Moment intruder hammered Paul Pelosi revealed in newly released video
Police body camera footage from the attack last October shows Paul Pelosi and the alleged attacker both holding a hammer.
The horrific moment that US lawmaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was hammered by an assailant has been revealed in a newly unveiled video.
Police body camera footage from the attack last October shows Paul Pelosi and the alleged attacker, David DePape, both holding a hammer when cops arrived at the door of Pelosi’s San Francisco home.
‘Drop the hammer,’ a police officer is heard saying.
‘Uh, nope,’ replies DePape, and then yanks the hammer from Paul and pounds him on the head with it.
A scuffle ensues as police officers rush to put a stop to the attack and handcuff DePape. Paul appears down on the ground after the assault.
The video was released by The San Francisco Superior Court on Friday, along with other files including the 911 call that Paul made when DePape arrived. Another video shows DePape breaking into the home.
In the 911 call, Paul speaks calmly and cautiously in an effort not to upset the intruder.
Paul says there is ‘a gentleman here waiting for my wife’, Nancy, who is the former speaker of the House of Representatives. Paul initially says ‘I don’t think so’ when the dispatcher asks if he needs police, fire or medical help. However, Paul stresses that he does not know the man who entered their home.
‘I’ve got a problem but he thinks everything’s good,’ says Paul.
DePape is heard saying, ‘I’m a friend of theirs’, and the call ends with Paul telling the dispatcher that the stranger is insisting he get off the phone.
The videos and audio were released to the public after a coalition of news organizations argued that the circumstances around the attack should be transparent.
Nancy, who was not home at the time of the attack, on Friday afternoon said she had ‘absolutely no intention of seeing the deadly assault on my husband’s life’. She added that her husband was ‘making progress, but it will take more time’ for him to recover.
DePape has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal and state charges including attempted murder and assault.
His lawyers opposed the public release of the material, claiming that it would ‘irreparably damage’ his right to a fair trial.
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