Alabama Police Officer Accused Of Injuring Indian Man Is Indicted

An Alabama police officer has been indicted on one charge of using unreasonable force against an Indian man in February.

A federal grand jury decided there was enough evidence to bring charges against Officer Eric Parker.

Sureshbhai Patel lies in a bed at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Ala., on Feb. 7. Patel was severely injured when police threw him to the ground.

Chirag Patel/AP

"Parker's actions deprived the man in Madison of his right under the U.S. Constitution to be secure from unreasonable seizures, which includes the right to be free from unreasonable force by someone acting under color of law," the Justice Department said in a press release.

A video showed Parker arresting Sureshbhai Patel, 57, and then, suddenly, slamming him into the ground. As we reported:

"Patel had recently come from India to help care for his infant grandson; he was stopped by police on the morning of Feb. 6, after a neighbor called to report what they saw as a suspicious figure. When police approached Patel, who speaks little English, he was unable to answer their questions about what he was doing in the area."

Patel suffered severe injuries. The incident led to international outcry and culminated with Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley apologizing to the government of India.

"Please accept our sincere apology to your government, Mr. Patel and the citizens of India who reside and work in our state," the governor wrote.