by Video and audio of the violent October attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was released Friday.
It was released after San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy ruled that there was no reason to keep the recordings secret, especially after the prosecution played it in open court during a preliminary hearing last month.
The video shows the police approaching the home and knocking on the front door. After a few seconds, the front door opens, revealing Pelosi standing next to another man, later identified as David DePape. DePape and Pelosi are both holding a hammer.
San Francisco Superior Court
The police exchange a few words with the men, then see the hammer and tell him to drop the weapon.
“Um, no,” DePape replies, pulling the gavel away and swinging it at Pelosi.
Police then rush into the home and pull DePape off Pelosi, who remains on the floor. Police can be heard calling for backup as they handcuff the suspect.
Pelosi, who is 82, suffered a fractured skull and injuries to her arms and hands and underwent surgery after the early morning attack at the couple’s San Francisco home. DePape, 42, allegedly broke into the home around 2 a.m. and demanded to know where the congresswoman was. Paul Pelosi was able to call 911.
“Our officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said in October. “The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently attacked him with it.”
An excerpt of security footage from a camera outside the Pelosi home was also released by the court on Friday. It shows the suspect walking around the house, peeking in and sitting down in the yard before donning a pair of gloves, smashing a hammer on a door or window, then climbing through.
Authorities said DePape intended to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and told officers he wanted to “break her kneecaps.” The congresswoman was in Washington, DC at the time. She announced the following month that she was stepping down from Democratic leadership, although she remained in Congress.
DePape has pleaded not guilty to six charges that include attempted murder, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder and making threats against a public official and their family.
That’s what the court record says San Francisco police “found ties in Pelosi’s bedroom and in the hallway near the front door of the Pelosi residence” and found “a roll of tape, white rope, a hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and a journal” in his backpack.
News organizations, including CBS News, sought the material played in court, including audio from Pelosi’s 911 call, footage from police body cameras and surveillance footage, and clips from a police interview. ABC, NBC, Fox, The Washington Post and The New York Times, among others, joined that request, It was reported by the Associated Press,
San Francisco Deputy Chief Adam Lipson, who represents David DePape, said he believed it was “a terrible mistake” to release the video and other evidence in the case.
“The footage is inflammatory and may feed unsubstantiated theories about this case, and we are extremely concerned about Mr. DePape’s ability to receive a fair trial,” Lipson said in a statement.
“Appealing the release of this evidence is a difficult question since the damage has been done. However, we are evaluating our options for this case and intend to continue to provide Mr. DePape with the vigorous defense to which he is entitled.”
