Hope Eric Parker goes to jail: Patel’s son, in an interview.
By Raif Karerat
Indian national Sureshbhai Patel, the victim of a brutal and seemingly unwarranted attack by a policeman in Alabama, Eric Parker, who was later fired from his job and charged with third degree assault, has said in an interview to the BBC that while he thinks what Parker did was wrong, he doesn’t feel angry, and despite all that’s happened, he intends to remain in the United States.
Following two successive mistrials, U.S. prosecutors have announced they plan to take Parker to court yet again in an effort to prove he used excessive force against Sureshbhai Patel, a grandfather.
The case drew international attention after dashcam footage of Parker’s brutal takedown of Sureshbhai Patel went viral. The grandfather had just arrived in the United States to help his son and daughter-in-law with their newborn child. He didn’t speak any English, and was slammed into the pavement after Parker and another officer responded to a report of a suspicious individual walking around the neighborhood.
The incident left Patel partially paralyzed and requiring multiple surgeries.
Following the attack, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley issued an apology to the government of India for the incident. In his apology, the governor described the actions taken by Parker, 26, as “excessive force.”
In an interview with the BBC, Patel’s family said they hope Parker goes to jail for what happened.
“It’s hard for him,” said Patel’s son, Chirag. “Slowly, he is making progress and gaining independence. But he’s still not 100 percent, and we don’t know if he’s going to get to 100 percent.”
Parker is currently awaiting another retrial for a state charge of third degree assault, and the Patel family is also suing for damages.