A man captured on surveillance footage forcefully knocking an 84-year-old Thai grandfather to the ground in San Francisco in 2021 has been cleared of murder and elder abuse, in a case that came to symbolise a surge in anti-Asian violence during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A jury instead convicted Antoine Watson on Thursday of lesser charges, including involuntary manslaughter and assault with force likely to cause injury.
The incident occurred in January 2021 and was recorded by a nearby security camera. The footage shows Watson, who was 19 at the time, running at full speed and slamming into Vicha Ratanapakdee as the elderly man took his regular morning walk in San Francisco’s Anza Vista neighbourhood.
Vicha, a retired auditor from Thailand, died two days later in hospital after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
The video spread rapidly online, resonating deeply within Asian American communities. Many saw the killing of Vicha — who later became widely known as “Grandpa Vicha” — as a devastating confirmation of fears surrounding the safety of elderly Asians.
Arguments over aggravating factors are expected later this month, after which sentencing will be scheduled. Watson faces a potential prison sentence of up to nine years.
Watson did not dispute that he shoved Vicha during the trial, which began in early December. Instead, proceedings focused on whether the act was carried out with malicious intent and whether Watson knew, or should have reasonably known, that his actions could result in death.
Prosecutors maintained that Watson deliberately targeted Vicha and intended to cause serious harm. Defence lawyers from the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office argued the shove was a spontaneous act carried out during an emotional episode, without intent to kill.
According to the defence, Watson had been involved in a family argument and a traffic accident the night before the attack, after which he slept in his car. The following morning, he was unable to start the vehicle. A neighbour testified that Watson was shouting around that time.
Watson later said he noticed Vicha standing nearby on a street corner, wearing a baseball cap and a face mask.
Taking the stand, Watson told the court that he felt Vicha was judging him. He also claimed he could not identify the man’s age or race.
The brief and grainy footage captures what followed: a tall figure suddenly charging across the street and crashing into a smaller figure, who collapses onto the pavement. Watson did not call emergency services.
Although hate crime charges were not pursued, Vicha’s family described the killing as racially motivated — a sentiment echoed by many Asian Americans nationwide.
“It was such a stark, violent killing,” said Russell Jeung, a professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University and the cofounder of Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit coalition.
“That incident, combined with the documented rise in anti-Asian hate and the other attacks on Asian elders at the time, made him the lightning rod of the movement.”
Mano Raju, the elected head of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, said in an emailed statement that “while this death was a terrible tragedy and has garnered a lot of press attention, the importance of our legal system is that it gives us a chance to look at the facts in a balanced way.”
Anti-Hate Campaign Evolves
Five years after Vicha’s death, efforts to spotlight hate against Asian Americans have shifted in focus. More recently, attention has turned to growing anti-South Asian rhetoric online and increasing numbers of Asians caught up in President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies.
In San Francisco, however, reminders of Vicha’s legacy remain. A vibrant mosaic stairway dedicated to his memory continues to stand, though a mural honouring him in the city’s Chinatown neighbourhood was removed last week.
In a telephone interview on Friday, Vicha’s daughter, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, said she felt pride in how her father had come to represent a broader movement for Asian Americans.
She also expressed disappointment with the verdict and said Watson showed little remorse throughout the trial. She added that she intends to move forward with a civil lawsuit and will continue her work raising awareness about elder abuse and public safety.
“I also want my father’s legacy to be one of accountability,” she said.
