Killing of elderly Asian-American man in California, United States
Vicha Ratanapakdee (Thai: วิชา รัตนภักดี, RTGS: Wicha Rattanaphakdi; 1936 – January 28, 2021) was an 84-year old Thai American man who was killed by being forcefully pushed to the ground in a daylight attack in San Francisco, California.
Killing
Ratanapakdee was walking in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco on the morning of January 28 when 19-year-old Antoine Watson ran across the street and violently shoved him to the ground. Ratanapakdee's head hit the pavement as he fell. He died shortly after arrival in the hospital.[1][2] The killing was captured on a CCTV camera across the street.
Suspects
Two days after the assault, Antoine Watson, a 19-year-old African American from Daly City, California, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and murder.[3][4] Watson pled not guilty.[5]
Malaysia Goo, a 20-year-old woman from Daly City, was also arrested as an accessory after the fact.[6][7]
Personal life
Ratanapakdee was born in Thailand (then known as Siam) in 1936, before emigrating to the United States.[citation needed]
Responses
Ratanapakdee's family has expressed the belief that the death was motivated by racism.[1] Ratanapakdee's death took place in the context of what some describe as a broader wave of racially motivated attacks and violences on Asian Americans in the Bay Area and other parts of the nation.[8] News coverage as a result of this case and several others discussed rising tensions between African Americans and Asian Americans, and some cautioned against using the crime as an example to further anti-Black racism.[9][10][11]
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning to all Thais living in the United States to be alert against racially motivated hate crimes.[12]
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin called the crime "heinous" but thought, according to the evidence, that the attack wasn't racially motivated, stating that "the defendant was in some sort of a temper tantrum."[13] The family of Ratanapakdee expressed outrage over the characterization of the attack as a "temper tantrum", finding the comments to be disheartening and inappropriate for the severity of the crime.[14][15] Boudin later clarified his comments, stating that he was referring to the perpetrator's conduct before the crime.[15][16] According to the family, Boudin had planned to participate in a vigil for Ratanapakdee, but did not show up after the family told him they were not interested in taking pictures or videos with him.[17]
Catherine Stefani, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, proposed renaming Sonora Lane in Anza Vista after Ratanapakdee. The resolution is supported by the Southeast Asian Development Center and Ratanapakdee's family.[18] On September 30, 2022, it was announced that the street would be renamed “Vicha Ratanapakdee Way”, and would be officialized the next day. Announced speakers were his daughter, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, actor Daniel Dae Kim, and activist Amanda Nguyen.[19]
