A local San Francisco artist, Davia Spain, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of domestic violence, battery, and burglary — but her friends say it was all an act of self-defense.
Bay City News reports that protestors gathered outside the Hall of Justice Monday morning, to deliver a petition to District Attorney George Gascón’s office demanding her release. The petition gathered more than 1,700 signatures over the weekend.
Spain is a Bay Area native, who graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in anthropology. She’s worked at nonprofits LYRIC and BAVC, and is now a trans employment associate at the SF LGBT Center, which tweeted out this message on Saturday:
Davia Spain is a valued employee of the Center. We know that people of color and trans folks are often targeted for violence in prisons and the criminal justice system. Please sign the petition to free Davia, so she can return to her community and work. https://t.co/3n5f5lHU58
— SF LGBT Center (@SFLGBTCenter) January 20, 2018
Public Defender Jeff Adachi said his attorneys are “confident” that Spain was acting in self-defense.
“This was a situation where the encounter occurred and she was forced to defend herself, this was not a situation where she was the attacker or the aggressor, so for that reason we want this charge to be dismissed,” Adachi said.
According to a representative from the Public Defender’s Office, Spain was put in a men’s pod after her arrest, but was later moved to a section of jail specifically for transgender women.
Gascón’s office is expected to make a decision on charges later today.
Update, 1p.m. The Public Defender’s Office states that the charges against Spain will be dropped.