Videos of the attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in their San Francisco home, were released on Friday. A California Superior Court judge ordered the release of the gruesome tapes in spite of the attacker’s attorney’s arguments against this action.
One of the officers who was first upon the scene had his body cam turned on and showed the October 2022 alleged attacker, David DePape in action. The terrible video began with a scene that became exponentially worse. When police responded to the 911 calls, Paul Pelosi and the intruder both had their hands on a large hammer. The officer commanded the two:
‘Drop the hammer.’
Pelosi complied, but DePape took advantage of the situation. The attacker said:
‘Uh, nope.’
Then, DePape snatched the hammer from the elderly husband’s hands and began beating Mr. Pelosi’s head with it. The police officers quickly captured and handcuffed the intruder, but not before the fugitive managed to land some significant blows.
CNN received a CD that showed the files the court released. The body cam scenes were included with the CD. The files also contained Pelosi’s husband’s clever call to 911 via the Pelosi’s home surveillance footage. The files also taped the police’s initial interview with the attacker, according to CNN.
The former Speaker’s husband went to the bathroom and picked up the cell phone charging there. Pelosi’s plan for the 911 call took into consideration DePape listening to it., too. But the call lasted nearly three long minutes. Mr. Pelosi said:
‘There’s a gentleman here just waiting for my wife to come back, Nancy Pelosi. He’s just waiting for her to come back, but she’s not going to be here for days, so I guess we’ll have to wait. He thinks everything’s good. I’ve got a problem, but he thinks everything’s good.’
When the dispatcher asked Mr. Pelosi if he knew the intruder, the elderly gentleman said:
‘He’s telling me to put the phone down and just do what he says.’
Then the dispatcher asked:
‘Who is David?’
And Pelosi responded:
‘I don’t know.’
Then DePape joined the conversation:
‘I’m a friend of theirs.’
Mr. Pelosi added:
‘He says he’s a friend. But as I said…’
The 911 dispatcher continued:
‘But you don’t know who he is?’
Pelosi said:
‘No ma’am.’
The files also included the Pelosi’s surveillance tape of DePape breaking into their home. U.S., Capitol Police had put the security cameras in place.
The DePape attorneys were vehemently against releasing the video. But the public won out and the videos became exhibits in the preliminary court.CNN and other news organizations, print and internet, sought the tapes’ release in the interest of transparency.
The intruder’s attorneys argued that releasing the audio and visual footage would “irreparably damage” their client’s right to a free and fair trial. Their client claimed he was innocent. But the intruder was charged:
‘[With[ a litany of state and federal crimes related to the attack, including assault and attempted murder.’
Mr. Pelosi suffered head trauma from the hammer and defensive wounds to his right arm and hands. He underwent surgery to repair his skull and other injuries.
Gloria Christie is a political journalist for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Find her here on Facebook. Or at Three White Lions, her book written in her own unique style with a twist of humor on Amazon Kindle Vella and the Gloria Christie Three White Lions podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in progress).
