san francisco — A man convicted in the 2021 fatal attack on an elderly Thai man in San Francisco, which spurred a movement against anti-Asian hate, will be able to avoid prison time, a judge ruled Thursday.
Antoine Watson (25 years old) was sentenced to eight years in prison Charged with manslaughter On the death of Visha Ratanapakdee, 84 years old. But having already served five years in prison awaiting trial, Watson was given credit for time served, and San Francisco Superior Court Judge Linda Colfax said the remaining three years could be suspended if he followed probation rules.
Ratanapakdee’s daughter, Monthanos, expressed her family’s disappointment in a statement published by Justice for Visha, the foundation that bears her father’s name.
“We respect the court process,” she said. “But this is not about revenge, it is about accountability.” “When consequences do not reflect the severity of the harm, it raises concerns about how we protect our seniors and public safety.”
Visha Ratanapakdee was out for his usual morning walk in the quiet neighborhood where he lives with his wife, daughter and her family when Watson attacked him and knocked him to the ground. Ratanpakdee never regained consciousness and died two days later.
Watson testified on the stand that he was in a state of confusion and anger at the time of the unprovoked attack, according to his deposition. To Kron TV. He said he lashed out and did not know Ratanapakdee was Asian or older.
San Francisco Public Defender Manu Raju, whose office defended Watson, also said during his trial that the defendant was “completely remorseful for his mistake.”
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Watson’s sentencing.
Footage of the attack was captured on a neighbor’s security camera and spread across social media, leading to increased activity due to a rise in anti-Asian crimes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hundreds of people in several American cities Celebrate your anniversary With Ratanapakdee’s death in 2022, seeking justice for Asian Americans who have been harassed, assaulted and even murdered in alarming numbers.
Asians in America have long been subject to prejudice and discrimination, however Attacks escalated sharply After the Corona virus first appeared in late 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. More than 10,000 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been reported Stop the AAPI Hate Coalition From March 2020 to September 2021.
While Ratanpakdee’s family maintains that he was attacked because of his race, hate crime charges were not brought and the argument was not raised at trial. Prosecutors said hate crimes are difficult to prove in the absence of a suspect’s statements.