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Video released publicly on Monday showed the husband of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggling to control a hammer with an assailant during a brutal attack on the couple’s home in San Francisco last October.
Body-camera footage shows suspect David DePape grabbing the tool from 82-year-old Paul Pelosi and hitting him in the head with a hammer. Pelosi’s punch went unnoticed and officers — one of whom was cursing — rushed into the house and jumped on DePape.
Pelosi, who appeared unconscious, could be seen on the floor in her pajamas and underwear. Officials later said he woke up in a pool of his own blood.
The release comes after a coalition of news agencies, including The Associated Press, requested access to evidence that prosecutors played in open court last month. The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office declined to make the exhibit available to reporters.
A state court judge on Wednesday ruled there was no reason to keep the video secret.
The evidence included portions of Paul Pelosi’s 911 call on Oct. 28, as well as video footage from Capitol police surveillance cameras, a body camera worn by one of the two police officers who arrived at the home and video of DePape’s interview with police.
Capitol Police video shows DePape walking toward a glass panel door, leaving and then returning with a large backpack and two other bags.
He dropped everything and pulled out his hammer, pausing to put on his gloves, and used it to break the glass of the door so he could get through the opening.
DePape has pleaded not guilty in both state and federal cases. He is being held in jail without bond.
Members of Congress have faced increasing threats in the two years since the January 6, 2021, uprising at the US Capitol.
Paul Pelosi was sleeping at the couple’s home when DePape allegedly entered. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time and under the protection of her security detail, which did not apply to family members.
Her husband of nearly 60 years later underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hand. He began to appear in public wearing a hat and gloves that covered his wounds.
Nancy Pelosi on Thursday told reporters that her husband’s well-being was her top priority and that she had no idea he would see the video after it was released.
“I didn’t even know I was going to see it,” she said. “I mean, it’s going to be really hard to see an attack on my wife’s life, but I don’t know.”
Police said DePape told them there was “bad stuff in Washington” and that he wanted to harm Nancy Pelosi because she was second in command to the president at the time.
DePape told police he was on a “suicide mission,” court documents said, and authorities said he was drawn to the conspiracy theory.
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