New Jersey man shot by off-duty NYPD officer in 2024 road rage incident returns home with round-the-clock care
A case of road rage forever changed the lives of a South Jersey family.
Kishan Patel now requires specialized around-the-clock care. Surrounded by his family and nurses, he's back home in Voorhees after spending 17 months in a rehab facility in Texas.
"Our life has completely changed, our life is just based around Kishan," said Manjina Patel, Kishan's mother.
The 32-year-old has limited brain activity and is now paralyzed. His family says he continues to make strides, and he no longer needs a ventilator or oxygen.
"He's breathing on his own 100%," Manjina Patel said.
CBS Philadelphia was invited inside the Patels' home Thursday. The family says more than $1 million was spent on renovations to make room for therapy equipment and accommodate their son's injuries.
"We want him to be a part of the family still, so that's why we had to give up our first floor … just for Kishan," Patel said.
It was May 2024 when Kishan Patel was heading home and Hieu Tran, an off-duty New York Police Department officer, was leaving a wedding in South Jersey.
Investigators say Tran used his service weapon to shoot Kishan Patel multiple times on Route 73 in Voorhees in what has been described as a case of road rage.
"Nobody's actually come forward to us from New York, NYPD, nobody has ever checked up on how our family is doing," Manjina Patel said.
Tran was fired from the force, and last year he pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Kishan Patel's family has filed a lawsuit against NYPD and the city, alleging they knew Tran had a history of alcohol abuse and mental health challenges but never addressed them.
"This should be the case that kind of wakes up the mayor, wakes up the police commissioner, and the entire NYPD to do something about their hiring practices and how they maintain and retain officers going forward," said Joseph Marrone, the family's attorney.
Members of the family say they have already spent millions for Kishan's care, and they're calling on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to recognize their case and hold the NYPD accountable.
"It's just something so careless that could be avoidable that doesn't need to happen, and if it could be stopped, it would just be great, so other families don't have to go through this," said Dan Gaughan, Kishan Patel's brother-in-law.
CBS Philadelphia reached out to the NYPD and the mayor's office Thursday about the case. The city attorney declined to comment, saying the litigation is pending.