A ‘senseless act of racial violence’: Friends, community remember Boston man killed in alleged road rage incident
The suspect, Dean Kapsalis, allegedly yelled a racial slur at Henry "Henny" Tapia before hitting him with his pickup truck.
Henry Tapia
Related Links
Friends of Henry Tapia are mourning the loss of a man they describe as “nothing short of amazing.”
Tapia, 34, was struck by a car and died a short time after an alleged road rage incident on Upland Road in Belmont on Wednesday. The other man involved, 54-year-old Dean Kapsalis, of Hudson, allegedly shouted a racial slur at Tapia, who is Black, moments before allegedly striking him with the Dodge Dakota he was driving.
Kapsalis allegedly fled the scene as Tapia lay in the street with life-threatening injuries. Tapia was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later died.
Kapsalis, meanwhile, is being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the vehicle), a civil rights violation causing injury, and leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Upgraded charges are possible as the investigation continues, she said Wednesday.
Tapia, who was known to his friends as “Henny,” leaves behind his partner, Courtney, and three children, according to a GoFundMe established to help his family. Tapia was a part of the Boston Tekken/New England Tekken gaming group – Tekken is a Japanese fighting video game – which created the fundraiser.
“Henny was a gentle giant, a loyal friend, with a big, unforgettable smile, and an even bigger heart,” the fundraiser read. “He was monumental in laying the foundation for our Tekken family, and is responsible for bringing us immeasurable memories that will last a lifetime.”
Tapia and Courtney were looking to buy their first home together when he died. As of around 9:30 a.m. Friday, the fundraiser had raised over $82,000, far beyond the original $10,000 goal.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of people wearing masks showed up to honor Tapia at a candlelight vigil. Many held photos of Tapia, and some also held Black Lives Matter signs.
Watch video of the vigil below:
“Even in just his photographs, his smile graces us this evening because his smile could truly light up a room,” Sarah Bilodeau of Community Organized for Solidarity, an activist group centered on fighting for racial justice, said during the vigil. “We will always remember him for his smile.”
On behalf of the Belmont Human Rights Commission, Kim Haley-Jackson condemned the incident, calling it a “senseless act of racial violence.”
“The actions taken against Mr. Tapia shows that Belmont is not immune from the effects of violence and hatred,” she said.
Get Boston.com's browser alerts:
Enable breaking news notifications straight to your internet browser.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com