Madison Police officer arrested for assault on Sureshbhai Patel
Eric Parker, Madison Police officer, who tackled 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel to the ground Feb. 6. Parker turned himself into the Limestone County Jail Feb. 12 on charges of assault in the third degree after an internal review was conducted by the Madison Police Department. (Contributed/Limestone County Sheriff’s Office)
By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON – The Madison Police Department held a press conference at 3 p.m. Feb. 12 to address the growing concern over the result of an incident involving a member of the Madison Police Department and a 57-year-old man from India, Sureshbhai Patel.
Audio and video of the incident can be viewed here.
A GoFund account set up for Patel can be found here.
After an introduction by Madison Mayor Troy Trulock and Madison Police Chief Larry Muncey, the department played audio of the original 911 call to report the supposed suspicious activity.
After the dash-cam video was shown of the incident, in which Patel was tackled to the ground with his hands held behind his back, Muncey announced that the officer responsible for Patel’s injuries, field training officer Eric Parker, was served disciplinary action and was arrested for assault in the third degree. Parker turned himself into the authorities in Limestone County on Thursday.
“For that, I sincerely apologize to Mr. Patel, his family and our community…our desire is to exceed everyone’s expectations,” Muncey said.
On Feb. 6, a caller who lived in the Hardiman Place subdivision off of County Line Road placed a non-emergency 911 call to Madison Police, describing an individual walking around houses in the neighborhood and peering in garages. The caller said the person had been exhibiting the same behavior on the previous day, Feb. 5., and described Patel as a black guy, around 30-years-old, after being asked by the 911 operator.
It was then that Parker and his trainee, Andrew Slaughter, were dispatched to the scene. Officer Charles Spence arrived shortly thereafter in a separate car. When the officers reached Patel, he was on the street’s sidewalk on public property.
As Parker spoke to Patel, the dash-cam video showed, it became apparent that Patel spoke no English. Parker asked him for I.D., where Patel lived and what his business was walking around the neighborhood.
Eventually, Patel’s hands were behind his back due to Parker holding his hands. At the critical point of the video, Parker slammed Patel to the ground, hitting head and torso first, unable to brace his fall.
“He don’t speak a lick of English,” Parker said at least twice during the encounter after he tackled Patel.
Two officers attempt to help Patel walk, in which point he crumpled, unable to support his own weight. As of Thursday morning, the Patel family attorney, Hank Sherrod out of Florence, said Sureshbhai could not grip with his hands but was able to slowly walk to the door and back to his bed after previously not having feeling at all in one of his legs.
Muncey said Parker was, after an investigation from the Office of Professional Standards within the Madison Police Department, also “served with proposed disciplinary action according to the Madison City policy and procedures…I recommend termination.”
No officials were available for comment after the press conference in light of the pending litigation filed earlier Thursday.
Anil Kumar, from the Indian Consul out of Atlanta, was in attendance to offer his solidarity with the Patel family.
Muncey added that the FBI is currently conducting a “parallel inquiry” to determine if any federal violations occurred.
