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The description by embattled San Francisco’s District Attorney of the killing of an 84-year-old Thai American as a “temper tantrum” drew the anger of Vicha Ratanapkadee’s family.
Chesea Boudin told the New York Times that suspect Antoine Watson had “some sort of temper tantrum” when he said he pushed Ratanapkadee down hard into the concrete and to his death.
“I don’t buy it for a second, I don’t buy it for a second. He knew what he was doing. Hearing this excuse of a hissy fit is really upsetting,” says Eric Lawson, Vicha Ratanapkadee’s son-in-law, to ABC7 News.
The statement by Boudin added fuel to a recall movement against him. Detractors blame his policies of criminal justice reform for a spike in crime in San Francisco.
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ABC7’s Dion Lim obtained what she called police documents describing video evidence showing Watson returning to Rantapkadee to take photos of his body.
Police refused to confirm to Fox News that Lim indeed does have official police documents saying police could not and would not be able to release them if they existed.
The District Attorney’s office clarified Boudin’s statement to Fox News, pointing out the comments referred to Watson’s behavior prior to the murder and emphasized Watson had been charged with murder.
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As long as he’s been charged with murder, call his motivation anything you want. In the end, it was murder.
A “temper tantrum” under California law can still be prosecuted by a competent prosecutor as second degree murder which carries a potential 15 year to life sentence.
When you elect clowns expect a circus.
Antoine Watson is supposed to be an adult. That means he has had more than 18 years to learn to control his alleged “tantrum”. This criminal had the presence of mind to retrieve a camera and return to the crime scene to take pictures of the results of his use of force that he knew was likely to produce death on a senior who was unable to defend himself. Afterwards this criminal had the presence of mind to leave the crime scene in a car to evade being captured. Now what does that tell you?