics folder?Because I didn't think shooting black people was a sport.

[Khariz]

You were wrong:

Me (3:07:33 PM): heh I just did an mstrike that resuled in 5 kills
Rogane (3:07:39 PM): nice
Rogane (3:07:47 PM): but listen to this joke
Me (3:07:51 PM): k
Rogane (3:07:55 PM): a doctor from the north came to hunt in the south
Rogane (3:08:14 PM): he went out with my uncle...they were out hunting....came across a black guy

Rogane (3:08:21 PM): my uncle shot him
Rogane (3:08:28 PM): they doctor from the north was like WTF!!!
Rogane (3:08:33 PM): what are you doing
Rogane (3:08:49 PM): so my uncle said, down here..we can hunt them
Rogane (3:09:05 PM): disturbed, he went on hunting...
Rogane (3:09:15 PM): they came across a watermelon field
Rogane (3:09:40 PM): there were a few black people...so the northerener shot one
Rogane (3:10:11 PM): all of a sudden a game warden came out and said, "shit mate...you can't bait out here"

Me (3:10:20 PM): lol
Rogane (3:10:49 PM): funny thing is, i am half black
Rogane (3:10:51 PM): and jewish
Me (3:10:54 PM): hehe
Me (3:10:57 PM): that's full of win
Rogane (3:10:59 PM): so I got like all the good jokes based at me
Me (3:11:08 PM): yup
Rogane (3:11:28 PM): you know, this one time I read a book for my PHD in business ethics

Rogane (3:11:36 PM): it was called jewish ethics
Rogane (3:11:46 PM): and I opened it and it was my diploma
Me (3:12:01 PM): lol
Rogane (3:15:12 PM): whats the shame of a VW going over a cliff with the seats full?
Me (3:15:43 PM): ?
Rogane (3:15:48 PM): could of fit 100 more in the ash tray
Me (3:16:19 PM): ouch
Me (3:16:20 PM): hehe
Rogane (3:16:30 PM): most people are scared to laugh

[Tisket]

hmm, I can forgive a lot of things but unfunny, old, lame jokes aren't one of them.

[Khariz]

hmm, I can forgive a lot of things but unfunny, old, lame jokes aren't one of them.

Tell Rogane. He told those yesterday.

[Tisket]

You recycled them though.

[Khariz]

You recycled them though.

Sorry, it fit the theme.

[DeV]

Because I didn't think shooting black people was a sport.
Apparently, it's in season. :(

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/07/BART.shooting/index.html

[TheRunt]

People should just shoot at cans.
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AfriCANS
MexiCANS
Puerto RiCANS

[Gan]

Bellaire Police (aka stormtroopers) have had issues in the past with race among other problems of overzealousness.

This is sad but comes as no suprise.

:(