San Francisco gallery owner who sprayed homeless woman with hose gets case dismissed
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco gallery owner who sprayed a homeless woman with a garden hose earlier this year agreed to community service to have his criminal case dismissed.
Video of the January 9th incident that showed 72-year-old Collier Gwin spraying the woman with a hose outside his Jackson Square business went viral.
He faced widespread condemnation in the uproar that followed in the incident on social media. In the weeks following the incident, Gwin issued multiple apologies.
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"What they saw is very regrettable," Gwin told KPIX in an interview. "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. I'm not going to defend myself; I'm not going to, because I can't defend that," he said.
Gwin was taken into custody for misdemeanor battery charges over a week after the incident. He will have to complete 35 hours of community service to clear the charges, according to the agreement.
SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the agreement brings a "sensible resolution to the case."
Prosecutors had asked for more service hours.