The suspect in the attack on Paul Pelosi will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several additional felonies, SFPD says. (Read More Here).
At a news conference, Chief William Scott of the San Francisco Police Department identified 42-year-old David DePape as the suspect and provided a description of what responding law enforcement officers witnessed when they arrived at the scene.
When officers arrived at the residence, Scott said, they encountered “an adult male and Mr. Pelosi’s husband, Paul.” Scott went on to say that, “the suspect pulled a hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid. The suspect has been identified as 42-year old David DePape.”
Scott said that a motive is still being determined.
The man who allegedly attacked Paul Pelosi early Friday posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid vaccines, the 2020 election and the January 6 attack, and an acquaintance told CNN that he seemed “out of touch with reality.”
The US Capitol Police said in a statement earlier in the morning that they are assisting the FBI and the San Francisco Police “with a joint investigation” into the break-in at the Pelosi residence in California.
The attack sent shock waves through Washington and sparked an outpouring of condolences and condemnation from congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle. It comes as fears of political violence directed toward lawmakers remain high in the wake of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol as well as other high-profile violent incidents that have targeted members of Congress in recent years.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi, said the assailant is in custody and a motive is being investigated. The speaker was in Washington at the time of the attack, a spokesperson said.
“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” Hammill said in his statement.
Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer at the couple’s home in San Francisco by a male assailant early Friday morning, law enforcement sources told CNN. The assailant who attacked Paul Pelosi was searching for the speaker of the House, according to a source briefed on the attack. The intruder confronted the speaker’s husband in their San Francisco home shouting, “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” according to the source.
Pelosi, 82, was hospitalized but is expected to make a full recovery, the Democratic speaker’s office said in a statement. Pelosi was taken into surgery this morning, according two sources familiar with the situation. His doctors have told the family that he is expected to make a full recovery, the sources said.
A hammer-wielding man attacked U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband during a break-in at the couple’s San Francisco home early on Friday, authorities said, in an assault that raised fears about political violence ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections.
Her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, Pelosi’s office said.
The man arrested at the scene, David Depape, 42, will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and several other criminal charges, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said.
The Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who is second in the succession line of the U.S. presidency, was in Washington with her protective detail at the time of the assault, according to the Capitol Police.
Authorities said they were still investigating a motive for the attack in the early hours of the morning.
CNN, citing a source, reported that the assailant shouted “Where is Nancy?” before the attack and told police he was “waiting for Nancy” when they arrived at the scene.
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