Alabama police officer pleads not guilty over throwing Indian man to ground

By Jonathan Kaminsky (Reuters) - An Alabama police officer pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to violating an Indian man's civil rights by throwing him to the ground, prosecutors said, during an encounter captured on video that left the victim badly injured. Eric Parker, 26, an officer with the Madison Police Department, was seen on video recorded from inside a patrol car on Feb. 6 throwing Sureshbhai Patel, in his late 50s, to the ground after attempting to question him. 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. He was badly hurt in the incident, his lawyer has said. Parker was indicted last month on one count of denying Patel's civil rights, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He is currently free on $5,000 bond, prosecutors said, and his trial is set for June 1. The incident is one of several cases in recent months across the United States in which police officers' use of force against unarmed civilians has come under scrutiny. Patel has filed a civil rights complaint against Parker, a second officer, and the city of Madison, alleging racism. He was walking on the sidewalk near his son's home in the morning when police, having received a call about a suspicious person, stopped and questioned him. "No English, Indian," Patel told the officers, according to the suit. Parker then threw Patel, who weighs 130 pounds (59 kg), to the ground, according to the complaint. Patel, who was partially paralyzed in the incident, has been slowly regaining function in his hands and legs and last month began walking with the help of a walker, his lawyer has said. Parker's attorney, Robert Tuten, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Parker has also been charged in state court with misdemeanor assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The Madison Police Department released a video of the incident and apologized for Parker's actions. He has been suspended with pay pending his termination, according to the department. (Reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky in New Orleans; Editing by Eric Beech)