Former Major League Baseball player Bobby Tolan was a talented centerfielder whose defensive skills helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series in 1967 and capture the National League crown the following year.
His son, Robbie, played in the Washington Nationals organization until December 31, 2008, when 10-year Bellaire, Texas police officer Jeffrey Cotton shot the unarmed 23-year-old in his parent’s driveway. Cotton said he was investigating a car theft, which Tolan had nothing to do with. Somehow, the young Black man was shot.
Charges were pressed against Cotton, and the police officer was found not guilty.
Robbie Tolan is a staunch supporter of Congresswoman Cori Bush’s Helping Families Heal Act, legislation that would fund mental health resources to support those impacted by police violence. Her bill was filed on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.
“My story, like so many others, will never stop being told in this country. Every time a person of color is executed by police, we are forced to relive our worst nightmares. We are never able to heal because it continues to happen daily,” Tolan said in a statement.
“We are forced to live with physical, emotional, and psychological trauma, compounded with the financial burden of expensive surgeries, funeral arrangements, and legal fees. While long overdue, [the bill] will assist in creating a place of solace and healing for victims and families dealing with trauma from police brutality.”
Bush said she collaborated with Lezley McSpadden, mother of the late Michael Brown who was shot and killed by a former Ferguson police officer in 2014.
“As St. Louis continues to be among the top regions of police killings nationwide, it is time we center the trauma associated with state-sanctioned violence,” Bush said.
“Currently, there are no government-funded mental health programs or services targeted for victims of police brutality, leaving communities without the tools to heal and for the trauma to linger.”
McSpadden said her mental trauma following her son’s death, “has never let me leave Canfield Drive.
“Mental health therapy is a first line treatment for trauma. Being strong isn’t physical, it’s very much mental. To be equipped with a strategy on how to strengthen the mind while giving direction to your emotions and learning how to heal from your trauma will make you whole.”
According to Bush, her bill would:
-Establish a Helping Families Heal Program under the Health and Human Services to implement community-based mental health programs and services to victims and families of victims who have experienced law enforcement violence.
-Establish the Healing for Students Program under the Department of Education to increase mental health resources for students and school personnel impacted by law enforcement violence.
-Allocate $100 million to support mental health resources and improve access mental health services for communities harmed by police violence.
“When a loved one suffers at the hands of police, the entire family contends with the emotional pain, physical injuries, toxic stress, and financial burdens caused by such violence,” said Kristin Henning, director of the Georgetown Law School Juvenile Justice Initiative.
[Bush’s bill] is a critical first step toward providing people impacted by police violence with the care and support they need to heal and move forward.
Civil right attorney Ben Crump said, “I applaud Rep. Cori Bush for drafting this legislation in Michael Brown’s honor, and remain in awe of Lezley McSpadden, Michael’s mother –– a fierce advocate for her son’s legacy.”
“This first-of-its-kind bill will be critical in helping victims of police violence heal from tragedy. While we wish this bill weren’t necessary, the fact of the matter is that police violence is a reality for far too many people of color, the effects of which can last a lifetime.”
Crump is urging Americans to contact their U.S. Representatives and request they support Bush’s bill.
“Our lives are forever shattered as we contend with the inter-generational trauma affecting every facet of our existence (spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, socially),” said Gina Best of Mothers of the Movement, a group of women whose African American children have been killed by police officers or by gun violence.
“Therefore, it is imperative that all impacted individuals and families are acknowledged and supported with the specific care and resources needed to function and reconfigure our lives as we seek justice for our loved ones.”
