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Federal prosecutors on Wednesday made a major announcement in the case involving an attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, late last month at the couple’s San Francisco residence.
David Wayne DePape, 42, of the San Francisco suburb of Richmond, was indicted by a federal grand jury after being arrested for the alleged attack on Oct. 28, Axios reported. He stands accused of breaking into the home and attacking Pelosi with a hammer. Pelosi later underwent surgery for a fractured skull. He was also treated for serious injuries to his right arm and hand.
“DePape is charged with one count of assault on an immediate family member of a U.S. official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of their performance of official duties,” Axios reported. “He’s also charged with one count of attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official on account of the performance of official duties.”
The Justice Department noted in a press release:
Paul Pelosi later described to police that he had been asleep when DePape, whom he had never seen before, entered his bedroom looking for Nancy Pelosi.
According to the indictment, minutes after the 911 call, two police officers responded to the Pelosi residence where they encountered Paul Pelosi and DePape struggling over a hammer. Officers told the men to drop the hammer, and DePape allegedly gained control of the hammer and swung it, striking Pelosi in the head. Officers immediately restrained DePape while Pelosi was injured on the ground. As set forth in the indictment, once DePape was restrained, officers secured a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties from the crime scene, where officers also observed a broken glass door to the back porch.
“If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for the assault count and 20 years in prison for the attempted kidnapping count,” the DoJ noted further.
Prior to Tuesday’s midterms, which have yet to determine which party will control either the House or the Senate, Nancy Pelosi suggested that the attack on her husband would play a role in whether she will retire from the House.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, anchor Anderson Cooper said that there has “been a lot of discussion about whether you’d retire if Democrats lose the House.”
She responded by saying that the “decision will be affected about what happened the last week or two,” which led Cooper to ask, “Will your decision be impacted by the attack in any way?”
“Yes,” the Speaker said.
“It will?” the anchor asked.
“Yes,” she said.
In describing how she was informed of the attack, Pelosi said she heard a “bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the door.”
“So I run to the door, and I’m very scared,” she said. “I see the Capitol Police and they say, ‘We have to come in to talk to you.’”
Her immediate thoughts were of her children and her grandchildren.
“And I’m thinking my children, my grandchildren. I never thought it would be Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn’t be out and about, shall we say. And so they came in. At that time, we didn’t even know where he was,” she said.
Earlier, she noted that her husband had emerged from surgery and was recovering.
“With a grateful heart I thank all who sent kind words and prayers for Paul. It’s a long road, but he will be well,” she noted on a video call.
“Paul came home yesterday. That enables me to be at home with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your kind words, and your good wishes for Paul,” Pelosi added. “It’s going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And, it’s just so tragic how it happened, but nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. He’s surrounded by family, so that’s a wonderful thing.
