Alabama police paralyze Indian grandfather out for a walk

By Luis E. Gomez, Associate Editor, Vol. 20

Sureshbhai Patel was in the U.S. from India for only a week before Alabama police slammed him to the ground and left him temporarily paralyzed. According to civil rights attorney Henry F. Sherrod, Patel, who is 57-years-old, was out for a walk in his new neighborhood when someone made a suspicious person call. Sherrod describes the area as an affluent area. Patel was unable to communicate with the officers and only managed to say “no English” and “India.” The two white officers then proceeded to pat him down. The officers claim that Patel then put his hands in his pocket, after which one of them threw him to the ground. That officer has been suspended pending an investigation into his use of force. This incident, like countless others, demonstrates that police brutality is an ongoing nationwide problem that has a disparate effect on people of color. For more on this incident, read here.