Staff Writer: Kelsey Wink
Email: kwink@umassd.edu
On Friday, October 28th, just before 2:30 a.m., Paul Pelosi, business executive, and husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was violently assaulted during a break-in of their San Francisco home.
The perpetrator, David DePape, smashed a window to break into the Pelosis’ home, as he shouted, “Where is Nancy?” before unleashing the attack on Paul.
In his effort to escape, Paul asked DePape to allow him to use the bathroom, where he dialed 911.
DePape was alleged to have lunged at Paul with the hammer after police arrived, knocking him unconscious.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told reporters that on Friday morning the police received a call at 2:27 a.m. for a report of a break-in and arrived to find Paul and DePape “both holding a hammer.” DePape, 42, “pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it.”
Officers then immediately subdued DePape and took him into custody. Police are investigating DePape’s motive but they did say it was “not a random act.”
DePape told police he wanted to confront Nancy Pelosi and break her kneecaps if she lied, to make an example of her, according to court records.
At the time of the attack, Nancy Pelosi was not present at her home in San Francisco. She had business to attend to in Washington, DC, and was asleep at the time her husband was attacked.
She only got the news that her husband, Paul, had been attacked when there was a knock on her room door from Capitol Police.
In an interview, Pelosi said her doorbell rang early in the morning and it rang again, and then she heard “bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the door.”
She ran to the door and was frightened as she didn’t know what was going on. When Pelosi opened the door, Capitol Police were standing in her doorway and said, “we have to come in to talk to you.”
Pelosi was not expecting her husband to be a victim of a violent assault.
Paul Pelosi has suffered blunt force injuries and had surgery to repair a skull fracture as well as serious injuries to his right arm and hands. He was just released from the hospital last week.
“DePape was charged with six counts relating to the attack, including attempted murder, burglary, assault, false imprisonment, and threatening the family member of a public official. He has pleaded not guilty to all state charges.” According to KSL TV.
NBC News states that, “he also faces two federal charges in connection with the assault: attempted kidnapping and assault with intent to retaliate against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member.”
DePape had a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, and zip ties in his possession when he was arrested.
At his sentencing on Tuesday, November, 1st, DePape pleaded not guilty to the state charges and was ordered held without bail. Currently, no federal arraignment has been scheduled.
With that, the accused could face thirteen years to life in prison on state charges and a maximum of fifty years on federal charges.
*Article updated on February 20th, 2023 to accurately reflect sources.