Indian victim testifies against police officer

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — An Indian man left partially paralyzed when he was slammed to the ground during a police stop in Alabama testified Wednesday that he’d been in the state only about a week when he was confronted by officers investigating a call about a suspicious person.

Sureshbhai Patel, 58, was pushed in a wheelchair to the witness stand in U.S. District Court in Huntsville, where he testified through an interpreter against Officer Eric Parker during the opening day of testimony. Parker is accused of violating Patel’s civil rights during the police stop Feb. 6 in Madison, a suburban city of about 46,500 just west of Huntsville.

Patel recounted how he was staying with his son on a visit from India and had been out for a morning walk in the neighborhood when police approached. He said he doesn’t speak English and couldn’t understand the orders police gave him.

Cameras in patrol cars recorded the scene as Parker swept one of his legs in front of Patel, slamming him to the ground.

“My two hands, my two legs they all became cold and numb,” Patel said, through an interpreter.

Patel later recalled that he couldn’t stand after officers tried lifting him up. Patel’s family has said he still has trouble walking and that the family faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Madison police officer Charles Spence testified Wednesday morning that Parker had Patel’s hands behind his back when he arrived and that he didn’t think Patel needed to be detained because he didn’t appear to pose a threat or resist officers. Spence said Patel was knocked down, then handcuffed and the cuffs were taken off when it became clear that he was hurt.

Video, which was slowed down and enlarged for jurors, was shown in court while Spence was on the witness stand. In the video, Patel can be seen turning his head toward Parker just before he was knocked down. Before and after the takedown, officers are heard several times trying unsuccessfully to communicate with Patel, who had repeatedly said “No English.”

Parker and his attorney, Robert Tuten, have said Patel repeatedly tried jerking away from officers and reached for his pockets.

Patel denied those claims through his interpreter and said he stopped when officers ordered him to because he heard them shout — not because he understood what they were saying. Patel also said officers “checked his pants” before he was slammed down.

Police were called after a neighbor reported a thin black man walking around looking at houses. Spence said he initially passed Patel and kept looking for a black man who fit the description.

Prosecutors dismissed the defense’s argument that the use of force was justified. They noted that officers were seeking a person based on a vague description and that Patel wasn’t engaged in any criminal activity.

“We could imagine some ghastly scenarios, right?” prosecutor Robert Posey asked after Tuten mentioned hypothetical situations a suspicious person could have been involved in. “But that doesn’t mean you get to treat everybody like a home invasion killer,” Posey said.

Police are trained to be suspicious and must always expect the worst, Tuten said. He called Patel’s injuries unfortunate and characterized the encounter as an escalation of police tactics, not a criminal offense.

“They say excessive force, Officer Parker says reasonable under the circumstances,” Tuten said, later adding. “It’s unfortunate that Mr. Patel doesn’t speak English. It’s also unfortunate that Mr. Parker doesn’t speak Hindi.”

Patel, a farmer from Gujarat, India, speaks Gujarati. His son, Chirag Patel, said he spent the last nine years working to bring his parents to the United States.

Chirag Patel said he hadn’t thought of telling his father to carry identification during his usual morning walks strolling down the block and back.

The elder man, who is now undergoing physical rehabilitation, has since been joined by his wife and now lives in Alabama with his son.

Parker is being fired by the city of Madison but has appealed and the termination process is on hold until criminal charges are resolved.

Court documents show Madison Police Chief Larry Muncey is expected to testify for prosecutors that Parker’s actions violated department procedures. He publicly apologized to Patel.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley called Patel’s treatment a case of “excessive force” in an apologetic letter to the Indian government.

Parker also faces a state assault charge. Patel filed a federal lawsuit seeking an unspecified amount of money for his injuries.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Bodies of two men recovered after falling into Eagle Falls near Index

Two men fell into the falls and did not resurface Saturday, authorities said. After a recovery effort, two bodies were found.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.