A 57-year-old man from Gujarat was temporarily paralysed and hospitalised with fused vertebrae after police in Alabama roughed him up last week when he was walking on the sidewalk outside his son's home, local media reported.

"He was just walking on the sidewalk as he does all the time," Alabama news portal al.com quoted his son, Chirag Patel, as saying. "They put him to the ground."

Sureshbhai Patel had travelled to visit his new grandson. Chirag Patel works in Alabama as an engineer.





The Madison Police issued a statement saying the department had suspended the officer and were investigating the use of force in this case.

"The subject began putting his hands in his pockets," reads the police statement. "Officers attempted to pat the subject down and he attempted to pull away. The subject was forced to the ground, which resulted in injury."

The statement said the police received a call on Friday about a man loitering on the streets.

"The caller, who lives in the neighbourhood did not recognise the subject and thought him to be suspicious," the police statement said.

Hank Sherrod, attorney for the family, refuted this version of events. "This is broad daylight, walking down the street. There is nothing suspicious about Patel other than he has brown skin," said Sherrod.



