Antoine Watson, the man who body-slammed 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee to death in 2021, walked free from a San Francisco courtroom this week after a judge suspended his sentence — a result made mathematically inevitable by California's pretrial credit rules and years of trial delays. The case has renewed scrutiny of how anti-Asian violence is charged and sentenced in San Francisco, from the Chinatown stabbing two days before Lunar New Year to a landmark civil lawsuit over the parole failures that led to the deaths of Hanako Abe and Elizabeth Platt.
After five years, Vicha Ratanapakdee's family learns their father's life was "negotiable." Six hours of deliberation was all it took.
Video shows Watson running full-speed into 84-year-old Vicha. He walks after 5 years. This is progressive justice.
Antoine Watson shoved an 84-year-old to his death, photographed the body, and got involuntary manslaughter. Welcome to San Francisco.
A woman connected to killing an Asian senior is about to dodge trial while BART attackers walk free. January 12 is the test.