The man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi after breaking into their San Francisco home on Thursday night was carrying zip ties with him, according to police. The San Francisco Police Department has also confirmed that Paul Pelosi and the attacker David DePape, didn't know each other before the attack.
Police also confirmed that there were just two people in the Pelosi home at the time of the attack, not three, as it was earlier claimed. The assault, which occurred less than two weeks before the election on November 8, served as a disturbing reminder of the nation's poisonous political atmosphere.
Almost Fatal Attack
Police believe that the intended target was Nancy Pelosi and not her husband as DePape broke into the home and started calling out, "Where is Nancy?" However, unable to find her, DePape attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, leaving him seriously wounded.
The San Francisco Police Department also confirmed that the attacker was carrying zip ties with him when he broke into the Pelosi home. According to police, Pelosi was intentionally attacked. Authorities reported that the suspect, David DePape, 42, confronted Paul Pelosi early on Friday and asked, "Where is Nancy?"
Officers responding to a 911 call to the home saw DePape strike Pelosi at least once before the two men wrestled over a hammer. DePape was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse, and burglary.
Charges will be filed by the prosecution on Monday, and his arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.
The assault, which occurred less than two weeks before the election on November 8, served as a disturbing reminder of the nation's poisonous political atmosphere.
During the Capitol riot, those storming the buildings trying to overturn Joe Biden's election victory over Donald Trump roamed the halls also shouted menacingly, "Where´s Nancy?"
Some of the siege participants were also spotted inside the Capitol with zip ties.
DePape was also discovered to have owned the website frenlyfrens.com, where he published pictures of Hillary Clinton as a zombie and talked about how he had an invisible fairy buddy who occasionally showed up as a bird.
Narrow Escape for Nancy Pelosi
Given the threats against public figures were at an all-time high, members of Congress were instructed to request greater security resources, such as increased police patrols of their neighborhoods. In a weekend email to members, US Capitol police chief J. Thomas Manger stated that the attack "is a somber reminder of the threats elected officials and families face in 2022."
When Nancy Pelosi's husband was attacked at home, she was in Washington. She immediately returned to San Francisco on hearing the new. However, by the time she returned, Paul was being treated in a hospital. His office reported that he underwent surgery for a skull fracture as well as additional injuries to his hands and limbs.
Nancy Pelosi informed colleagues that Paul Pelosi is still in the hospital and "continues to improve."
Federal agencies cautioned on Friday that domestic extremists motivated by electoral lies "posed a heightened threat" to the November 8 midterm elections as Trump aggressively continues to promote claims that he did not lose to Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
The Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies claimed that the greatest threat was "posed by lone offenders who leverage election-related issues to justify violence".
Democratic and Republican officials, including Biden, denounced the attack on Paul Pelosi and declared that violence has no place in American politics.
Republicans have been attempting to use Nancy Pelosi as a campaign bogeyman for years, using the 82-year-old's image as a repeating caricature in several ads against Democrats, many of which are currently airing in contests around the country during a contentious election season.
According to Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, it is "unfair," to hold the party responsible for the political environment that would have provided the pretext for such an attack.
