Washington, DC – The United States on Thursday expressed deep concerns about the trauma suffered by an Indian citizen who was stopped by police while taking a walk around his son’s neighborhood. The encounter ended with the 57 year old grandfather, Sureshbhai Patel bleeding and temporarily paralyzed in Huntsville Hospital.
“Our hearts go out to him and to his family, said Jen Psaki, the State Department spokesperson on Thursday while responding to a question during the daily briefing. In response to a question from Indian American Times, Psaki noted, “There’ll be an investigation into this case which will be handled by local authorities.”
Asked to comment on whether the Government of India had reached out with any queries, Psaki said, “I would say that the Secretary and the State Department certainly express our strong condolences to the family for everything that he has been through. This is being handled by local authorities, and certainly, we would address any concerns through private diplomatic channels.”
In New Delhi External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin confirmed, “Consulate General in Atlanta is in touch with the Madison police chief and is providing all necessary consular assistance.” Earlier Indian media made a huge outcry after elderly Patel was injured during an encounter with Madison Police just a week after arriving in Madison, Alabama, from his native village in India. The grandfather had arrived to help his son and daughter-in-law with childcare.
Now the FBI was investigating the incident while the Madison Police department at a press conference on Thursday released portions of audios and videos pertaining to the incident. The non-emergency call to police, shows a neighbor describing Patel as a “skinny black guy” and said that he’d “never seen him before” in the neighborhood. The neighbor further told the dispatcher that the man was “just wandering around” and “walking close to the garage.” Asked to estimate his age, the caller guessed man was in his 30′s.
Chief Larry Muncey told the journalists at the same press conference that he recommended termination for one of the officers, Eric Parker, who had turned himself in on charges of assault in the third degree. The Chief said his department concluded from its investigation into the incident that the officer’s actions “did not meet the high standards and expectations” of his department.
Apologizing to Patel, Patel’s family, and the community, the police chief confirmed that the FBI was conducting a “parallel inquiry to ascertain if there were any federal violations.”
Moreover, Henry F. (Hank) Sherrod III, representing the Patel family filed a lawsuit on Thursday in the federal district court against the Madison Police Department, alleging that Patel’s constitutional civil rights were violated and seeking damages.