Collier Gwin, the San Francisco-based gallerist who caused outrage after a video was posted online of Gwin hosing a homeless woman sitting outside his establishment, has agreed to 35 hours of community service as part of a pretrial diversion program, according to the San Francisco Standard.
Gwin was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery on January 18, nine days after he was caught drenching the unidentified woman at close range. The deal comes after trial delays and an equivocal statement from a public relations firm hired by the gallerist which describes Gwin as “deeply apologetic” and “abhorred” by the video.
“I’m completely broke. I’m not equipped or trained to deal with a citywide problem like this,” the statement reads, referring to San Francisco’s surge in homelessness.
By accepting community service, Gwin avoids potentially $2000 in fines and “several months in jail,” the Standard reports.
After the video was first posted to Instagram, Gwin was accosted on the street and the door to his gallery was broken in multiple times. In the following days, police called for civility and for a short posted officers outside the Gwin’s business, Foster Gwin Gallery.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins called Gwin’s community service, which comes in tandem with an order that he steer clear of the unidentified woman, “a sensible resolution” and said she hopes Gwin will “develop a greater understanding, respect, and empathy for the plight of unhoused people in our community.”