Following the violent assault and arrest of an Indian man visiting Alabama at the hands of a local police officer, the governor of Alabama has apologized for the incident and the officer in question has been arrested.

Republican Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley sent a letter to Ajit Kumar, the Consul General of India in Atlanta, Georgia, in which he apologized for the assault on Sureshbhai Patel.

Patel, 57, was visiting his son Chirag to help with his 17-month-old grandson, was walking around the Madison, Alabama neighborhood in the morning when police stopped him, reported CNN. Patel informed Officer Eric Parker he did not know English by saying "No English, Indian" but the officer subsequently used excessive force in arresting the man. Patel was taken to hospital and is partially paralyzed.

In his letter, Gov. Bentley expressed his sincerest apologies for what happened.

"I deeply regret the unfortunate use of excessive force by the Madison Police Department on Sureshbhai Patel and for the injuries sustained by Mr. Patel," wrote the governor. "I sincerely hope that Mr. Patel continues to improve and that he will regain full use of his legs."

He added that he had ordered the Director of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to do its own investigation alongside the one being conducted by the FBI. He also apologized to Mr. Patel and his family.

According to The Associated Press, Officer Parker was charged with assault and will lose his job. The Patel family has also filed a lawsuit claiming the police officer's assault left the 57-year-old partly paralyzed.

Parker has pled not guilty to the charges and the trial is scheduled for April 29.

The station also obtained a dash cam video released by police in which Parker throws Patel on the ground. The Madison Police Department had released the video.

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