SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 1 — The man accused of bludgeoning US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer after forcing his way into the couple’s home threatened to take her hostage and break “her kneecaps” if she lied under his questioning, according to a federal criminal complaint filed yesterday.
David Wayne DePape’s alleged intentions emerged as federal prosecutors charged the 42-year-old suspect with assault and attempted kidnapping in Friday’s predawn break-in at the Pelosis’ San Francisco home.
Several state charges were filed separately in San Francisco Superior Court, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, elder abuse and threatening a public official, the district attorney announced at a news conference.
The 82-year-old speaker of the US House of Representatives, a Democrat who is second in the line of succession to the US presidency, was in Washington at the time of the assault. Her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, has been hospitalised as he recovers from skull fractures and injuries to his hands and right arm.
Doctors expect a full recovery, the speaker’s office said.
DePape was arrested by police officers dispatched to the home after Paul Pelosi placed an emergency-911 call reporting an intruder, according to an FBI affidavit filed as part of the complaint.
The San Francisco Police Department recovered zip ties in the bedroom and in the hallway near the front door. Police also found a roll of tape, white rope, a hammer, one pair of rubber and cloth gloves and a journal in DePape’s backpack, the affidavit said.
Paul Pelosi, who was initially left unconscious from the attack, later told police that he was asleep when a stranger, armed with a hammer, entered the bedroom and demanded to speak with his spouse, the complaint states.
According to Paul Pelosi’s account in the affidavit, he told the intruder that his wife would be away for several days and the intruder responded that he would stay and wait for her. Pelosi’s husband also recounted that he managed to slip away to the bathroom to place the 911 call, the affidavit said.
The suspect told police in an interview following his arrest that he planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage for questioning, and that if she told the “truth” he would let her go but if she “lied” he would break “her kneecaps,” according to the FBI affidavit.
He told police he did not flee the Pelosi home after Paul Pelosi’s 911 call because, according to the affidavit, “much like the American founding fathers with the British, he was fighting against tyranny without the option to surrender.”
The incident stoked fears about political violence ahead of midterm elections on November 8 that will decide control of the House of Representatives and Senate during one of the most vitriolic and polarized US campaigns in decades.
Authorities said police officers arriving at the Pelosi home saw DePape and Pelosi struggling over a hammer. As the officers shouted at both men to drop the tool, DePape yanked the hammer away and struck Pelosi before the officers subdued DePape and took him into custody.
DePape was charged with one count of assault on a family member of a US official and one count of attempted kidnapping of a US official. Prosecutors alleged the offenses stemmed from the suspect’s intent to retaliate against the House speaker for her “performance of official duties.”
The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 50 years in prison, the Justice Department said in a statement announcing the charges.
Online messages recently posted to several websites by an internet user named “daviddepape” expressed support for Republican former President Donald Trump while embracing the cult-like, right-wing conspiracy theory known as QAnon.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said hours after the attack that it was not a random act of violence. The intruder shouted, “Where is Nancy?” before attacking, according to a person briefed on the incident. — Reuters
