US jury resume deliberations in Indian grandfather's case

Washington: The 12-member federal jury in the US on Wednesday resumed their deliberations for the third consecutive day to decide the fate of a former police officer accused of using excessive force against an Indian grandfather, leaving him partially paralysed.

If found guilty, police officer Eric Parker faces up to 10 years of imprisonment for his act that resulted in partially paralysing Sureshbhai Patel, who is still undergoing treatment.

The federal jury in Alabama's capital Huntsville, came back to District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala yesterday, saying that they have not been able to arrive at a consensus on the second trial of Eric Parker, the cop charged with use of excessive force on 58-year-old Patel.

Patel, who was visiting his son in Alabama to meet his new-born grandson, was slammed to ground and left paralysed in 101 seconds after encountering the police despite him pleading as many as five times that he knows no English, federal prosecutors have said.

If found guilty, Parker faces up to 10 years of imprisonment for assaulting Patel, who is still undergoing treatment.

Parker, a Madison police officer, is charged with violating civil rights of Patel. This is Parker's second trial. A judge declared the first one a mistrial in September when the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict.

After several days of hearing from both sides, the jury started deliberations on the judgement last Friday.

On Monday they watched the dash cam video ? a crucial piece of evidence ? several times. The deliberations continued till yesterday.

Mid-day the jury told the judge that they voted several times but have not been able to arrive at a consensus.

"The judge issued a charge recommending they continue deliberations in good faith. She told the jury that no future jury would be better positioned to reach a verdict," local News 19 TV said.

"After that lunch, the jury came to the courtroom to tell the judge that they have been unable to reach a unanimous verdict," the news channel reported.