antoine watson san francisco antoine watson san francisco

. These stories have prompted continuous news coverage and social-media obsession, and beneath it all there lurks a desire to understand what is driving the attacks and how, exactly, race is playing a role. That older victim has been wrongly described in many news accounts as Asian. She was a Thai immigrant living in Alameda a diverse town, she said. Watson, the suspect identified in Ratanapakdee's murder,wasarrested and chargedwith murder and elder abuse. "You will be held accountable by both the police and the District Attorney. Around the same time as the Oakland rally, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who represents the Bay Area, and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) also denounced the "white supremacy . No one helped him because they thought he had Covid, Jeung says. Being found guilty of a hate crime would not extend such a sentence significantly, but the designation has always symbolized more to victims and their families: the difference between calling out prejudice and denying it. As Monthanus poured the water, she felt her breath shorten, bit by bit, until she was gasping for air. For his grieving family, the reckoning hasnt gone far enough. Police pulled over and handcuffed Antoine Watson hours before he allegedly killed an 84-year-old Thai man in San Francisco's Anza Vista neighborhood last year, according to a timeline that . Why did this happen? Monthanus could now see her father enter the frame as he climbed up the hill and to a corner where he would have continued straight. By then, Boudin had told reporters that there was no evidence from the police suggesting that Vichas death was motivated by racial animus. She thought about her father in the back of the car with the kids, their banter when she got ready for work in the morning. Ratanapakdeewas walking in the city's Anza Vista neighborhood on the morning of Jan.28 when he was violently shoved to the ground in whatBoudinreferred to as "a horrific, senseless attack". The Thai grandfather had just survived his heart surgery 9 months before, and his doctor told him to walk daily for his exercise. Monthanus and Eric voted for him. But the overwhelming majority of hate-crime perpetrators are white.). In March, just before the country went into lockdown, a woman swung at Monthanus outside a hospital; she ducked the punch before running across the street. Body camera footage of the encounter led officers to identify Watson and a female associate he was with at the time of the assault. Watson is accused in the deadly attack of Vicha Ratanapakdee in the city's Anza Vista neighborhood on January 28. A young man in a gas mask and a bulletproof vest said he had flown in from New York City after seeing the video. Two days after the attack, Ms. Monthanus and her mother went to the spot where Mr. Vicha was killed and saw that his blood still stained the pavement. Security footage showed the assailant R SAN FRANCISCO (CN) Following shockingly brutal attacks that left two elderly men dead last week, San Francisco officials on Tuesday sought to dispel perceptions that the city is soft on crime under the administration of a progressive, reform-minded district attorney. He was arrested along with Maylasia Goo, 20 . According to the San Francisco District Attorney's office, Watson had been observed and contacted by San Francisco Police officers earlier that morning for traffic infractions resulting in a minor collision and was issued a citation. In the Bay Area, where Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up a quarter of the population, stories like Vichas sparked at least two opposing narratives. Shes lost her child.. A San Francisco man accused of killing an 84-year-old Thai grandfather in an attack that galvanized Asian Americans and helped spur a successful recall of the city's liberal prosecutor was ordered . That Antoine was still young. Even without much publicity, we have already received a strong response from the community, who want their voices heard, Jeung wrote in the groups first report. Thats not who he is. Steiner, who was Antoines elementary-school principal, said he needed mental-health support, not prison time. On that morning a number of security cameras in the area captured Mr. Watson banging a car with his hand, according to Mr. Boudin, the district attorney. All rights reserved. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Antoine didnt wake up Jan. 28, 2021, with the idea of shoving somebody down and killing them, regardless of their race or gender. He told Monthanus that when the time came, he wanted to be scattered in the bay, the place that became his home. In the past week the California Legislature approved $1.4 million in funding to track and research racist incidents against Asian-Americans. All rights reserved. Her hope was for all people to work together, and not blame each other. hitType: 'event', They sailed toward the Golden Gate Bridge, the choppy waters jostling them as they chanted the Five Precepts. Video footage shows the teen running at Ratanapakdee and pushing him over, knocking him to the ground. Its nonstop, you know? She thought about the people she had met at the rallies who had quit their jobs to patrol or speak out full time. Inside, Monthanus held her composure as her frustration grew. Antoine Watson arrested assault w/deadly weapon & elder abuse. A.Cecil Williams told The New York Times in an article about the 2010 protest. Members of the department's arson task force took . Im not a lawyer. When Wan first set up her branch there, the Bayview was in the midst of a drastic demographic shift that was occurring throughout the region, marked by an influx of Asians and an exodus of Black residents. For months Mr. Vicha had been pining to return to Thailand but was unable to because of the pandemic. Throughout 2020, multiple strangers had come at her seemingly out of nowhere. She wasnt sure if Troy even knew what was happening. The law was celebrated for recognizing the need to better track violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Police said they were quickly able to identify Watson as the assault suspect. The submissions came from 31 states and the District of Columbia, with nearly half the reports originating in California and New York. As she replayed the footage again and again, Monthanus kept coming back to the same conclusion. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Whenever she left the house, she tested a can of pepper spray in the bathroom, the fumes burning her eyes, before tucking it in her pocket. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), A victims advocate assigned by the district attorneys office helped the couple apply for state reimbursement for the cremation, the funeral and other expenses. Her mother had been blaming karma for her fathers death; weakened by his recent heart operations, Vicha often joked that life was getting too painful to bear. They asked the state attorney generals office to help them track what they believed to be a growing number of episodes. I wonder if its my inner racism coming out. A photograph of Vicha Ratanapakdee that hangs in his daughters home.CreditKevin Kunishi for The New York Times. Monthanus wondered at first, her mind thick with shock. But I dont want it to be like that. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. First published on February 4, 2021 / 6:00 AM. Here is a photo of Vicha Ratanapakdee, who was killed in a shocking attack last week in San Francisco. The grandmother of a teen who senselessly pushed and killed a Thai grandfather has said her grandson should walk free. [1] [2] [3] The assault was captured on a CCTV camera . She had even persuaded him to leave his wallet at home, at least for another few weeks, when he was scheduled for his second shot of the coronavirus vaccine. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Through her organization, Hollins, who lost two brothers to homicide in the last decade, assists victims of crime and lobbies to increase support services provided by the state. Image: San Francisco District Attorney . The group filed out to the edge of the deck. Give him a chance, she could hear her father saying. I know thats totally crazy, he said, but I get that feeling sometimes. Monthanus agreed, even as her worry turned to panic. While it does not change the legal definition of a hate crime, the legislation commits funds to fast-track federal reviews of hate-crime investigations and approves grants for local law enforcement agencies. Hes 19 years old to be in jail. CALIFORNIADA RESPONDS TO ATTACKS AGAINST ELDERLY ASIANS, AS ACTIVISTS CLAIM CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC TO BLAME, A spokesperson for Boudin clarified that his comment was made "regardingMr. Watsons behavior prior to the murder" and that Boudin "charged the killing of Mr. Ratanapakdee as a murder, the most serious crime on the books.". I met Monthanus one breezy afternoon in April at Wat Nagara Dhamma, a Buddhist temple outfitted inside a small two-story house across the street from Golden Gate Park. Antoine, he shouted, holding up the baby. This is a hate crime.. Otherwise, her mother believed, Vichas soul couldnt leave the earth and start its journey toward the afterlife. As he was escorted out of the courtroom, an older woman later identified as his grandmother shouted, "I love you Antoine! Public safety is a lot bigger than the ability to arrest or prosecute someone, says Tinisch Hollins, who runs the advocacy group Californians for Safety and Justice. That week, on Feb. 4, the couple spoke with San Franciscos district attorney, Chesa Boudin, on a call. When she finished, the defendant lifted his glasses and wiped his eyes. },false) A nurse came in and explained that the surgeon hadnt been able to stop the bleeding. Believe Attack Was Racially Motivated., Amanda Nguyen, a prominent activist, shared Sernoffskys report. . Any time a family suffers a violent crime, a homicide in particular, theres questions, Boudin told me. Four of the victims were Sikh, prompting calls to examine whether the gunman was motivated by bias. . Video footage played during witness testimony this week shows Antoine Watson . Im not a judge. San Francisco District Attorneys office stated that Watson had been observed and contacted by San Francisco Police officers earlier that morning for traffic violations following a minor collision and was issued a citation. The San Francisco District Attorneys office stated on Monday, February 8, that their detention plan to hold 19-year-old Antoine Watson without bail was granted by the court. Pa, can you hear me? she repeated. On the corner where Vicha paused in his steps, theres a view of the bay and the skyscrapers downtown. The Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Biden in May, primarily aims to improve crime reporting and data collection. When Monthanus talked about these incidents, how the outside world didnt feel safe anymore, her father would ask, Is it really that bad? },false) Asian Americans in San Francisco are leading the campaign to recall the city's far-left District Attorney Chesa Boudin on June 7. . On the morning of Jan. 28, when Monthanus and the children were still asleep, he prepared to head out. The hearing was brief and procedural; a trial date has yet to be set. Kevin Kunishi is an American photographer living in Oakland, Calif., who is known for creating long-form projects that explore aftermath, trauma and identity. Ms. Monthanus says she and her family will charter a boat under the Golden Gate Bridge and scatter some into the Pacific Ocean. He has pleaded not guilty but his lawyer admits that his client had an outburst of rage.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. } February 4, 2021 / 6:00 AM I believe people are better than the worst things they have done," said Breed. We're less than two weeks away from the start of NFL free agency, which begins at 4 p.m. And once I hear that, I dont think we have a choice but to accept it., I dont know if we can, you know, let him go, he added. News of a viral outbreak in Wuhan had started circulating in the international news media. Eric said the photo, which was taken from behind and does not show a face, made the person look hateful. A web camera streamed the ceremony for friends and family abroad. concluded that the gunman, who killed himself after the shooting, had not acted out of bias or a desire to advance an ideology, but suffered from a mental illness and had committed suicidal murder. The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group, published a statement asking the bureau to clarify how and why it ruled out bias as a motive: Though law enforcement has said this investigation is over, for all the families who lost loved ones, the survivors, the Sikh community and anyone else impacted by hate violence, these questions will remain forever.. In an unprovoked attack, Antoine Watson, 19, charged at Vichar Ratanapakdee, 84, on Thursday during the senior's morning walk. . }); His wife suggested that he have some coffee first; he told her he wouldnt be gone for long, whispering so as not to wake the kids. There had been so many attacks since the one on her father. You can dial 311 or 911, she reminded them. Instead, he paused for a moment and turned right, as though whatever caught his eye made him decide to change course. Walking was how he explored San Francisco when he first arrived there from Thailand in 2000, to spend a year with Monthanus while she attended business school, and again in 2018, to help take care of her two sons. You have to live longer so you can watch Titus graduate from college!. She shut the laptop and told Titus to leave the room. Around 10 p.m., a new search result popped up. Still, at a time when demands for racial justice have rocked a demographically evolving nation, the killing of Mr. Vicha was notable for the galvanizing anger it brought to a diverse group that encompasses people of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, South Asian and Southeast Asian heritage. let gads_event; A homicide detective gave his condolences and said they were planning to charge the attack as a murder. As Vicha recovered from each operation, Monthanus had slept on the floor next to his bed, comforting him through the pain. During the pandemic, she persuaded him to avoid shopping and stick to outdoor walks. The trust-building really took us 10 years, Wan says. Monthanus gave the nurse her fathers name, his medical-record number and his six prescriptions, which included a high dose of blood thinners. She clutched a few sheets of paper in one hand. "But when you cross that line, when you commit murder, when you take someone's life like that, we as a city and as a society have to hold you accountable for your actions. "I can't even imagine what his family is going through right now. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin has sparked outrage on social media after telling the New York Times that 19-year-old Antoine Watson was "in some sort of a temper tantrum" when he . During the pandemic, Vicha usually left the house before 8 a.m. and made it back before his grandsons started their Zoom classes. His brother, Surachai Ratanapakdee, 89, now the only surviving sibling of eight children, remembered Mr. Vicha as studious and curious about the world outside the rice paddies, watermelon fields and orchards of the family farm. Family believes attack of 84-year-old man in San Francisco was racial motivated. But AAPI still attacked, deeper, deeper every day. There is outrage over San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's description of the man police say pushed over and killed an 84-year-old in San Francisco. }); Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. ga('ads.send', { In several prime-time interviews, including on Nightline and CNN, Eric went on to suggest that Vichas death was not a random outlier but a result of one race targeting another. ), The next morning, Eric called the tip lines for several local news stations and left messages for reporters, inviting them to the Hall of Justice, where he and Monthanus were scheduled to meet with homicide detectives. 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. Within one week of the websites start, Stop AAPI Hate received 673 reports of verbal and physical attacks, as well as other forms of harassment, like spitting, coughing and online threats. For a short while, Monthanus half believed it, too. }); When she made it to the hill, she noticed a neighbor working in his garage and asked if he knew where the episode happened the other day. A surveillance video captured what happened next. Monthanus pulled him close, from behind; she didnt want him to see her crying. I kept my promise, Dad, she said. Watson was arrested along with a female associate he was with at the time of the assault. Considering him being 19 or even older now, he is no longer a child and is capable enough to keep his hands to himself. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Video footage shows the teen running at Ratanapakdee and pushing him over, knocking him to the ground. Why would you call me when my father just died? His mother, who was also laid off from her job during lockdown, found work through relatives in another state and was, for a while, supporting the family from afar. By William McCurry. She never got to decide. Im a bad daughter, she would say. Three monks carried piles of orchids and roses, a framed photo of Vicha and a forest green box holding his remains. Boudin says Antoine Watson was . Why, since her fathers death, did it feel as if there were more cases every day? Nawabi described the incident as an impulsive unmotivated assault that resulted from the mental-health breakdown of a teenager. Only one agreed. Watson allegedly carried out the deadly attack on senior citizen Vicha Ratanapakdee in the citys Anza Vista neighborhood on January 28, 2021. Several young people carried signs with an illustration of a 75-year-old Chinese woman who, a few weeks earlier, was punched by a white man and then fought back by whacking him with a wooden board. Mr. Vichas second shot was scheduled for Feb. 12, an appointment he would not live to make. Vicha Ratanapakdee as he is knocked to the ground Thursday by an attacker later identified as 19-year-old Antoine Watson in San Francisco, at left, and Vicha in an undated photo, at right. As they waited for Antoines hearing to start, Monthanus and Eric watched from the front row of the gallery as the judge heard a series of other cases. He ordered one after Vichas death, along with a few cans of pepper spray and security cameras he installed around their apartment. another video that rocketed around the internet. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin said he plans to file murder . On Twitter and elsewhere, Asian Americans lit up their feeds with an outpouring of grief and rage. Two days after Vicha died, Eric created a GoFundMe page to raise money for the funeral, which included a photo of Vicha and a description of his assailant derived from a mix of facts and raw emotion: A despicable 19-year-old thug that came to his neighborhood in a stolen vehicle and decided to prove how tough he was by brutalizing a senior citizen, Eric wrote. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. (CBS), deadly attack of Vicha Ratanapakdee in the city's Anza Vista neighborhood on January 28, pled not guilty to charges of murder and elder abuse causing death, and that any perpetrators would "be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,", Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. ga('ads.send', { Its like being bullied. February 8, 2021 / 3:17 PM Solidarity is what it should be, she says. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. A long, thick tube protruded from Vichas head. Chan shared a photo of the person he said attacked him, who appeared to be Black, with reporters. Watson was apparently vandalizing a car when Ratanapakdee looked at him and changed directions on his walk, Connolly said in his detention motion, citing surveillance footage from the scene. When a sibling bullies another sibling, and then they go to school, and then they bully other kids, its like a chain reaction., Then there was Monthanus and Eric. Breed went on to say that she was appearing with both Chief Scott and District Attorney Boudin to say that violence in San Francisco would not be tolerated and that any perpetrators would "be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," especially those who targeted children or the elderly. A monk leaned over and gently shook Vichas ashes into the lapping waves. But Mr. Chan says he has tallied more than two dozen assaults against Asian-American victims in Chinatown, including two other people shoved by the assailant who knocked down Mr. Diaz. Often, the natural human response is to want someone to blame for the pain that youre experiencing. He added, Although our system is pretty effective at processing cases and punishing, were not effective at providing the kinds of answers to families in pain and need to feel a sense of closure, or to be able to move on with their lives after suffering often unthinkable harm., Most states 48, as well as the District of Columbia have laws addressing hate crimes that are motivated by a victims race, religion or sexual orientation, among other classifications. There were several violent crimes in San Francisco on Thursday, the article began. One witness at the scene told officers that he saw . Legal Statement. Grandpa died as a result of Antoine not being arrested for reckless driving, he said, and then not having proper services to come out and talk to him while hes out here yelling all morning., He thought about Antoines family and something his friend once told him, about how when his son had issues with another family, he would meet with them to talk about it. However, his comment to the Timeshassparked the hashtags#JusticeForVicha and #StopAsianHate on social media, which come amid a startling increase in hate incidentsagainst Asian Americans across the United States. A few hours after speaking with the nurse, a doctor called to ask permission to insert a catheter into a vein in his neck and drill a small hole into his skull, to release pressure from bleeding. An 84-year-old man was killed after he was brutally attacked on a San Francisco street. She wakes up crying; she goes to sleep crying, Steiner said. by Anh L. Mr. Nawabi described Mr. Watson as someone who had struggled with anger. In each case, the suspects were Black. A.Cecil Williams told The New York Times in an article about the 2010 protest. Then the flood came. "These violent assaults have a devastating impact on our community as they are part of an alarming rise in anti-Asian American hate during the COVID-19 pandemic," Stop AAPI Hate co foundersManjusha Kulkarni and Cynthia Choi said in a joint statement. This image from CCTV footage shows the moment Vicha Ratanapakdee was fatally attacked in Anza Vista, San Francisco. Before his third heart operation, Vicha debated whether to go through with the procedure; he wasnt sure if he would make it.