In a shocking decision, the 24-year-old man responsible for the violent death of a Thai grandfather in San Francisco was acquitted of murder and elder abuse.
Antonine Watson was just 19 years old when he attacked 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, affectionately known as Grandpa Vicha, while the man was on his daily walk in January 2021. Watson shoved Vicha to the ground and he struck his head — the grandfather never regained consciousness and died in a hospital two days after the unprovoked attack.
It was five years ago this month “Grandpa Vicha” was attacked in San Francisco’s Anza Vista neighborhood. Vicha Ratanapakdee Family
Vicha’s death became one of the flashpoints in the Stop Asian Hate movement during the pandemic.
Instead of murder and elder abuse, the Watson was found guilty only of involuntary manslaughter for the incident.
The case set off a surge of outrage and activism in the Asian-American community, fueling urgent conversations about safety and justice.
Antoine Watson was convicted Thursday of involuntary manslaughter and assault with force likely to cause injury, with the allegations that the victim was elderly and that the injury caused death. Fox
Flowers left by portraits of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, as hundreds of people held a rally in San Francisco, in Jan. 30, 2022. AP
“The system just told every Asian elder in America: your life is negotiable,” activist Forrest Liu told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ratanapakdee’s family remains adamant that Watson singled out the 84-year-old because he was Asian, even though hate crime charges were never filed.