A homeless man who brutally attacked a former San Francisco fire commissioner was found not guilty of all charges Friday.
Garret Doty, the now 25-year-old homeless man accused of hitting 54-year-old Donald Carmignani repeatedly over the head with a metal pipe on April 5, faces two counts of assault and one count of battery.
Deputy Public Defender Kleigh Hathaway argued that Doty acted out of “fear for his life and fought to protect himself.”
In a press release, the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office said that Carmignani’s attorney had previously only shared “select video footage” of the incident—leaving out how the altercation began.
Doty’s defense attorney argued that Carmignani incited an argument and sprayed the homeless man with bear spray and threatened to stab and kill him if he did not move his belongings.
Carmignani previously said that three homeless people had set up camp near his mother’s front door, and that he was afraid to leave his home in the Marina District.
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office said that after Carmignani allegedly threatened Doty, he decided to arm himself with a metal rod he found in a trash can.
The public defender said 15 minutes later, Carmignai, “stood atop a building and baited Doty to come closer” before spraying him with bear spray and ensuring a violent altercation.
A video previously released by Carmignani showed Doty marching towards him with an iron rod and hitting him repeatedly.
Following the brutal attack, Carmignani had 51 stitches, a fractured skull and a broken jaw.
Deputy Public Defender Kleigh Hathaway said it was “obvious to him” that Doty acted in self-defense against Carmignani. Colla & Ray LLP
Deputy Public Defender Kleigh Hathaway said it was “obvious to him” that Doty acted in self-defense against Carmignani.
“From the beginning, it was clear to me that Mr. Doty was acting in self-defense against Mr. Carmignani, who not only dared to attack Mr. Doty with bear spray and then threatened to stab and kill Mr. Doty, but also showed himself unwilling to back down from the fight he started,” Hathaway said.
“Self-defense can be intense because the brain goes into survival mode, and that fear response is especially distressing for people who are not at home, like Mr. Doty, who live in constant exposure.”
John Dennis, Chairman of the San Francisco GOP, pointed to city Democratic policies that put “residents under constant threat from street dwellers.”
“While San Francisco Republicans respect the judicial process, we are disappointed that this violent act against a respected lifelong resident will go unpunished,” Dennis said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “San Francisco Democratic policies have placed residents under constant threat from street dwellers. The outcome of this trial ensures that attacks like this will happen again.”
The public defense also argued that Carmignani had previously used pepper spray against homeless people in the area on eight separate occasions.
Carmignani did not testify in Doty’s trial, but he testified during a preliminary hearing in which he invoked the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination whenever he was questioned about any prior use of pepper or bear spray, a press release from the public defense said.
The former city official and his mother previously said that despite contacting the local police about the homeless encampment, the police did not respond.
“To my knowledge, neither the SFPD nor any of the homeless service providers in the city responded to our 911 call that morning,” he said.
Throughout the day, Doty’s gang continued to harass his mother and girlfriend, use drugs in public and harass pedestrians on the sidewalk.
“My family has had previous interactions with this individual, who has repeatedly threatened violence against my family members,” he said. “As a result, my mother did not feel safe leaving her home.”
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office said that after Carmignani allegedly threatened Doty, he decided to arm himself with a metal rod he found in a trash can. Colla & Ray LLP Following the vicious attack, Carmignani had 51 stitches, a fractured skull and a broken jaw. CBS News
Carmignani said the group was made up of “notorious criminals” who had harassed residents, damaged property and had been seen using drugs in public.
“As a native San Franciscan and lifelong resident of the Marina District, I firmly believe that the city needs to promote the safety of its law-abiding citizens over those who choose to do drugs and commit violent acts on our streets,” he said. “I hope this unfortunate incident will lead to policy changes to better protect the interests of the people of San Francisco and that my assailant will be fully prosecuted.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
