Ala. grand jury indicts officer for use of force against Indian man

A U.S. federal grand jury has indicted an Alabama police officer captured on video throwing an Indian man to the ground on a charge related to the use of unreasonable force, federal prosecutors said on Friday.

Eric Parker, 26, then an officer with the Madison Police Department, was seen on video recorded from inside a patrol vehicle on Feb. 6 throwing Sureshbhai Patel to the ground after attempting to question him.

Patel has said he was left partially paralyzed by the officer’s actions. His lawyer says Patel speaks no English and moved to northern Alabama from India about two weeks before the incident to help his son’s family care for a young child.

Patel last month filed a civil rights complaint against Parker, another officer and the city of Madison, alleging that race played a role in the incident.

The Madison Police Department said it has recommended Parker’s termination, which is currently under appeal.

The grand jury indicted Parker late on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.