Video released publicly Friday shows the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fighting for control of a hammer with his assailant during a brutal attack in the couple’s San Francisco home last year. Bigad Shaban and Candice Nguyen report.
Officer-worn body camera video – ordered to be made public by a San Francisco judge order – captures the dramatic moment of the attack on Paul Pelosi, as officers rushed in to find two men holding a hammer in the entryway of the Pelosi home.
“Drop the hammer,” one of the officers says. “Uh, nope,” alleged attacker David DePape tells the officer. That’s when DePape, 42, appears to snatch the hammer from Pelosi and quickly lunges to strike him.
DePape, 42, is facing 13 years to life for attempted murder and other charges in the attack on the 82-year-old husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He also faces federal charges.
The video shows the chaos that ensued, with officers subduing and handcuffing DePape.
In a separate audio recording of the nearly three minute long 911 call that was also ordered released by the court, Pelosi can be heard hinting to the dispatcher that he was in jeopardy as DePape could clearly hear the cellphone call, which was made from Pelosi’s bathroom.
“There’s a gentleman here just waiting for my wife to come back, Nancy Pelosi,” Pelosi said. “He’s just waiting for her to come back, but she’s not going to be here for days, so I guess we’ll have to wait.”
He later told the dispatcher: “He thinks everything’s good. I’ve got a problem, but he thinks everything’s good.”
The dispatcher overheard the name David at one point and asked Pelosi who he was. Pelosi said he didn’t know, but DePape interjected: “I’m a friend of theirs.”
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“He says he’s a friend. But as I said….”
The dispatcher responds, “but you don’t know who he is?”
“No ma’am,” Pelosi said.
The release of the video, recordings and other documents came after a court fight over a motion filed by a coalition of various news organizations, including NBC Bay Area.
The judge rejected arguments by DePape’s attorneys that the release of the evidence presented at the preliminary hearing would irreparably harm his fair trial rights.
DePape has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges, including attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse.
