Posted on 04/21/2010 1:24:49 AM PDT by Chet 99
Posted: 9:36 pm PDT April 19, 2010Updated: 11:06 pm PDT April 20, 2010
Tian Sheng Yu had been in a coma and on life support at Highland Hospital in Oakland since he and his son were attacked on Friday. A family friend told KTVU he had been taken off life support around 12 p.m. and expired shortly after.
At a morning news conference at police headquarters, police said Drummer turned himself in to the homicide unit at about 5 p.m. Tuesday after his family -- who lives in an apartment near the location of the attack -- contacted clergy at the family church. The church in turn contacted police.
The second suspect, Dominic Davis, was arrested without incident in Berkeley at about 7:50 p.m. Tuesday. Davis was reportedly riding on a bike when he was found.
Police spokesman Officer Jeff Thomason said Drummer and Davis are being held on suspicion of assault with a deadly and assault causing serious injury in connection with an attack on Tian Sheng Yu and his son, 27-year-old Jin Cheng Yu, in the 1800 block of Telegraph Avenue at about 3 p.m. Friday.
Tuesday afternoon, KTVU asked the district attorney if her office will pursue murder charges after the passing of the elder attack victim.
“I think it’s a clear cut case of culpability,” replied Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley. “What the crime is will depend on the circumstances that surround the death. If it’s a murder, then we have to prove certain elements. If its manslaughter, we need to prove certain elements.”
Medeiros said Drummer and Davis have both admitted to being involved in the crime but declined to comment on a possible motive.
Police Chief Anthony Batts said there's a trend in which suspects sometimes walk up to people and see if they can knock them out, possibly to commit a robbery. He said he didn't know if that's what happened in this case.
Batts described the 1800 block of Telegraph Avenue as "a very thriving area" for business and entertainment and called the attack "an aberration."
Medeiros said tips from the community helped police crack the case. Batts also commended the community for providing information that helped lead to the suspects.
“This case was solved because residents not only got out of their car and stopped this assault, but we received numerous call and gave us information that led up to the capture of these suspects,” said Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts.
Joining Batts and Medeiros at the news conference, Mayor Ron Dellums said, "There's no room in a civilized society for this maddening assault on human beings."
Tuesday at a rally in Oakland's Chinatown, Yu's wife had tears in her eyes as she spoke in Chinese about her husband's legacy.
“[He was] always a happy person with a good sense of humor and always loved to help people,” said Zhirui Wang Yu.
The two suspects were booked Tuesday at the Santa Rita Jail. They could be in court as early as Thursday.
On Monday, Jinshung Yu spoke to KTVU about the terrifying incident.
Yu had not left his father's bedside at Highland Hospital since the attack. Yu's eye remained swollen from the beating he took and he was still wearing the same blood-stained pants he had on when he and his father were attacked.
Yu and his father had come to Oakland from San Francisco to shop. Police said that while the elder Yu was parking the car, Jinshung Yu was punched in the face for no reason by at least one of two young black men captured on video taken by a nearby surveillance camera.
After Jinshung Yu was punched, the father and son approached the two men. And that's when the father was punched.
“My father come down the street and they punched both my father and me,” said Yu. “They just punched me without any reason.”
Police said the assault was unprovoked and they don't have a motive.
“My reaction to it is [that it was] very disturbing,” said Oakland Police spokesman Jeff Thomason. “We have an elderly gentleman who is punched in the face and knocked out. Words can't explain what I saw, especially when you have a son there that is witnessing this.”
Investigators had multiple videos of the assailants and a video of the attack itself. While police were not releasing footage of the attack, they received numerous tips about the portion that was released.
Family and friends who had gathered to offer were mystified by the attack.
“I cannot understand them,” said family friend Yuna Lee. “Why they did those things? I can't understand this hatred.”
Yu said his father brought the family to the United States from China in 2000 for a better life and education. His father makes a living as a contractor remodeling homes. Friends describe him as a happy, hardworking man who always helps others.
"The main thing I need to think is about my father; seeing my father alive,” said Jinshung Yu. “I hope they [the attackers] will be in prison, otherwise that's not fair. He's the best father ever. I can't imagine if I don't have him."
Don’t tell me: Amish street gangs again?
Yes, Asian-Americans are often victims of race oriented crimes. They have no large political movement to back them up.
For about a day or two.
If only the father had had, and been willing to use a handgun, this would have turned out differently... And Oakland would be burning right now. Gee, a win-win situation!
That sort of thing doesn’t go over very well in East Asia. General word about such events does arrive there, and East Asia continues to become more economically and militarily muscular. People around that part of the Pacific Rim have already been quite prejudiced against people of African descent for a long time.
Tell Obama to fix this.
“....Batts said there’s a trend in which suspects sometimes walk up to people and see if they can knock them out,....” “Batts...called the attack “an aberration.”
“
OK, Batts, which is it?
It’s time for people to start carrying.
Savages on the prowl.
There’s a word for “young black men” who behave in this manner.
“murderers”
“Tell Obama to fix this.”
He is one of them.
Obviously this incident is caused by white racism. s/
They have two parent households and have not been groomed as victims of a racially hostile world that holds them back from their full potential, thus mandating their need to take back by force what they've been immorally denied.
Automatic hate crime. If this happens to white guy....just another dead dude. But gotta give the edge in court here to the black assailants because they are the more aggrieved minority. Higher on the “victim status” pecking order. Asians...not so much.
Amish alert!
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