US man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in death of elderly Asian man
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Antoine Watson, 24, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and assault in the 2021 death of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee in San Francisco, but was acquitted of murder charges.
- Ratanapakdee was attacked during his morning walk, an incident caught on a neighbor’s security camera, and died two days later without regaining consciousness.
- The family believes the attack was racially motivated, but hate-crime charges were not filed due to the difficulty of proving intent without suspect statements.
- Watson testified that he was confused and angry during the unprovoked attack and did not know Ratanapakdee’s age or ethnicity; his defense attorney expressed remorse for the tragedy.
