Patel arrived at the court on a walker where he was expected to testify through a translator
Sureshbhai Patel
Washington: An American police officer, accused of violently assaulting an unarmed 58-year-old Indian grandfather and leaving him partially paralysed, went on trial on charges of using excessive force.
Eric Parker, 26, a former Madison police officer was charged with violating the civil rights of Sureshbhai Patel in the US state of Alabama in February. The trial began in the federal courthouse in Huntsville on Tuesday.
Patel arrived at the court on a walker where he was expected to testify through a translator. Parker, who was subsequently fired by the Madison Police Department, faces up to 10 years in prison on federal charge if convicted, Al.com reported.
He also faces a misdemeanor assault charge in Limestone County, but that case has been put on hold pending the outcome of the federal trial. The incident occurred on the morning of February 6 when while walking down the sidewalk, Patel “was violently assaulted by a police official without provocation, and left partially paralysed,” the 11-page lawsuit had said. A day before, Patel had arrived in the US to assist his son and daughter-in-law in caring for their 17-month-old child who suffered a developmental delay after a premature birth.
( Source : PTI )
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