- David DePapp allegedly ignored security cameras and made ‘tyrannical’ 911 calls.
- Paul Pelosi called 911 while DePape watched, and police arrived within minutes.
- DePape faces 13 years to life in prison if convicted of state charges including attempted murder.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Paul Pelosi was discharged Thursday.
Paul Pelosi woke up twice in the early morning of October. 28. He first spotted a hammer-wielding intruder looking for his wife, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in his bedroom for the first time. The second time, he regained consciousness in a pool of his own blood and suffered a fractured skull while fighting the attacker in front of police.
State and federal prosecutors accusing the suspect — David DePapp, 42, of Richmond, Calif. — of attempted murder of Paul Pelosi, who was on a suicide mission, threatened to choke him, according to court documents. Live on Nancy Pelosi’s knee and hunt down other unspecified public officials. .
“It definitely upsets all of us,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters about the attack, referring to the tragedies of past political leaders such as San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and city director Harvey in 1978. Milk’s assassination. “It’s something we have to take very seriously.”
Paul Pelosi discharged from hospital:House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband leaves a San Francisco hospital on Thursday
DePape, who is being held in the San Francisco County Jail, faces 13 years to life in prison if convicted of state charges including attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse. He has pleaded not guilty and a hearing is scheduled for Friday. Federal prosecutors have charged him with assaulting a relative of a federal official and attempting to kidnap a federal official.
Paul Pelosi was released from the hospital on Thursday.
Here’s what we know about the attack that began after 2 a.m. from court records and press conferences, where authorities pieced together police reports, body camera video, recordings of 911 calls and other evidence:
A break-in, a wake-up call, and a question: “Where’s Nancy?”
DePape allegedly said he knew he would be caught by Ring security cameras located outside the Pacific Heights home. But he was surprised to find that 82-year-old Paul Pelosi was still asleep after he smashed the window of the glass door to get inside.
Pelosi, who was sleeping in her pajamas and boxer shorts, woke up to find DePape allegedly standing beside him with a hammer in his right hand and a few white zippers in his left.
“Are you Paul Pelosi?” DePape allegedly asked. “Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?”
Pelosi was unresponsive after being awakened. “She’s not here,” he said.
“Well, when will she be back?” DePape asked.
“She’s in Washington and won’t be back for a few days,” Pelosi said.
DePape then threatened to tie Paul Pelosi about 10 times.
“Okay, okay, I’m going to tie you up,” DePap said.
Paul Pelosi stood up and tried to leave via the elevator near the bedroom, but DePape grabbed the door and prevented his escape. DePape later told police he blocked the door because he thought it led to a safe room.
Pelosi then sat back on the bed and asked DePape why he wanted to see his wife.
“Well, she’s not. 2 presidential candidates, right?” DePape allegedly said. “We have to get them all out.”
Pelosi asked if he could call anyone for DePape, but he allegedly “responded ominously that this is the end of the line for Mr. Pelosi.”
Capitol Police Chief:‘More resources’ needed after attack on Paul Pelosi
‘Uh, I have a question’: Paul Pelosi calls 911 as DePape watches
Pelosi then asked to use the bathroom, which DePap allowed. Pelosi’s phone was charging in the bathroom, so he turned it on at 2:23 a.m., dialed 911, and set the phone to speaker function.
DePape later told police he knew the call was being taped, but felt that Pelosi’s call had cornered him. DePape watched him from about 3 feet away, still holding the hammer and zipper. During the call, Pelosi explained to the dispatcher that a man was waiting for Nancy Pelosi to return, but she would not be back for about a day. DePapp motioned Pelosi to put down the phone.
To defuse the situation, Paul Pelosi told dispatchers he didn’t need police, fire or medical assistance. But Pelosi then called on Capitol Police because they usually protect his wife at home. San Francisco police dispatcher Heather Grives said he called city police and Pelosi said he understood.
“I don’t know, what do you think?” Pelosi asked DePape. Another man was heard responding: “Everything is fine.”
“Well, he thought everything was fine,” Pelosi told Greaves. “Well, I have a problem, but he thinks everything is fine.”
The dispatcher told Pelosi to call him back if he changed his mind.
“No no no, this gentleman just came in, and he wants to wait for my wife to come home,” Pelosi said.
The dispatcher asked Pelosi if he knew the man, and he said he didn’t. The dispatcher then asked for Pelosi’s name and address, which Pelosi gave him. DePap then told him to put down the phone.
When the dispatcher asked the man’s name, he replied, “My name is David.” When the dispatcher asked who David was, Paul Pelosi said he didn’t know.
“I’m their friend,” DePap said.
But Pelosi again said he did not know the man.
“No, he wants me to stop calling,” Pelosi said.
The dispatcher offered to stay on the line, but when the intruder forced Pelosi to hang up, he sent police to the house. The dispatcher issues an “A” priority health check.
What we know:What we know about the attack on Paul Pelosi, the federal charges against David DePape
‘I can take you out’: Pelosi and DePape go downstairs, argue before police arrive
After the call, DePape said he was tired and needed to sleep. But he also said he had a backpack downstairs with “a whole bunch of stuff” in it, according to court records.
As they went downstairs, DePape walked behind Pelosi. Turning on the lights, Pelosi could see where DePape entered the house. DePape allegedly said he had to knock on the window on the glass door multiple times to break through.
DePape said the police would arrive at any time. Pelosi tried to calm him down by saying they wouldn’t.
“I can take you out,” DePap said.
DePape bypasses Pelosi with a hammer in his right hand. Fearing that DePape would hit him, Pelosi grabbed the handle of the hammer.
At 2:31 a.m. — about two minutes after the 911 call ended — police officers Colby Wilmes and Kyle Cagney arrived at the house. Wilmes rang the doorbell, but DePape told Pelosi not to open it.
Pelosi opened the door with her left hand. In the dimly lit foyer, Pelosi greeted the officers nervously but calmly.
“Everything is fine,” DePape replied when police asked what happened.
When an officer turned on a flashlight, police could see DePape holding a hammer in one hand and Pelosi’s right arm in the other. Pelosi’s hand is on the hammer.
“Put down the hammer!” said an official.
“Well, no,” DePap allegedly replied, raising his hammer. DePape then allegedly tried to pull the hammer away from Pelosi and sprained his right arm.
Meanwhile, Pelosi said, “Hey hey hey.” But he couldn’t hold on to the hammer.
“What happened here?” an official asked.
DePape allegedly took the hammer away from Pelosi, stepped back and charged at Pelosi, hitting him in the head with all his might.
The blow knocked Pelosi unconscious. Two officers rushed into the house, stopped DePape and disarmed him.
Pelosi was unresponsive for about three minutes. He woke up in a pool of his own blood.
“The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and slammed him with it,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott told reporters. “Our officers immediately addressed the suspect, disarmed him, detained him, requested emergency support and provided medical assistance.”
Fire department paramedics took Pelosi to San Francisco General Hospital, where he underwent surgery for a fractured skull and serious injuries to his right arm and hand.
San Francisco police officer Ariana Starks interviewed Pelosi in an ambulance en route to the hospital. Pelosi said he didn’t know DePape. In another interview two days later, Paul Pelosi said the hammer did not belong to his family.
DePape’s attorney, deputy public defender Adam Lipson, told reporters after the detention hearing that the suspect dislocated his shoulder “during his arrest.”
San Francisco DA::Dispatcher’s handling of Paul Pelosi’s 911 call ‘probably saved his life’
DePapp ‘comes here to chat with Nancy Pelosi’
After the melee ended, San Francisco police asked if anyone else was inside the house. DePape allegedly said he acted alone. He looked at the glass door, which he allegedly said was where he broke in. Laminated glass was broken near the door handle.
Police found a cell phone, cash, a “clipper” card for the San Francisco transit system and an unidentified card in the right pocket of DePape’s shorts. When they questioned his identity, he allegedly said it was probably in a backpack on his back porch, near the broken door.
Inside the backpack, police found a second hammer, a laptop and more bags. Also in the backpack was a journal, a roll of tape, white string and two pairs of gloves, a piece of rubber and a piece of cloth. A day later, while searching the Richmond garage where DePape was located, FBI agents seized two hammers, a sword, motor vehicle documents, IRS letters and a Paypal credit card.
DePape is said to have been at the scene explaining to police and medics what he was trying to accomplish.
“I’m tired of the crazy lies coming out of Washington, D.C.,” DePapp said. “I’m here to have a chat with his wife.”
‘Heartbreak and trauma’:Nancy Pelosi shares her first comment since husband Paul Pelosi was attacked
DePape allegedly admitted that he planned to take Nancy Pelosi hostage and “break her kneecap” if she “ly lied” to him. She could then “be brought into Congress, which would show other members of Congress that actions would have consequences,” according to court records.
DePape says hurting Paul Pelosi is not his goal.
“I didn’t really want to hurt him, but you know it was a suicide mission,” DePape allegedly added. “Even at the cost of my life, I wouldn’t stand here and do nothing.”
“Before I attacked him, I told him he was escalating things and I would pass him if I had to,” DePape allegedly said.
While chatting in the bedroom, DePape allegedly told Pelosi that he couldn’t be stopped because he had other targets. DePape allegedly later told police that his targets included a local professor, several prominent state and federal politicians and relatives of those officials.
“There has also been a lot of speculation about Mr. DePaupe being susceptible to misinformation,” said his attorney, Lipson. “It’s certainly something we’re going to look at, we’re going to look into, as his defensive team.”
Police Chief Scott said the department is working with Capitol Police to make homes more secure.
“It shocked a lot of people,” he said.
DePape allegedly explained to investigators why he didn’t leave after Paul Pelosi called 911. FBI special agent Stephanie Minor said DePapp likened his efforts to “the American Founding Father versus the British, who was fighting tyranny and had no option of surrender.”
