SAN FRANCISCO, California — Garret Doty, a 25-year-old homeless man, was found not guilty on all charges on Friday after being accused of brutally attacking former San Francisco fire commissioner Donald Carmignani. Doty allegedly assaulted Carmignani by repeatedly hitting him over the head with a metal pipe on April 5, facing two counts of assault and one count of battery.

Doty’s defense attorney, Kleigh Hathaway, argued that Doty acted in self-defense and fought back due to fear for his life. The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office states that Carmignani’s attorneys only shared “select video footage” from the incident, omitting the beginning of the altercation.

It was argued by Doty’s defense that Carmignani instigated the altercation by spraying Doty with bear spray and threatening to stab and kill him if he did not move his belongings. The defense also claimed that Carmignani baited Doty into an altercation and then used bear spray to ensure a violent outcome.

Following the incident, Carmignani had 51 stitches, a fractured skull, and a broken jaw. Deputy Public Defender Kleigh Hathaway emphasized that it was clear that Doty was acting in self-defense against Carmignani who had initiated the confrontation.

Carmignani and his mother had contacted local police regarding the homeless encampment near their house, but no action was taken. The former city official and his mother expressed concerns over the safety of law-abiding citizens and called for policy changes to better protect them.

Despite calling local police, no action was taken, leading to a lack of response from police and homeless service providers. Carmignani hopes the unfortunate incident will prompt policy changes to better protect San Francisco residents, and that his attackers will be fully prosecuted.