By Gina Martinez
Leaders and community members gathered to remember Flushing resident Vincent Chun Man Tse, 68, who died following a brutal attack last week.
State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing), Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) and state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) held a news conference Tuesday in front of the Rosenthal Selfhelp senior center in Flushing, where Tse volunteered for years, and demanded the people responsible for his death be brought to justice.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Queens district attorney, video surveillance shows Cleaman Anderson, 44, approaching Tse and striking him in the head, causing him to fall on the ground. When police arrived on the scene, they found Tse on the ground bleeding from the mouth, unable to communicate and with a swollen eye, according to prosecutors.
Tse was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital where he was in critical condition for over a week, police said.
He sustained a fractured skull, frontal and temporal contusions as well as swelling and bleeding from the brain, prosecutors said.
Anderson admitted to prosecutors that he was involved in a collision with Tse’s car, according to the criminal complaint. He claimed Tse grabbed his sister’s arm and when she pulled away and Anderson approached Tse, he “made a fake maneuver” and fell to the ground on his own, according to the complaint.
Kim met with Tse’s family while he was in the hospital. Doctors told Tse’s family that recovery was doubtful and as his condition worsened his family made the choice to take him off life support July 30, according to Kim
“I had a chance to visit Mr. Tse and his family in the hospital, and I saw his condition as he lay motionless in life support,” Kim said. “Words can’t describe what I’m feeling. Vincent was one of our community’s unsung heroes. A devout Christian, he spent his time cooking and serving food at the local senior center to hundreds in need, especially other seniors. We are here to support his family in any way possible and make sure justice is served.”
Tse was remembered fondly by seniors at the center. He volunteered there for six years and seniors were obviously emotional throughout the press conference, some crying and some chanting “justice.” At one point a man interrupted the press conference and yelled, “How can he throw a punch with so much force to kill an old man? I want to know what are the consequences!”
Jane Qiu, program director at Rosenthal Self Help Senior Center, remembers Tsu, who volunteered at the center just a few days before the attack that left him hospitalized. “Vincent was a kind, warm and generous man who enjoyed serving others.” she said. “Everyone at the senior center is still shocked and upset about this incident, and we express our sincerest condolences to Mr. Tse’s family. I join our elected officials in calling for full justice for the assailant and in sending a strong message that we will not tolerate any attacks against older adults.”
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
