A trio of San Francisco police officers arrested the owner of an art gallery on charges of misdemeanor battery after he hosed down a homeless woman outside his business. She refused to move to allow him to clear the sidewalk.
Cops arrest San Fran gallery owner after he hosed down a homeless woman who refused to move from in front of his shop
San Francisco’s DA sent a trio of police officers to arrest an art gallery owner who had hosed down a homeless woman who refused to move from in front of his shop and allow him to clear the sidewalk.
According to various reports, he initially defended his actions and said he’s tried multiple times in the past to help the woman.
However, after the footage went viral and sparked widespread outrage, Gwin apologized several times before his arrest, CBS reported.
In the footage, Gwin is seen spraying the street, with the homeless woman trying to block the stream of water with her hand. He then stopped spraying the water, pointed down the street, and told the woman: “Hey, just move. Move. Move. Move. OK, are you going to move? Are you going to move?”
“What they saw is very regrettable,” Gwin said. “I feel awful, not just because I want to get out of trouble, or something like that, but because I’d put a tremendous amount of effort into helping this woman on the street.”
“I’m very, very sorry,” Gwin added. “I’m not going to defend myself. I’m not going to because I can’t defend that.”
After his arrest, Gwin paid $2,500 bail and was released. He is scheduled for his first court appearance on February 17. If convicted, Gwin faces up to six months in county jail and a $2,000 fine.
“The alleged battery of an unhoused member of our community is completely unacceptable,” the SF District Attorney’s Office said in a press release. “Mr. Gwin will face appropriate consequences for his actions.”
Locals slam DA for wasting police resources and ignoring rising crime
Fuming locals are slamming San Francisco’s district attorney Brooke Jenkins for ordering the arrest of 71-year-old Collier Gwin. Locals accused the DA for wasting police resources amid a rise in crime in the Golden Gate city.
According to reports, in recent months, residents are losing patience with DA Brooke Jenkins and are accusing her of having “soft on crime” policies while violence and drug dealing are skyrocketing, the Daily Mail reported.
The DA branded the gallery owner’s actions as completely unacceptable.
Even though the woman who was sprayed did not seek to file charges against the man, prosecutors decided to proceed with his conviction.
“Following San Francisco Police Department’s investigation & reviewing all the evidence provided, my office has issued an arrest warrant for Collier Gwin,” DA Jenkins said in a statement. “Gwin is charged with misdemeanor battery for the alleged intentional & unlawful spraying of water on & around a woman experiencing homelessness.”
