• Home
  • :
  • :
  • Member Center
  • :
  • Make This Your Home Page
  • :
  • Special Offers


Houston News

Cars.com
cars.com  Find a Car
 Find a Dealer
 Sell Your Car
Other Services
 MoveCenter
 Datingcenter

Bellaire mayor breaks silence on racial profiling allegations

09:38 AM CST on Tuesday, February 3, 2009

By Courtney Zubowski / 11 News

BELLAIRE, Texas -- For the first time since the controversial shooting of Robbie Tolan, Bellaire Mayor Cindy Seigel talked spoke out about what the city is doing to respond to allegations of racial profiling.

Video
Courtney Zubowski's 11 News report
February 2, 2009

Tolan was gunned down in the front yard of his Bellaire home early in the morning of December 31.

He spent weeks in the hospital and still has a bullet lodged in his liver.

The office stopped Tolan on suspicion of driving a stolen car. But the vehicle belonged to the young man's family and hadn't been reported stolen.

Some believe Tolan was targeted simply because he is black.

Seigel told a crowd during her annual state of the city address Monday night that the city takes the allegations very seriously.

She said the city has hired an independent consultant who will analyze data regarding traffic stops and the breakdown of who officers are stopping.

Seigel said all officers in the department will go through cultural sensitivity training.

Seigel said the city isn't admitting that it has a problem, but is taking steps to find out if there is any truth to allegations of racial profiling in Bellaire.

11 NEWS

Robbie Tolan was seriously injured when a Bellaire police officer shot him.

"We can't ignore these allegations and even if they turn out that they are just perception, we do believe that we need to address it and take steps that are proactive," Seigel said.

The mayor said she is saddened and sorry about the shooting of Robbie Tolan.

She said as soon as the Harris County investigation into the shooting is complete, she will reveal the results of the Tolan investigation to the citizens of Bellaire.

Attorneys for Tolan attended the mayor's speech and said they're not satisfied with her comments.

They said Tolan is improving but he is still afraid to go home.