WASHINGTON (1010 WINS) -- Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was severely beaten by a hammer-wielding intruder who broke into the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday morning while shouting, “Where’s Nancy,” according to officials and reports.
Nancy Pelosi, 82, wasn’t in San Francisco at the time of the home invasion, her spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement.
“Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi,” Hammill said. “The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation.”
At a news conference, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott identified the suspect as David Depape, 42. He faces charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several other felonies.
Depape attacked Pelosi, 82, with the hammer just as police officers arrived while responding to a 2:27 a.m. call for a wellbeing check at the home.
“Our officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer," Scott said. "The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid.”
The attacker specifically targeted the Pelosi home in the wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood, sources told the Associated Press.
“Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” the intruder yelled while confronting her husband, according to the AP sources.
Special agents with the U.S. Capitol Police California Field Office also responded to the residence. The suspect was in the custody of the San Francisco Police Department and will be booked at the county jail.
“The motive for this attack is still being determined,” the police chief said at the news briefing.
Paul Pelosi was severely beaten, suffering blunt force trauma after he was struck several times in the head. He was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for his injuries, the hospital confirmed. His condition was not immediately available, but Pelosi's spokesman has said he would recover.
“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” Hammill said.
Nancy Pelosi was with her protective detail at the time of the attack, U.S. Capitol Police said. As speaker, she is second in line to the presidency and receives around-the-clock police protection.
The House speaker just returned this week from a security conference in Europe and is due to keynote an advocacy event Saturday evening in Washington with Vice President Kamala Harris.
U.S. Capitol Police said they’re assisting the FBI and San Francisco police with a joint investigation into the break-in. Investigators from the department’s Threat Assessment Section have been dispatched from the East Coast.
The attack raises questions about the safety of members of Congress and their families as threats to lawmakers are at an all-time high almost two years after the deadly Capitol insurrection. The attack also comes just 11 days ahead of midterm elections in which crime and public safety have emerged as top concerns among Americans.
In 2021, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of Congress, and members have been physically attacked in recent years. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head at an event outside a Tucson grocery store in 2011, and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was severely injured when a gunman opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball team practice in 2017.
Lawmakers from both parties reacted with shock and expressed their well wishes to the Pelosi family.
President Joe Biden and lawmakers from both parties reacted to the assault with shock and expressed their well wishes to the Pelosi family. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden has been in contact with Nancy Pelosi.
“The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi’s whole family,” Jean-Pierre said. “This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The president continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family’s desire for privacy be respected.”
Harris said she and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, were “appalled” by the attack. “The entire Pelosi family is in our hearts and we wish him a speedy recovery.”
“What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York. “I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on twitter, “Horrified and disgusted by the reports that Paul Pelosi was assaulted in his and Speaker Pelosi’s home last night. Grateful to hear that Paul is on track to make a full recovery and that law enforcement including our stellar Capitol Police are on the case.”
Often at Nancy Pelosi’s side during formal events in Washington, Paul Pelosi is a wealthy investor who largely remains on the West Coast. They have five adult children and many grandchildren. The two have been married 59 years.
The Pelosi home in the wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood has been the scene of several protests in the past few years. After Nancy Pelosi was seen on video getting her hair done at a salon while many were shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, stylists protested outside with curling irons. Members of the Chinese community protested outside recently before Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.
Paul Pelosi recently made headlines in August, when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI charges related to a May crash in Napa County, north of San Francisco. He was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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