Former San Francisco Fire Commissioner Don Carmignani testified in court Monday against Garret Doty, who is accused of attacking him in April.
Carmignani was attacked by a man with a metal pipe on April 5 as he was leaving his house. He had to be treated in the hospital for injuries sustained during the assault.
Police later arrested Doty, 24, on suspicion of the assault and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with serious bodily injury and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.
A lawyer for Doty has argued the incident was actually self-defense, and said it was Carmignani who first approached Doty with pepper spray in his hand. The lawyer also shared videos in court where a man who they argue fits Carmignani’s description approaches unhoused people on the street and sprays them with what is described as bear spray.
Although Doty was released from police custody after Carmignani failed to appear in court in April, he has since been re-arrested for failing twice to appear in court.
The preliminary trial is scheduled to continue Tuesday.
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