VIDEO: Indian-American Man Dies After Being Punched In Oklahoma Motel Parking

US: A 59-year-old Indian-American man, Hemant Mistry, died in Oklahoma after being punched by 41-year-old Richard Lewis. The incident occurred around 10 pm on June 22 in a motel parking lot near Interstate 40 and Meridian Avenue, where Mistry was the manager. According to a report by India Today, Mistry, originally from Gujarat, had asked Lewis to leave the property, leading to the fatal altercation.

After being punched, Mistry fell unconscious and was transported to a hospital, where he passed away at approximately 7:40 pm on June 23. Lewis was later found at a hotel on the 1900 block of S Meridian Avenue and arrested. He was held on a $100,000 bond at the Oklahoma County jail on an aggravated assault and battery complaint. Police stated that the reason Mistry asked Lewis to leave was unclear, but Lewis was resistant to leaving, said the report.

Similar Incident Reported Earlier

In a similar incident from February that took place in Alabama, a 76-year-old Indian-origin motel owner, Pravin Raojibhai Patel, was shot dead in Sheffield, Alabama, following a confrontation over room rental. Patel, who owned the Hillcrest Motel, was killed by 34-year-old William Jeremy Moore on February 8. Moore had wanted to rent a room, but an altercation ensued, during which Moore pulled out a handgun and shot Patel.

Sheffield Police Chief Ricky Terry reported that Moore was arrested shortly after the incident while attempting to break into an abandoned house. The murder weapon was found in Moore’s possession. Moore is currently held in the Sheffield City Jail, awaiting transport to the Colbert County Jail upon issuance of a warrant.

According to an IANS report, eyewitness Jemeriz Owens, a barber across the street from Patel's motel, recounted hearing three gunshots and seeing Patel trying to get someone to leave before being shot. Patel’s body was sent to the Alabama Forensics Lab for an autopsy, and his funeral service was held at Morrison Funeral Home in Tuscumbia on February 12.