Killing of Yao Pan Ma

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]

Killing of Yao Pan Ma
Undated photo of Ma
LocationEast Harlem, New York City, U.S.
DateAttack:
April 23, 2021 (2021-04-23)
Ma's Death:
December 31, 2021 (2021-12-31)
Attack type
Murder by beating, hate crime
VictimYao Pan Ma, aged 61
PerpetratorJarrod Powell
MotiveAnti-Asian racism
VerdictPleaded guilty
ConvictionsManslaughter as a hate crime[lower-alpha 1]
Filmed bySurveillance video
Sentence22 years in prison

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, Ma was collecting cans along Third Avenue and East 125th Street in East Harlem. 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]

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

Notes
  1. Dropped charges as part of plea deal:

References
  1. 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.
  2. "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.
  3. Haigh, Susan (8 January 2022). "Chinese immigrant attacked in NYC dies months later". Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  4. 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.
  5. "Chinese-American man dies after brutal attack in New York". South China Morning Post. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  6. 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.
  7. Haigh, Susan (2022-01-09). "Chinese immigrant attacked in NYC dies months later". AP News. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  8. 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.
  9. "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.
  10. Haigh, Susan. "Hate Crime Murder Charges in Brutal Death of Asian Man Head Stomped in NYC". NBC New York. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  11. 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.
  12. Meko, Hurubie (March 31, 2023). "22-Year Sentence for Man Guilty in Hate-Crime Killing of Asian Immigrant". NBC News. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
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