Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old Thai American, died in January after being violently shoved to the ground while taking a walk in San Francisco. This is one of several cases of unprovoked attacks on Asian Americans, many of them senior citizens, across the country, including Oakland Chinatown.
ABC 7 reporter Dion Lim, who has been covering the story from the beginning, said on March 1, “‘TEMPER TANTRUM.’ That’s how District Attorney Chesa Boudin described to The New York Times?the man police say killed 84-year old Vicha Ratanapakdee.
“His family is outraged and told me that is ‘no excuse’ for murdering someone.“I also obtained police documents showing Antoine Watson was seen on surveillance going to a BMW after the crime — retrieving a cell phone and walking back to Ratanapakdee and appear to take photos of him as he was dying.“Vicha’s family was horrified when I relayed this to them”“I asked Boudin and his office to clarify the ‘temper tantrum’ comment.“He and his office have not responded to multiple emails I’ve sent since our live interview over the double homicide of Hana Abe and Elizabeth Platt.?“I did not receive a response today either.”The event organizer, Stand for Asians Solidarity, also quoted Watson’s lawyer, Sliman Nawabi, as saying that his client is “fighting against a racist, biased and unjust system that erodes the presumption of innocence” and that “he’s glad to know he’s doing something right,”“These statements are absolutely outrageous and disgusting given the fact that Watson not only shoved Ratanapakdee to death but also appeared to take photos of the old man as he was dying,” the group said. “How anyone can justify that is beyond us. How much longer will America normalize these anti-Asian hate crimes? … Are our lives worthless? It’s time to break the silence and fight till justice is served. We will not stay quiet.”Participants are asked to wear masks and bring signs.