An Alabama policeman, who allegedly assaulted a 57-year-old Gujarati man, has been arrested, six days after the brutal accident sent shockwaves among the Indian community.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation will be conducting a probe into the matter to find out if there were any federal violations in the incident.
Larry Muncey, the Madison City Chief of Police, apologised to the victim Sureshbhai Patel, who was wrongfully assaulted by two police officers, without any provocation just because he did not know English and was unable to answer to their questions.
“I sincerely apologise to Mr Patel, Mr Patel’s family and our community. We strive to exceed expectations,” Muncey told reporters at a news conference.
“Additionally FBI would be conducting a parallel inquiry to ascertain if there were any federal violations,” Muncey said after he released audio and videos related to the incident.
“As a result of the investigations, I found that Mr Parkers’s actions did not meet the high standard and expectations of the Madison City Police Department,” he said, adding, that he (Muncey) has proposed termination of officer Eric Parker, who has now been arrested for third-degree assault.
The incident occurred on the morning of February 6 while walking down the sidewalk in the neighbourhood, Patel, a permanent US resident, “was violently assaulted by a police official without provocation, and left partially paralysed,” according to the 11-page lawsuit filed.
A day before, Patel had arrived in the United States to assist his son and daughter-in-law in caring for their 17-month-old child, who was developmentally delayed after a premature birth.