BELLAIRE, Texas -- A shooting that sparked outrage in Bellaire last week was the hot topic at Monday night's city council meeting.
Robbie Tolan, a 23-year-old former Bellaire High School baseball standout, was shot in the front yard of his home on Woodstock.
Investigators have yet to explain why Sgt. Jeff Cotton fired the shot that left Tolan with a 45-calibur bullet lodged in his liver.
Relatives and some community leaders .
"Tonight, we are not going to sit here and debate the subject," said Bellaire Mayor Cindy Siegel. "My thoughts and prayers have been with them every day."
The city manager also made it very clear he couldn't comment on specifics of the shooting. But he did say he is concerned for the young man in the hospital.
"I know many of us feel bad," said Bellaire City Manager Bernie Satterwhite. "We feel bad we don't have more answers at this point."
It's not what the Tolans wanted to hear from city leaders.
"I think the city would have done well had it said it was sorry that it happened," said Geoffrey Berg, the Tolans' attorney. "If the city had expressed some regret that a member of its police force shot a member of a family -- the only African American family on the block."
Police said they followed Tolan because they thought he was in a stolen car. But the vehicle actually belonged to the family.
Tolan and his cousin were ordered to lie on the ground in front of the family's home.
Family members said Tolan who had reportedly pushed his mother against a wall.
Tolan remains in the hospital, unable to speak. Doctors say they'll never be able to remove the bullet from his liver.
Tolan, the son of former Major Leaguer Bobby Tolan, was a star player at Prairie View A&M and is now on a minor league team for the Washington Nationals.
It's not clear if he'll be able to play ball again.
Tolan's former college baseball coach said Monday he is saddened by what happened.
"When I heard, you know, when he got shot I knew there was something flaky about it because, you know, he's just a good kid and he would never do anything wrong," Michael Robertson said. "He comes from a good family and he has all the support that anyone would need to go out and maximize their potential."
The Harris County District Attorney's office is investigating what happened. Once that is complete the city will conduct an internal investigation.
Meantime, community activist Quannel X is planning a march at city hall Tuesday at 4 p.m. to protest what he calls racial profiling within the Bellaire Police Department.
