The federal trial of an Alabama police officer recorded slamming an Indian grandfather to the ground is set to resume Tuesday morning.
U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala dismissed jurors hearing the case of Madison police officer Eric Parker for the day.
Parker slammed 58-year-old Sureshbhai Patel to the ground in February. He says he defied orders and reached for his pockets while he responded to a call of a suspicious person. Patel has denied that through an interpreter.
Several of Parker's colleagues testified and said the maneuver Parker used to take Patel to the ground was not part of department training. Some have said the move appeared unnecessary.
This Labor Day weekend drivers should plan ahead before hitting the road in order to ensure safer travel. The end of summer travel period is one of the busiest for the southeast.
Clay Ingram is the spokesman for Triple A Alabama. He says distracted drivers are one of the biggest safety concerns for travel on a daily basis, but especially on 3 day weekends when traffic volume is up.
“Keeping your focus on the road is of paramount importance. Plan ahead a little bit if you’re going to be on the highway, and make sure someone else in the vehicle can handle all those administrative -type duties whether it’s handing out snacks, or changing the radio station, reading a map or answering the cell phone. Whatever it may be”
Ingram says they predict a one percent increase in the number of travelers this Labor Day weekend compared to last year’s. He says adding extra time into your schedule can help ease some of the pressure of traveling.
The University of Alabama football team is in Texas getting ready for the Advocare Classic against the University of Wisconsin. The Crimson Tide were 12-2 a year ago, but also have their sights set on getting back to the College Football Playoff.
Coach Nick Saban knows his team will have to take it one game at a time. He says the Badgers provide a great test for his defense right out of the gate…
“They’ve got a significant number of starters. I think five or six on offense, five or six on defense. They have the quarterback back and have a very good runner even though that wasn’t their star; he gained almost a thousand yards a year ago, a couple of offensive linemen, good tight ends.”
Kickoff is set for seven on ABC. Auburn plays the University of Louisville at 2:30 p.m. in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta, Georgia.