Indian national Sureshbhai Patel, 57, was severely injured and paralyzed after police officers slammed him to the ground Friday during a walk in the neighborhood. The officers claimed they were trying to frisk Patel, responding to reports about a suspicious person in the vicinity.
"Our Consulate General got in touch with police chief there and sought police chief intervention in the matter. Police chief showed his concern in this matter. He has ordered an inquiry into it and he will share the outcome of the inquiry with us in a transparent manner," ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told journalists.
Akbaruddin added that Indian diplomats got in touch with Patel`s family and dispatched an official to provide consulate assistance.
Patel arrived in the United States one week before the incident, according to media reports. He came to join the family of his son, an engineer, in Huntsville, a town bordering Madison. Patel`s family will make a legal claim to cover medical bills, reports said.
Madison police said Monday that the case was investigated and the involved officers were temporarily suspended, the media reported.
In recent months, police forces in the United States have been strongly criticized for their excessive use of force, particularly in the wake of mass protests that came in response to a series of killings of unarmed black citizens by police officers.
The August shooting in Missouri of black 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white police officer received widespread media coverage.
More about:
