Batra wants Patel’s attorney to refile lawsuit.
AB Wire
WASHINGTON, DC: New York-based Indian American attorney Ravi Batra has called for the firing of Madison, Alabama police chief Larry Muncey and re-filing of the lawsuit in the violent, unprovoked attack on Sureshbhai Patel by a police officer, which has left Patel paralyzed and hospitalized.
Batra says the initial federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Patel by attorney Hank Sherrod, which asks for $100,000 in damages, needs to be refiled to include the municipality of Madison, and also hold the Madison police department responsible, not just individuals.
“Sureshbhai Patel, an actually innocent man merely walking legally on the sidewalk, was slammed and flipped to the hard-as-rock frozen lawn as if he was Raggedy Ann, got his neck broken by Eric Parker, a trainee cop, with his superior officer present and not objecting, is now being victimized twice: an anemic lawsuit complaint and being checkmated by a Machiavellian Police Chief Larry Muncey, who seeks to immunize his police force and City of Madison from liability for their policy and practice of un-American and un-constitutional stop and frisk of minorities – evidenced anew by what they did to Sureshbhai,” said Batra in an interview and statement to The American Bazaar.
“I’ve called Hank Sherrod, and offered my help to prevent Sureshbhai being overpowered- and indeed make sure he gets a full measure of justice, even after giving the bad guys every constitutional right they are due. After all we want Sureshbhai to win fair and square in the disinfectant sunshine of an impartial American court presided over by a member of the noble bench. I await acceptance of my offer to help from Hank and Sureshbhai,” said Batra.
“The Mayor of Madison needs to come clean, rehire and re-train Eric Parker, and fire his Trainer-supervisor at the scene and Police Chief Larry Muncey,” said Batra.
“Alabama, the site of the infamous Selma March, a March that shocked America and president LBJ to pass the Civil Rights laws, including, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, has much to atone for before it can be free of its evil and inhuman past. Seems, some of its racist ghosts are alive and well in positions of authority,” said Batra.
“I call upon Governor Robert J. Bentley to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate Mayor Troy Trulock, for having its police force violate the U.S. Constitution and shame the Badge of honor – a police shield- by making it a license under law to abuse and victimize innocent law-abiding citizens, including, a peace-loving Indian: Sureshbhai,” added Batra.
Meanwhile, a crowd funding campaign for Patel, 57, on gofundme.com had crossed $164,000 from more than 3,700 donors and another campaign had raised more than $7,000, even as it was disclosed that Patel, who had come from India only a day before the attack on him, as he walked around the neighborhood near where he was staying with his son, daughter-in-law and 17-month-old granddaughter, didn’t have health insurance and the hospital bills for him could easily exceed $250,000.
Patel had come from India to take care of the infant. His son Chirag Patel works and attends graduate school at the University of Alabama.
On the day of the incident, on February 6, a 911 caller informed police that there was “a skinny black guy” walking around the neighborhood, a reference to Patel.
When police, responding to the call, approached Patel, he could not answer their questions as he doesn’t speak English, and just pointed to where he lived. The policemen, with Parker being the aggressor, suddenly slammed Patel to the ground, like as Batra says, ‘Raggedy Ann.” That brutal attack led to Patel’s paralysis and hospitalization.
“Due to his hard work and motivation, Mr. Patel is improving faster than expected though he has a long way to go,” Sherrod told PTI. Patel is currently undergoing treatment in a Huntsville hospital in Alabama.
“His grip strength and right leg are improving. The left leg is improving but more slowly. He can speak, eat, etc. Only arms and legs affected,” said Sherrod, who has sued the City of Madison and two police officials on the charges of brutal assault.
7 Comments
humanrightsu(dot)wordpress(dot)com
United States and Alabama Police have apologised and will do their best to do whatever they can, mistakes happen ,it is all about having the courage to admit and make amendments whatever can be done, Do the Indians talking big have such culture , No Indians are big liars and shameless fellows , that is the culture of Indians, the brutality with with Indians kill their own Indians remains hidden to the world and no one questions the indians even if they make mistakes
The attorney has committed legal malpractice by asking for 100K. Problem with most of the lawsuits on violation of civil rights, is filed in a hurry and on a contingency basis. The attorney’s don’t care a sh…t about the client. and they fake their compassion and at the same time they will mislead the client by saying that the case will be hard to be tried and it will take a long time and they are better off settling the case. This is the biggest baloney perpetrated by lawyers who are lazy with no compassion and in the business of making few quick bucks and getting free publicity at the clients expense.
They are banking on a quick settlement in a secret consultation with the opposing consul without the knowledge of the client and generally doing great dis-service to the client. The Asian Bar Associations never come to the rescue of victims similar to this man who needs their service the most. After the hospital stay he will need rehab and acute care by professionals that he has to pay from his pocket. The attorney will be nowhere to be seen when the bills start pouring in since the attorney will have his fee of 50K in the bank!
100,00 dollar lawsuit? What idiot filed that? That’s like charging them 10 cents. We have to talk millions. PUNISH the b*stards !!
humanrightsu(dot)wordpress(dot)com
The indians are good at playing the race card and taking advantages of the loopholes, no one questions what the indians do to their own indians, they are licensed to do. Unfortunately when someone stands up and questions , it is dismissed as spam, rubbish and fake, the matter is crushed
Batra, is right on the ball. There was this “fake emergency call” to 911. The caller and previous calls from this man, should be investigated by the Attorney General and FBI, to find out if this man used the 911, as a conduit for his personal racist beliefs, in which case, he should be booked for hate crime and jailed. How could an immigrant, who arrived the day before and victim of an horrendous crime, not by a thugs, but by two law enforcement officers, be prowling? When did he have the time to prowl ?
Obviously, the caller made up a story, to convince the 911 dispatcher and the police that crime was in progress, when there was none. The only perceived crime was dark skinned man in his neighborhood. Both the officers should be fired and jailed. The lawsuit should include the Caller, the Sheriff, the County and the claim should be for loss of consortium, medical and legal bills, hate crime. Legal bills should be separate and not be a portion of the proceeds. This man will ever be disabled and his medical care will run into millions of dollars over his lifetime. This case should be fought in courts and never settled and all the truth should come out in depositions and in a court of law.
well said. you should email/call the victim’s lawyer, Hank Sherrod, to share your thoughts.
These incidents often start when someone calls the police. Why do people call the police when there is no clear emergency? This has created a tense international incident with India. We don’t live in a just society as far as the police are concerned. Eric Parker is charged with 3rd degree assault, a misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail and a $6000 fine. Probably, the officer won’t be convicted or if he is, he’ll get probation. Never expect justice when the accused is blue.
When are the police going to be trained to de-escalate a situation instead of always escalating it? I want to trust the police, but because a few officers are out of control, I don’t feel safe trusting any of them. I mean, how are you supposed to know who the crazy ones are when they all wear the same uniform?