Another unarmed black man Robbie Tolan was shot in his driveway by a white police officer for no reason on December 31st. 23 year-old Robbie Tolan is now in the hospital recovering from the shooting with a bullet still lodged in his liver. We send our condolences to Robbie Tolan and his family and hope he makes a full recovery. Unfortunately the execution style police shooting of unarmed black man Oscar Grant on New Year's Day ended in his death on a subway platform. Oakland riots erupted after the shooting when the officer resigned from the police force to avoid further questioning.
The family of a young black Texas man who was shot in his own driveway by a white police officer believes that racial profiling was the cause and are asking for criminal charges to be filed against the officer.
According to family members, Robbie Tolan and his cousin were returning to Tolan's home in the mostly white Houston suburb of Bellaire in the early hours of December 31, when they were approached by officers who suspected the SUV they had just gotten out of was stolen.
Tolan's parents, who own the SUV, came out of the house to explain the situation. An altercation ensued and Tolan's mother was thrown against the garage door by an officer. According to Tolan's uncle, "Her son was on his back at the time, and he raised up and asked, 'What are you doing to my mom?' and the officer shot him -- while he was on the ground."
The 23 year old Tolan is the son of former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Bobby Tolan, and he himself has played for minor-league teams. Now he lies in a hospital bed with a bullet lodged in his liver, perhaps permanently, his future sports career in question.
Althought the incident occurred a week ago, it is attracting fresh interest amid reports of riots in Oakland, CA over the fatal shooting by a transit officer there of an unarmed black suspect who was lying helpless on the ground. source