Paul Pelosi, a businessman and husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), was assaulted by a man armed with a hammer during a home break-in in San Francisco early Friday morning. Police arrested the suspect and Pelosi was rushed to the hospital.
During a San Francisco Police briefing, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott outlined what had happened. According to the SFPD, Capitol Police, and other officials, an assailant armed with a hammer entered the Pelosi residence early on Friday morning through the back of their house. While security personnel are present when Speaker Pelosi is in town, she was in Washington, leaving her husband there alone.
Special agents from the U.S. Capitol Police’s California Field Office and SFPD officers quickly responded to calls of the break-in. However, before they could arrive, the man started shouting “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” several times. Paul Pelosi confronted the suspect, who then proceeded to try and tie him up “until Nancy got home.”
However, things quickly escalated, and when law enforcement officials arrived they saw the suspect assaulting Pelosi with a hammer. The officers quickly tackled the suspect, and immediately arrested him. Pelosi, meanwhile, was given immediate aid by the officers and was sent to the hospital for surgery, with Speaker Pelosi’s office saying that he is expected to make a full recovery.
“Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi,” said Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Speaker Pelosi in a statement on Friday. “The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation. Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery. The Speaker was not in San Francisco at the time. The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time.”
At the SFPD press conference, Chief Scott said that the motive for the attack is still under investigation, but that the suspect had been identified and that he will be “booked at San Francisco county jail on the following charges: attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, verbal and several other additional felonies.”
In addition to the SFPD and Capitol Police, the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office, and the San Francisco district attorney’s office will be investigating the break-in and attack.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Canadian man named David DePape, had been in California for around 20 years prior to the attack and allegedly posted about multiple conspiracy theories on social media ranging from the January 6th storming of the Capitol to the COVID-19 pandemic to religious claims that “Jesus was the anti-Christ.” While not much else is currently known about him, more is expected to come out in the coming days.
Paul Pelosi attacked in San Francisco home
Lawmakers from both parties expressed shock and disgust with the attack on Friday, with some of Pelosi’s most ardent opponents and critics, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), extending heartfelt messages to Speaker Pelosi and her family.
“This was a horrific and scary incident. I have reached out to Speaker Pelosi to offer my support to her and her family. I want to thank the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Fire Department for their quick response to this incident,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed in a short statement on Friday. “The Police have the suspect in custody, and as we have more information to share, we will do so.”
Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted early on Friday that “Doug and I are appalled by the attack on Paul Pelosi, Speaker Pelosi’s husband. The entire Pelosi family is in our hearts and we wish him a speedy recovery.”
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell sent a similar tweet, stating that he was “Horrified and disgusted by the reports that Paul Pelosi was assaulted in his and Speaker Pelosi’s home last night. Grateful to hear that Paul is on track to make a full recovery and that law enforcement including our stellar Capitol Police are on the case.”
While the news is still breaking and more details are expected later today and through the next several days, many in San Francisco noted that the assault will likely be used as further evidence to show the level of which San Francisco’s crime problem has reached in recent years.
“First off, the attack was horrific, and no matter where you stand politically you have to be horrified by what happened,” expressed Frank Ma, a former policeman and security consultant in the city, to the Globe on Friday. “But while this is investigated and worked out, this is also going be used to point out how dangerous things have gotten in the city. You know, you hear about assaults on the street all the time, but now the husband of the Speaker of the House was attacked in his home in one of the wealthiest areas of the city. I already got a few calls from more wealthier clients asking what they can do to prevent this from happening to them and you can bet a lot of people tonight are going going to be checking their locks more than usual or making sure they set their security codes again for the night.
“Pelosi is getting a lot of support from everyone right now, which is good and expected, but this is really going to help shape the issue of crime in the city as well. The attack may have been political, but it is also underlying just how bad things have gotten in the city too.”
Pelosi, who most recently made the news for being jailed following a DUI earlier this year, is expected to make a full recovery. More information about the suspect is expected to be released soon.
View Comments (29)
how long will it be until Trump is to blame?
One local SF station has already identified him as a "right winger". By evening news time I'm sure they will pin it on Trump.
Him meaning the attacker as a "right winger".
The lying media is trying to frame him as a right wing Trumper.
I do not know about you but I have never seen a nudist, 9-11 truther at freedom rallies or at a Trump Rally.
If you read different reports his political rants were all over the map!
I have seen extreme nudists parading around in Scott Wieners district and Buffy Wicks district.
Sounds like the guy has mental health issues which crosses all political party lines!
Yeah- not too many “right -wingers” living in sheds, going to nudist weddings, or making hemp jewelry. The way this story is being covered shows every fault of the media - twist facts, establish a narrative, and pound it home.
I agree, John The Patriot. The left-wing media are constantly looking for things that they can use to point at MAGA - like January 6, George Floyd, COVID, voter fraud, ruling elites, etc., etc......Trump is already being mentioned. https://heavy.com/news/david-depape/. But this guy apparently lives in Berkeley.
Trump supporters are not the people spraying graffiti and putting pigs heads on the Pelosi's property. The perpetrators are frustrated woke Democrats who are ticked off at the Democrat elites - The attacker said, "Where's Nancy?"
Maybe the guy was fed up with the crimes of corrupt Nancy. Her husband was making all the insider trades for Nancy. A politician worth over 100 million dollars. They should take all of them to jail. Thats where they belong.
Welcome to California
...Another compelling reason to vote against Newsom (and most Democrats) in the upcoming elections.
Too many weird aspects to this story...
Hard to believe no private security or security measures on the Speaker of the House's private residence???
This feels like a false flag event to gin up the rabid Democrat progressive base... Nudist out of Berkeley doesn't feel like a Trump supporter... more like the Antifa pig-head graffitos....
How many assaults, batteries, and burglaries happened the same day in San Francisco? Nice to know that you found this one to be special enough to write about. Who cares about the non-rich people getting attacked in San Francisco, or anywhere else for that matter? Good journalism.
FYI John,
You're kidding, right? The CA Globe routinely does stories about "non-rich people" who are victims of the skyrocketing crime that is a result of the lunatic policies of Democrat politicians.
If this ultra-bizarre story ---- whose credibility leaves A LOT to be desired ---- struck you as decidedly un-newsworthy, why did you bother to click on it and read it?
We're supposed to believe that security was so lax at their SF mansion that an intruder was able to enter through a back patio door when she's the Democrat Speaker of the House and they are worth millions of dollars? Why was the intruder described as a friend named David in the 911 call and why was he found only in his underwear? So many aspects of this story seem suspect?
Mario, I wonder if Pelosi's "friend" David DePape was invited to and attended the Getty wedding.
Boy Toy encounter gone bad? Don't forget that Pelosi reportedly had a passenger in his Porsche when he had his accident. I wonder who that was? Hmm.
From Michael Shellenberger:
"Pelosi Attack Suspect Was A Psychotic Homeless Addict Estranged From His Pedophile Lover And Their Children"
https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/pelosi-attack-suspect-was-a-psychotic
The rest of the story is here:
https://azradale.substack.com/p/pelosi-attack-suspect-was-a-psychotic
This story doesn't add up, and it really reminds me of the "headless torso in a fishtank" story from 2018, where the headless torso turned out to be Kamala Harris's next door neighbor.
Keep in mind, Pelosi was chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and Harris was a member of the Senate Intelligence committee. I think we're all being taken for a ride with fake news designed to crowd out the news cycle. Police chief Scott has lied multiple times before on behalf of the intelligence agencies.
Post a link on the Harris neighbor story. I would like to read up on that.
What type of police report on an attempted MURDER would state that an unknown person opened the door? I don't think so. Was it the Ice Cream Lady? Were the Pelosi's having a SF style party that went bad?
CW: There are some ODD REPORTS, as you have probably seen.
1. Pelosi was given a 'bathroom break' (?) by the attacker, so Pelosi called 911 from the bathroom. Since when do home invader thugs let you go to the bathroom?
2. Police were dispatched for a 'priority welfare check' from Pelosi's call. Does 'priority welfare check' sound like a normal police response to a home invader who has broken into the residence of an ultra-VIP U.S. office-holder whose husband must have sounded frightened and endangered on the phone?
3. In his call Pelosi reportedly said he didn't know the 'intruder' then said the 'intruder' was a 'friend.'
4. The action of 'attacker' and 'victim' (attacker hitting Pelosi with hammer) did not begin until police arrived.
Pelosi and intruder were squabbling over the hammer; when police arrived the intruder had taken the hammer from Pelosi.
5. Nancy was once again not at home at the time.
Of course we don't yet know what is true and what is false, but as usual with this crowd of protected liars we will likely never know. But the vehemence with which the usual Dem suspects jumped on this as a Jan 6 comparison right at election-time is just SO FUNKY AND FISHY. As you know.
Subtlety is not exactly their strong point, is it.