What we know about the attack on Paul Pelosi and what questions remain

On Oct. 28, a Friday morning, a dispatcher received a 911 call from Paul Pelosi, 82, who was talking in code to let her know there was an intruder in his home.

San Francisco police were sent to the home to perform a wellness check around 2:27 a.m. local time, according to police. When officers arrived, they saw a man and Paul Pelosi struggling for control over a single hammer.

Police stated that they witnessed the man wrestle the hammer from Paul Pelosi and violently attack him. Officers quickly tackled and subdued the assailant and rendered medical aid to Paul Pelosi after requesting emergency backup.

As a result, Paul Pelosi suffered a fracture to his skull and serious injuries to his right arm and hand. He was transported to the hospital following the attack and underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture but is expected to make a full recovery.

The suspect was identified as David DePape, 42, who is facing several charges. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said there is an ongoing investigation into the motive for the attack but emphasized that this was not a random act of violence.

“This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it’s wrong,” Scott said.

In an update given late Monday, Nancy Pelosi said her husband is “making steady progress.”

“Thanks to the excellent trauma care medical team at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Paul is making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process,” the speaker said in the statement.

She also offered her thanks for the torrent of support that poured in for her husband and her family.

“Since the horrific attack on Paul early Friday, we have been deluged with thousands of messages conveying concern, prayers, and warm wishes. We are most grateful,” Nancy Pelosi added. “Our family thanks everyone for their kindness.”

Details from the charges against DePape

Prosecutors provided new details on the Oct. 28 incident when they levied a flurry of criminal charges against DePape on Monday. Paul Pelosi was interviewed by investigators over the weekend, sources told CNN. Officials also interviewed DePape, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

He told authorities he broke into the house through a glass door using a hammer and woke Paul Pelosi up in his bedroom, according to the affidavit. He said the speaker’s husband “appeared surprised.” He added that he told Paul Pelosi to wake up and that he was looking for the speaker.

Upon discovering that Nancy Pelosi was not in the house, DePape mused about using zip ties to restrain him, but during a conversation, Paul Pelosi managed to slip into the bathroom, the FBI affidavit said.

Initially, Paul Pelosi attempted to get access to the elevator in his house, which was equipped with a phone, but was blocked and managed to get into the bathroom at some point afterward to make a call to police, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

“While talking with each other, Pelosi went into a bathroom, where Pelosi grabbed a phone to call 9-1-1. DEPAPE stated he felt like Pelosi’s actions compelled him to respond,” the FBI affidavit explained. “DEPAPE remembered thinking that there was no way the police were going to forget about the phone call.”

“DEPAPE explained that he did not leave after Pelosi’s call to 9-1-1 because, much like the American founding fathers with the British, he was fighting against tyranny without the option of surrender. DEPAPE reiterated this sentiment elsewhere in the interview,” the affidavit added.

Early accounts about who opened the door to responding officers remains muddled. An affidavit from an FBI official included in the federal criminal complaint against DePape noted that in an interview, DePape said Paul Pelosi “ran over and opened it” once police knocked.

However, Jenkins, the DA, said later on Monday during a press conference that “it’s unclear which of the men open the door.” She also added that “there was no security present” at the time of the attack.

In an interview with San Francisco Police Department officers, DePape “articulated he viewed Nancy as the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party,” the criminal complaint said.

“DEPAPE also later explained that by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other Members of Congress there were consequences to actions,” per the criminal complaint.

Charges brought forth

Both federal and state prosecutors lodged charges against DePape on Monday.

DePape was slapped with one count of attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official and one count of assault of an immediate family member of a U.S. official on Monday by federal prosecutors.

The first charge focuses on DePape’s alleged attempt to abduct Nancy Pelosi and could entail up to 20 years behind bars. The second charge carries up to 30 years and is tied to the attack on Paul Pelosi. In addition to the federal charges, DePape could face state charges.

Later in the day, San Francisco District Attorney Jenkins announced that her office was pursuing charges of attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, and threats to a public official. He could face 13 years to life with the charges, according to Jenkins.

DePape will be arraigned Tuesday and Jenkins said she will file a motion to detain DePape without bail due to the severe public safety risks he poses. Jenkin’s charges against DePape will be filed in San Francisco Superior Court, according to a press release.

Questions and theories circulating

Before the criminal complaint was released, police provided limited details on the nature of the attack. However, some details seeped through the cracks.

The dispatcher, Heather Grimes, told police that the caller, Pelosi, did not know the man but said that “his name was David and then [said] he is a friend.” Grimes said Pelosi seemed somewhat confused, in her opinion, per the Los Angeles Times.

TWITTER ERUPTS AS ELON MUSK SHARES CONSPIRACY THEORY ON PELOSI HOME BREAK-IN

Multiple reports have stated that DePape infiltrated the home through a sliding glass door in the back of the house and brought zip ties with him. The intruder had allegedly also asked, “Where is Nancy?” during the break-in and sought to restrain Paul Pelosi while “waiting for Nancy.”

DePape also has a history of spouting extremist right-wing views and conspiracy theories on social media, according to multiple reports. This included content about COVID-19 vaccines, the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and the 2020 election. He is also reportedly estranged from his family.

The break-in prompted several questions relating to security for members of Congress and their families. While Speaker Pelosi has a Capitol Police security detail, Paul Pelosi does not receive any protection from Capitol Police or any other government agency when he is not with his wife, per the Washington Post.

It is unclear how DePape managed to enter the home without raising an alarm or if the home had any additional home security beyond Nancy Pelosi’s Capitol Police security detail, which was with her in Washington, D.C., at the time of the attack.

The attack has since sparked concern among lawmakers for the safety of themselves and their families. Capitol Police reported that as of May 2021, threats against lawmakers had increased by 107% since Jan. 6 compared to the prior year.

Last July, Congress approved $2.1 billion in supplemental emergency security spending that went to increasing security on Capitol Hill, as well as making security improvements and helping to maintain a police presence.

Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal told the Washington Post that many lawmakers have wanted security for their families for a long time, but it has been a challenge because those arrangements must be approved during the appropriations process by both Republicans and Democrats. Whether or not this attack will prompt Congress to request more funds for Capitol Police or install security details for members’ families remains to be seen.

Missing details about what happened on the night of the attack have left room open for conspiracy theories to develop, with several such theories having been debunked as false. One of the more notable conspiracy theories began to catch people’s attention after Elon Musk tweeted a link to a blog post speculating about the attack. The article, published on a site known for inaccurate reporting, stated that DePape was a sex worker hired by Pelosi, but there has been no proof to back up the theory.

The conspiracy theory of Pelosi and DePape’s relationship spread like wildfire after Fox News reporters spoke on air about an incorrect report from media outlet KTVU. The organization had originally stated that DePape and Pelosi were found in their underwear when the police arrived on the scene.

This circulated widely on social media, with several right-wing personalities promoting the theory. However, KTVU later issued a correction, stating that the article “misstated what clothing the suspect was wearing when officers found him.”

Another conspiracy theory stated that there was a third “unknown person” that opened the door for the police when they arrived, which came from comments made by officers at Friday’s press conference that were reported by Politico. However, police clarified over the weekend that there was not a third person and the only ones in the home were Pelosi and DePape.

A popular theory involved the manner in which DePape allegedly entered the house. Some individuals promoted the idea that there was more glass on the outside than the inside. However, in videos shared by CBS News’s Face the Nation, a similar amount of glass can be seen on both sides of the broken window.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Glass on the inside of a window indicates that the window was broken from the outside, which is usually associated with a burglary, according to forensics textbook Forensic Science, Crime, and Terrorism.