I had the wrong image. I thought the mother was showing hostility towards the officers.
I cannot grasp how all that went down. It was all so wrong from the very start and ended up much, much more wrong. Not sure if I'd pin the racist tag on the officer but he (and they) certainly deserve the stupid and idiot tags.
From the Houston Chronicle article....
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Tolan was leaving work and the two stopped at a fast-food restaurant on the way home. After he saw them make a “quick†turn, Edwards followed as they parked on the street, he said.
Edwards told jurors he entered the wrong license plate while driving by the two men, who were parked and rummaging in the back seat of the black Nissan sport utility vehicle.
Moments later, the license plate number he ran—with one number wrong—came back as stolen. The stolen vehicle also was a black Nissan with four doors. It was one model year off from Tolan's sport utility vehicle.
Chaotic scene
Edwards circled back to see Tolan and his cousin walking up the driveway to their house with a brown paper bag. Testimony showed the bag contained a bottle of vodka and a soda. Edwards said he got out of his patrol car, gun drawn, and told the two to lie down on the pavement.
The police officer testified that both men shouted profanity, disagreeing with him.
Tolan's parents then emerged from the house and yelled profanely at the two men to listen to Edwards.
“The scene was in no way under control,†Edwards testified.
Greenwood told the jury that seconds later, Cotton arrived and ended up “manhandling†Tolan's mother as the two officers panicked.
Aman told jurors that as Tolan and his family protested that the car was theirs and the two men lived there, Tolan's mother told Cotton, “Take your hands off of me!†Tolan then said, “Get your hands off of my mother!†Aman said.
As Cotton tried to move the woman, Tolan rose from the ground. Cotton fired three times, hitting him in the chest once.
Edwards testified Tolan “appeared to be charging or rushing†Cotton.
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Stupid and idiot seem to fit very well here.