Killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee
murder of elderly Asian-American man in California, United States
Vicha Ratanapakdee (Thai: วิชา รัตนภักดี, RTGS: Wicha Rattanaphakdi; December 5, 1936 – January 30, 2021) was an 84-year-old Thai man who was killed as a result of being forcefully pushed to the ground in a daylight attack in San Francisco, California, United States by an African-American male. His death became a lightning rod for the Stop Asian Hate movement.
Killing
At approximately 8 a.m. on January 28, Vicha left his daughter's apartment in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco, where he had been supervising his grandsons, to go on a walk while the children were attending Zoom online classes. He was walking around Fortuna Avenue when 19-year-old Antoine Watson, an African-American male, ran across the street and violently shoved him to the ground. Vicha's head hit the pavement as he fell. He never regained consciousness and died two days after arrival in the hospital from a brain hemorrhage. The killing was captured on a CCTV camera across the street.
Suspects and trial
Two days after the assault, Antoine Watson was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and murder. Watson was identified through additional surveillance footage, matching clothes, and the license plate of his BMW, which was on record as he had been stopped hours before the assault at around 2 a.m.
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