MADISON, Ala. (AP) ? A grandfather from India who was slammed to the ground by a police officer in a northern Alabama suburb had been singled out by police after a caller said a "skinny black guy" with a toboggan hat was walking in the neighborhood and peering into garages, recordings show.
The man, Sureshbhai Patel, 57, doesn't speak English and was slammed to the ground face-first by an officer when he didn't respond to commands. But he had committed no crime, the Madison police chief said.
Officer Eric Parker was arrested and is being fired. He has not commented publicly, and court records were not available Friday to show whether he has a lawyer. Patel filed a lawsuit Thursday over the Feb. 6 incident in Madison, where he was visiting his son's family. His injuries include partial paralysis but he hopes for a full recovery, according to the lawsuit and Patel's lawyer. The lawsuit says Patel's civil rights were violated. It seeks an unspecified amount of money.
The Indian government is taking the incident seriously and is "extremely disturbed" by the treatment of Patel, a spokesman said Friday. "This is a matter of concern for us, and India and the U.S. as open pluralist societies need to address these issues and find ways in a mature manner so that these are aberrations and are not the norm," said Syed Akbaruddin, India's foreign ministry spokesman.
Embassy of India spokesman Sridharan Madhusudhanan said in an emailed statement that the office has been in touch with Patel's family, the doctors who are caring for him and the U.S. Embassy in Delhi.
"Our understanding of the situation is that while there has been some progress, the medical condition of Mr. Sureshbhai Patel is still a matter of concern," Madhusudhanan said. The incident began when a man called police complaining that an unfamiliar man was wandering about his neighborhood and peering toward garages. He said the man had been seen wandering the day before as well.
Indian man slammed down after caller reported 'black guy'