Killing of Yao Pan Ma
Killing of Yao Pan Ma | |
---|---|
Location | East Harlem, New York City, U.S. |
Date | Beating: April 23, 2021 Ma's Death: December 31, 2021 |
Attack type | Murder by beating, hate crime |
Victim | Yao Pan Ma, aged 61 |
Perpetrator | Jarrod Powell |
Motive | Anti-Asian racism |
Verdict | Pleaded guilty |
Convictions | Manslaughter as a hate crime[a] |
Filmed by | Surveillance video |
Sentence | 22 years in prison |
Yao Pan Ma, a 61-year-old Chinese American, was attacked on April 23, 2021, and died on December 31, 2021 as a result of an attack by 49-year-old African American Jarrod Powell in East Harlem, New York City, United States. The racist attack drew national attention as part of a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in America.[1][2]
Background
Ma and his wife moved to the United States in October 2018 from Guangdong, China, where Ma had worked as a dim sum chef. Ma worked at a restaurant until it closed permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As he hadn't worked long enough to qualify for unemployment, Ma and his wife, who had also lost her job permanently, collected bottles and cans to make money to afford food.[3]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there has been an uptick in racist incidents and bullying against Asian Americans. A few months prior to the attack against Ma, 84-year-old Thai-American Vicha Ratanapakdee died after being attacked in San Francisco.[4]
Killing
On April 23, 2021, Yao Pan Ma was collecting cans along Third Avenue and East 125th Street in East Harlem. Attacker Jarrod Powell attacked Ma from behind and shoved him to the ground. After kicking Ma's head repeatedly, he fled the scene. A nearby surveillance camera showed the attacker stomping on Ma's head.[5]
Ma was moved in and out of multiple facilities during his time in the hospital and eventually died of cerebral hemorrhage in a long-term care center run by The New Jewish Home on December 31, 2021.[6][7]
Perpetrator and legal proceedings
Jarrod Powell, a 49-year-old African American man from New York City was arrested. He was charged with attempted murder, bullying, felony assault and hate crime charges.[8][2] After Ma's death, his family called on the district attorney to upgrade the charges to murder.[9] Charges were later upgraded to second degree murder as a hate crime.[10]
On January 12, 2023, Powell pleaded guilty to manslaughter.[11] He was sentenced to 22 years in prison.[12]
See also
- Death of Michelle Go—Asian-American woman pushed in front an oncoming train in Manhattan in 2022
- Interminority racism in the United States
Notes
- ^ Dropped charges as part of plea deal:
- Second-degree murder (Powell was previously charged with attempted murder before Ma's death)
- Felony assault
- Hate crime enhancements
References
- ^ Acevedo, Nicole (9 January 2022). "61-year-old Asian man head-stomped in brutal NYC attack dies 8 months later". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
The attack occurred in a wave of racially motivated attacks against Asian Americans nationwide.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "紐約黑人殺華裔漢 面臨控謀殺 - 20220111 - 國際". Ming Pao (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-01-16.
On April 23, 2021, Jarrod Powell, a 50-year-old African American mercilessly attacked Yao Pan Ma, a 61-year-old Chinese immigrant in New York, USA. The victim died of a cerebral hemorrhage on the 31st December 2021. Powell was charged with two hate crime assaults and one attempted murder.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Haigh, Susan (8 January 2022). "Chinese immigrant attacked in NYC dies months later". Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Wong, Vanessa. "Falling through the cracks of the Chinese American dream". Buzzfeed News. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
A year later, Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old from Thailand, died after being pushed.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Chinese-American man dies after brutal attack in New York". South China Morning Post. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
- ^ Baynes, Megan (9 January 2022). "New York City: Chinese man brutally attacked in anti-Asian hate crime dies in hospital eight months later". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
- ^ Haigh, Susan (2022-01-09). "Chinese immigrant attacked in NYC dies months later". AP News. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Gold, Michael (2021-04-26). "Suspect Charged With Hate Crime After Brutal Attack on Asian Man in Harlem". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
- ^ "New York City: Chinese man brutally attacked in anti-Asian hate crime dies in hospital eight months later". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
A family representative is now calling on the district attorney to upgrade the charges to murder.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Haigh, Susan. "Hate Crime Murder Charges in Brutal Death of Asian Man Head Stomped in NYC". NBC New York. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Da Silva, Chantal (January 13, 2023). "New York man pleads guilty to hate crime charges in head-stomping death of Chinese immigrant". NBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ Meko, Hurubie (March 31, 2023). "22-Year Sentence for Man Guilty in Hate-Crime Killing of Asian Immigrant". NBC News. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- 2020s crimes in New York City
- 2021 controversies in the United States
- 2021 in New York City
- African-American–Asian-American relations
- April 2021 crimes in the United States
- April 2021 events in the United States
- Asian-American issues
- Asian-American-related controversies
- Chinese people murdered abroad
- Crimes in Manhattan
- Deaths by beating in the United States
- Deaths by person in New York City
- Hate crimes
- Incidents of violence against men
- Racially motivated violence against Asian-Americans
- Anti-Chinese violence in the United States
- Crime stubs