57-year-old visitor from India left partly paralysed by US police

The man was roughed up by Madison police as he walked on the sidewalk outside his son's home

An Indian citizen was roughed up by US police leaving him partly paralyzed and hospitalized.

Sureshbhai Patel, 57, was roughed in Madison last week while taking a stroll on the sidewalk outside his son's home. It all began with the police getting a call on a suspicious person outside.

According to a statement issued by the Madison police: 'The caller, who lives in the neighborhood did not recognize the subject and thought him to be suspicious.'

Speaking to Al.com, his son Chirag Patel, an engineer for one of the many government contractors in Huntsville, in Alabama, said: 'My father was just walking on the sidewalk as he does all the time. They put him to the ground. This is a good neighborhood. I didn't expect anything to happen.'

Chirag said that his father was to help his wife care for their 17-month-old son, so he could pursue his masters degree in electrical engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

According to the police statement, the officer was suspended and investigation was underway. The statement also refers to a 'communication barrier.'

Hank Sherrod, attorney for the family, said 'Sureshbhai Patel told the police officers 'no English' and repeated his son's house number. Officers attempted to pat the subject down and he attempted to pull away. The subject was forced to the ground, which resulted in injury.'

'This is just one of those things that doesn't need to happen,' said the attorney to AL.com, saying the police escalated to violence without cause. 'That officer doesn't need to be on the streets,'he added.

Sureshbhai Patel was taken to Madison Hospital. His son found him at the hospital unable to move his legs and with limited motion in his arms. He remains paralysed in the hospital with fused vertebrae.