SF art gallery owner apologizes hours after forum held condemning him for spraying unhoused person

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Religious and community leaders from across San Francisco are discussing an ugly incident caught on video, showing an unhoused person being hosed down by a frustrated business owner.

UPDATE: SF gallery owner filmed spraying unhoused person with hose arrested, charged with misdemeanor

"You've seen it, you've viewed it, you've read about it. Now it's time for us to put into context what San Francisco must do," said Rev. Amos Brown, Third Baptist Church pastor. "It took us back to the days that when in Birmingham Alabama that sheriff hosed down civil rights workers back in the 60s."

Rev. Brown urged people not to point the finger, during a townhall at Third Baptist Church Sunday.

RELATED: Fallout after viral clip of SF art gallery owner hosing down homeless person, police investigating

As police investigate a video that shows a man hosing down a homeless person, his art gallery was vandalized and some are saying race played a role in the viral incident.

"You can't blame the man. Can't blame the board of supervisors. We all must accept blame," said Rev. Brown, calling for a more holistic approach to helping the unhoused.

"We must not have simplistic, reductionist thinking and planning anymore on this issue of homelessness, of unhoused people in this town."

"I don't think any of us believe we should just usher people off of the streets to nowhere. Instead, we should be making sure they have a place to go and receive the treatment they need, said San Francisco District Attorney, Brooke Jenkins. "In recent history in the DA's office we had a situation with people being referred to programs that were not appropriate for their particular issue or were not sufficient to treat their specific problem."

RELATED: Art gallery owner who hosed down homeless person in SF finds it 'hard to apologize'

Meanwhile, Rev. Brown is calling for an apology from the art gallery owner, Collier Gwin.

"It would be the gentleman-like humane thing to do and I've been trying to get a hold of him," said Rev. Brown.

ABC7 News reached out to Gwin and he responded late Sunday night ready with an apology that can be seen in the player below.

VIDEO: SF art gallery owner apologizes after viral video shows him spraying unhoused person with water hose

San Francisco art gallery owner Collier Gwin apologizes Sunday night for spraying an unhoused person with a water hose Jan. 9.

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