- A video went viral showing a man hosing an unhoused woman on the street in San Francisco.
- The man was identified as Collier Gwin, the owner of a local art gallery.
A viral video showing an art gallery owner spraying an unhoused woman with a hose has sparked widespread backlash across the internet.
In the 14-second video, a San Francisco man who's been identified by multiple outlets as Collier Gwin is seen blasting a heavy jet of water on a woman sitting on the street. "Hey! Just move! Move!" Gwin could be heard telling the woman after turning the hose off.
—Clown World ™ (@ClownWorld_) January 10, 2023
The clip was first posted on TikTok by @briochesf, an account for the San Francisco eatery Brioche Bakery & Cafe, although the video does not appear to be on the page anymore. It was reposted earlier this week to Twitter and Reddit, where it went hugely viral, garnering over 16 million views and 40,000 upvotes, respectively.
When confronted on Tuesday, Gwin told SFGATE that he has no second thoughts about his actions and he felt it was justified. "In that situation, the street was being washed and she refused to move. She started screaming profanities, and becoming very belligerent," Gwin told the outlet.
However, on Wednesday, he seemed to change his tune. Gwin told CBS-affiliate KPIX-5 that he was "very, very sorry" and he was "not going to defend" himself this time. He claimed he made an extensive effort to help her out before.
Barbarossa Lounge, a cocktail bar that can be seen in the infamous footage, put out a statement on Tuesday denouncing Gwin's actions. The business said it is "in no way associated with the inhumane actions portrayed in the video."
"We are extremely disappointed in this individual's behavior and in no way support such actions," the statement read.
Gwin has drawn widespread backlash. Many online are even calling for his arrest.
"This is absolutely disgusting," Dean Preston, the supervisor for San Francisco's District 5, tweeted in response. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and the ACLU of Northern California told SFGATE they believe Gwin's actions constitute assault.
The San Francisco Police Department told the outlet that both Gwin and the woman on the street "declined further police action" after the incident, but that the SFPD is still investigating the matter. The department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Over the last few days, internet users are bombarding the Google and Yelp profiles of Gwin's gallery, Foster Gwin Gallery, with acrimonious 1-star reviews. The website for his business is currently down for "scheduled maintenance," a notice read.
Garcia nor TikTok user @briochesf have responded to Insider's requests for comment.