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Paul Pelosi attack suspect sought to take speaker hostage, prosecutors say

Published Oct 31, 2022 09:43AM ET Updated Nov 01, 2022 03:01AM ET
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© Reuters. People stand near police tape outside the home of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi where her husband Paul Pelosi was violently assaulted after a break-in at their house, according to a statement from her office, in San Francisco, California, U.S., October

By Paresh Dave and Steve Gorman

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -The man accused of bludgeoning U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer after breaking into the couple's home threatened to take her hostage and break her kneecaps if she lied under his questioning, according to a federal criminal complaint filed on Monday.

David Wayne DePape's alleged intentions emerged as federal prosecutors charged the 42-year-old suspect with assault and attempted kidnapping in Friday's predawn break-in at the Pelosis' San Francisco home.

Several state charges were filed separately in San Francisco Superior Court, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, elder abuse and threatening a public official, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced at a news conference. An arraignment was set for Tuesday, her office said.

The 82-year-old speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a Democrat who is second in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency, was in Washington at the time of the assault. Her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, a real estate and venture capital executive, has undergone surgery for skull fractures and injuries to his hands and right arm, and he remained hospitalized on Monday.

"Paul is making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process," the speaker said in a statement on Monday.

The attack, which Jenkins called "politically motivated," has stoked fears about partisan extremist violence just over a week ahead of the midterm elections, on Nov. 8, that will decide control of Congress during one of the most vitriolic and polarized U.S. campaigns in decades. Democrats' continued control of both the House and the Senate is at stake.

As one of the highest-ranking Democrats in Washington and a longtime representative of one of America's most liberal cities, Nancy Pelosi has been a frequent lightning rod for expressions of conservative criticism and contempt.

Her office was ransacked during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump, some of whom hunted for her during the melee, following a fiery speech by Trump featuring false claims that his defeat in the 2020 presidential election was the result of fraud.

AWAKENED BY STRANGER

DePape was arrested by police officers dispatched to the Pelosis' home after Paul Pelosi placed an emergency-911 call reporting an intruder, according to an FBI affidavit filed as part of the federal criminal complaint.

The San Francisco Police Department recovered zip ties in the bedroom and in the hallway near the front door. Police also found a roll of tape, rope, a second hammer, a pair of gloves and a journal in DePape's backpack, the affidavit said. The intruder had broken in through a glass door to the residence.

Paul Pelosi, who was initially left unconscious from the attack, later told police that he was asleep when a stranger, armed with a hammer, crept into his second-floor bedroom and awakened him, demanding to speak with his spouse, the complaint states.

According to Paul Pelosi's account in the affidavit, he told the intruder that his wife would be away for several days and the intruder responded that he would stay and wait for her. Pelosi's husband recounted that he managed to slip away to the bathroom to place the 911 call, the affidavit said.

The suspect told police in an interview following his arrest that he planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage for questioning, and that if she told the "truth" he would let her go but if she "lied" he would break her kneecaps, according to the FBI affidavit.

He told police he did not flee the Pelosi home after Paul Pelosi's 911 call because, according to the affidavit, "much like the American founding fathers with the British, he was fighting against tyranny without the option to surrender."

Authorities said police officers arriving at the Pelosi home saw DePape and Pelosi struggling over a hammer. As the officers shouted at both men to drop the tool, DePape yanked the hammer away and struck Pelosi in the head before officers subdued DePape and took him into custody.

DePape was charged in federal court with one count of assault on a family member of a U.S. official and one count of attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official. Prosecutors alleged the offenses stemmed from the suspect's intent to retaliate against the House speaker for her "performance of official duties."

The federal charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 50 years in prison, the Justice Department said in a statement announcing the charges. The state charges are punishable by a prison sentence of 13 years to life, Jenkins said.

Online messages recently posted to several websites by an internet user named "daviddepape" expressed bigoted sentiments against minorities, Jews, women and transgender people while embracing the cult-like, right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon.

Older online messages promoted quartz crystals and hemp bracelets. Reuters could not confirm the posts were created by the suspect charged on Monday.

Experts on extremist ideology have said Friday's attack appeared to be an example of a growing trend they call "stochastic terrorism," in which sometimes-unstable individuals are inspired to violence by hate speech and scenarios they see online and hear echoed by public figures.

Paul Pelosi attack suspect sought to take speaker hostage, prosecutors say
 

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Comments (17)
gab nea
gab nea Nov 01, 2022 8:02PM ET
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the fascist Republicans use their militia gangs like the ayatollah and the taliban use ISIS or the revolutionary guards!
Clay Douglass
Clay Douglass Nov 01, 2022 4:32PM ET
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it's really too bad,she wasn't home.
Brad Albright
Brad Albright Nov 01, 2022 9:03AM ET
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As exhibited by some if the commenters here, humanity is in real trouble when people are willing to detach from reality and choose kooky unfounded conspiracies instead. People are calling it a mental illness, but I think its intentional, by people who have now respect for themselves.
Erski Gumby
SB20 Nov 01, 2022 9:03AM ET
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It’s “No” and not “Now” Einstein. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
gab nea
gab nea Nov 01, 2022 7:55AM ET
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the Republican base is now armed militia gangsters! if they dont like political opponents, first they lie, then try to cheat, then burglarize your house for dirt, try to kidnap you, then raid your home and hit your family over the head with a hammer, or weapon! rinse and repeat! you vote for them? shame on you, if you have any shame left!
gab nea
gab nea Nov 01, 2022 6:55AM ET
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political violence is the new normal for the off kilter Republicans, they cannot win honestly anymore, nor are they trying! vote the crazies out!
Ken Roth
Ken Roth Nov 01, 2022 5:56AM ET
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David Wayne DePape is as white as they come born on the North east coast....I suggest you search google if you have access in Russia
Stephen Fa
Stephen Fa Nov 01, 2022 5:56AM ET
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He is an illegl al1en from Canada
Adrian White
Adrian White Nov 01, 2022 5:56AM ET
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He's actually from a small town on the west coast of Canada. But has been living in the US for years - long enough to get brainwashed and radicalized by the far-right Trumpanzee conspiracy lovers, unfortunately.
Erski Gumby
SB20 Nov 01, 2022 5:56AM ET
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You mean NE coast of Canada right Ken?
Allen Hall
Allen Hall Oct 31, 2022 9:37PM ET
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Just cracks me up the people who keep posting MAGA MAN ATTACKER.  That man is a liberal jackass and an illegal immigrant who has long over stayed his visa.  He represents none of the republicans I know or have ever known.
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Stephen Fa
Stephen Fa Oct 31, 2022 9:37PM ET
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You go first gab on BLM.
Allen Hall
Allen Hall Oct 31, 2022 9:37PM ET
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gab nea  I denounce ANTIFA and BLM.  Now it's your turn.  Please put in quotation marks ANY right leaning organizations who have gotten away with as much political violence as these two.
Allen Hall
Allen Hall Oct 31, 2022 9:37PM ET
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Ken Roth  LOL.  Crazy is up early this morning.
Allen Hall
Allen Hall Oct 31, 2022 9:37PM ET
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Ken Roth  Ken is a Russian bot!
Erski Gumby
SB20 Oct 31, 2022 9:37PM ET
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Ken Roth This guys is so misinformed, it’s not even funny anymore.
Kevin Alexanderman
Kevin Alexanderman Oct 31, 2022 9:16PM ET
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A hammer?
Erski Gumby
SB20 Oct 31, 2022 9:16PM ET
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Paul’s hammer.
Kevin Alexanderman
Kevin Alexanderman Oct 31, 2022 9:16PM ET
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A hammer?
Maximus Maximus
Maximus Maximus Oct 31, 2022 5:49PM ET
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time to crack down on these deranged republican/maga/quanon terrorists and remove them from society all together
Erski Gumby
SB20 Oct 31, 2022 5:49PM ET
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What do you have in mind? Or are you just trying to sound tough behind the keyboard?
 
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