Fed-up San Francisco residents take to Twitter to record drug use, homelessness
Fox News' Claudia Cowan reports on rampant homelessness and drug abuse that is raising concerns among San Francisco residents.
A local San Francisco art gallery owner defended himself when confronted over a viral video of him hosing down a homeless woman sitting on the sidewalk.
Collier Gwin, owner of Foster Gwin Gallery in San Francisco's Financial District, claimed the homeless woman had been "violent" and insisted that those in the neighborhood had already tried helping her, when confronted by a disgruntled social media user.
Gwin originally came under fire when video was taken of him leaning against the gate of a local restaurant and looking casual while spraying a local homeless woman in the face and torso with a hose as she sat across from him on the sidewalk
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People sleep near discarded clothing and used needles on a street in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, on July 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Janie Har)
Throughout the scene, the homeless woman was clearly disturbed by being doused, crying out in displeasure, and motioning for him to stop. After spraying her for a few seconds, Gwin moved closer to her, pointed down the street and demanded "Move! Move! Move! OK?"
The video, taken by Brioche Café chef Edson Garcia while he was making a delivery around 6 AM, was shared to social media with the caption, "Only in San Francisco. Business owner … No respect."
Garcia himself was perturbed over the video, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, "I was shocked. I know that lady."
The video amassed millions of views and prompted such anger over Gwin’s actions that one local attempted to confront him about it. Twitter user and San Francisco resident Darren McKeeman recorded himself confronting Gwin while he was purportedly in the middle of an interview Tuesday.
In McKeeman’s clip, which also gained a lot of attention on Twitter, Gwin defended his actions toward the woman. He stated, "'I've been here for 40 years. We have tons of homeless [people]. But they haven't been in a situation where they get that violent [within] 10 days of the neighborhood trying to do something. We have been able to get them taken to a shelter, which they leave immediately."
San Francisco bus stop crowded by homeless people. (Photo by Erica Sandberg) (@EricaJSandberg/Twitter)
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McKeeman pushed back on Gwin’s defense, stating, "I've listened to her talk to the people and say, ‘No, this is the way I want to live. My idea of cleanliness is not your idea of cleanliness.’"
Gwin simply replied, "That's fine, as long as she knows what she's saying."
In a subsequent interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Gwin continued to defend his actions. The outlet claimed he said the woman "had become psychotic and was turning over garbage cans."
Gwin told the paper, "I said, 'You have to move, I cannot clean the street, move down.’ She starts screaming belligerent things, spitting, yelling at me... at that point she was so out of control... I spray her with the hose and say, ‘Move, move. I will help you.’"
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The Chronicle noted that Gwin claimed he had been a "champion" of helping previously. Police are reportedly investigating the incident.
Gwin did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fentanyl is a popular street drug that can cause users to hunch while remaining standing, called the 'fentanyl fold.' (Fox News Digital/Jon Michael Raasch)