The man who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul with a hammer on Friday told police that Speaker Pelosi was his target, authorities revealed on Monday. The assailant said he wanted to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage and “break her kneecaps” to demonstrate that there are “consequences to actions” in Congress.
According to a federal complaint, David DePape, 42, told police that he “was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her” and if she told the “truth” he would let her go. However, if she “lied,” he planned to break “her kneecaps.”
“In the course of the interview, DEPAPE articulated he viewed Nancy as the “leader of the pack” of lies told by the Democratic Party. DEPAPE also later explained that by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other Members of Congress there were consequences to actions,” the complaint stated.
During a news conference Monday evening, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the speaker and her home “were specifically targets,” The Associated Press reported.
“This was politically motivated,” Jenkins said, adding that the public should “watch the words that we say and to turn down the volume of our political rhetoric.”
The complaint stated that at 2:31 a.m., San Francisco Police Department (“SFPD”) Officer Colby Wilmes responded to the Pelosi home after receiving a 9-11 call from Paul Pelosi. In the call, Pelosi explained that “there is a male in the home and that the male is going to wait for Pelosi’s wife. Pelosi further conveyed that he does not know who the male is. The male said his name is David.”
When Wilmes arrived on scene, he knocked on the front door. It is unclear who opened the door, but once inside, Wilmes saw “Pelosi and DEPAPE were both holding a hammer with one hand and DEPAPE had his other hand holding onto Pelosi’s forearm. Pelosi greeted the officers. The officers asked them what was going on. DEPAPE responded that everything was good. Officers then asked Pelosi and DEPAPE to drop the hammer.”
“DEPAPE pulled the hammer from Pelosi’s hand and swung the hammer, striking Pelosi in the head. Officers immediately went inside and were able to restrain DEPAPE. While officers were restraining DEPAPE, Pelosi appeared to be unconscious on the ground,” the complaint continued.
Officers restrained Depape and asked if he had an ID on him, at which point that assailant said “it might be in his backpack on the back porch and later stated his backpack was near the broken glass.”
Police said they recovered zip ties from Pelosi’s bedroom and in the hallway near the home’s front door. Authorities also found a roll of tape, white rope, one hammer, one pair of rubber and cloth gloves and a journal in DePape’s backpack.
DePape is currently facing two felony charges after the alleged attack, including one count of assault on the immediate family member of a federal official and one count of attempted kidnapping of a federal official.
Speaker Pelosi issued a statement on the attack late Monday, which stated:
Since the horrific attack on Paul early Friday, we have been deluged with thousands of messages conveying concern, prayers and warm wishes. We are most grateful.
Thanks to the excellent trauma care medical team at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Paul is making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process.
Our family thanks everyone for their kindness.
