Man Who Attacked a Thai Grandfather in 2021 Is Found Not Guilty of Murder

A man caught on video violently shoving an 84-year-old Thai grandfather to 
the ground in San Francisco in 2021 was found not guilty of murder and 
elder abuse on Thursday, in a case that became a nationwide symbol of 
rising attacks against Asians during the coronavirus pandemic.

The jury instead found the man, Antoine Watson, guilty of lesser offenses, 
including involuntary manslaughter and assault with force likely to cause 
injury.

The attack, in January 2021, was caught on security camera footage. It 
shows Mr. Watson, who was 19 at the time, charging at full speed into 
Vicha Ratanapakdee, who was out on his regular morning walk in the Anza 
Vista neighborhood of San Francisco. Mr. Ratanapakdee, a retired auditor 
from Thailand, died of a brain hemorrhage in a hospital two days later.

The video quickly went viral, particularly among Asian Americans who saw 
in the killing of Mr. Ratanapakdee, who became known as “Grandpa Vicha,” 
their fears about the safety of their own older family members coming 
true.

The jury will hear arguments on aggravating factors later this month, 
after which sentencing will be scheduled. Mr. Watson could face up to nine 
years in prison.

During the trial, which began in early December, Mr. Watson did not deny 
shoving Mr. Ratanapakdee. But the verdict ultimately hinged on whether Mr. 
Watson had maliciously attacked the elderly man and whether he knew, or 
should have known, that doing so could result in his death.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/us/vicha-ratanapakdee-verdict-sf.html