SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Five years after Vicha Ratanapakdee died following a violent incident in San Francisco, family and community members gathered for a vigil on Wednesday to honor his memory. This event comes on the heels of a recent verdict convicting Antoine Watson of involuntary manslaughter in Ratanapakdee's death. Man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2021 death of San Francisco Thai grandfather Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old man known as "Grandpa Vicha," was fatally shoved to the ground in the Anza Vista neighborhood while walking in his community. Following a month-long trial, the jury found Watson guilty of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, rejecting the prosecution's murder charge. Sentencing is set for Feb. 19 when Watson may face seven to nine years in prison, having already served five years awaiting trial. During the vigil, emotions ran high as family, friends and neighbors expressed their anger and disappointment over the verdict. Ratanapakdee's daughter shared the family's pain, stating, "When my dad left home, he never came back. Deeply painful and disappointed about the verdict. It's very heavy and painful for the community." The incident, which was captured on video, has become a catalyst for a larger movement against violence targeting Asian Americans. San Francisco District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong noted that Ratanapakdee's case inspired many to join the Stop Asian Hate movement, emphasizing, "Something that was bigger than one person, he inspired so many people to be stepping up for the 'Stop Asian Hate' movement." Vicha Ratanapakdee. (Photo courtesy of family) Friends and community members voiced their outrage at the court's decision. Julia Quon, a family friend, said, "This verdict is a slap in all of our faces. How dare the community look us in the eye and tell us that grandpa's life meant so little." Another neighbor remarked, "This guy voluntarily drove into our neighborhood, voluntarily pulled his car aside ran down a hill and two hands voluntarily pushed Grandpa Vicha to the ground. To me that is murder." Watson's defense attorney argued that the jury made the correct ruling by acknowledging that Watson was a 19-year-old in distress who acted impulsively and did not intend to kill Ratanapakdee. The defense statement reflected skepticism toward interpretations of the attack as premeditated. Quon also remarked that the Asian community must advocate for better representation and justice, saying, "It is time for the Asian community to stand up. Enough is enough. We need to vote out judges that don't care about our lives. This is proof right here." San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins addressed the community's frustration through a statement acknowledging the disappointment in the verdict while reinforcing the commitment to advocate for justice for Asian American and Pacific Islander victims of crime. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published. ...read more read less