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.
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.
“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.
