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Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's husband, attacked at couple's home

What we covered here

  • Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer at the couple’s San Francisco home.
  • The intruder shouted “Where is Nancy?” and said he was going to wait for the speaker to return home, according to a source briefed on the attack.
  • Pelosi, 82, underwent surgery for a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to a statement from the speaker's office.
  • President Joe Biden described the attack as "despicable" and directly tied it to growing strains of rightwing extremism.
  • The suspect, David DePape, faces multiple felony charges, including attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon.
Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the attack on Paul Pelosi in the posts below.
10:35 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

Suspect in Paul Pelosi attack expected to be arraigned Tuesday

The man alleged to have attacked Paul Pelosi on Friday morning is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins tweeted Friday evening.

 David DePape is accused of entering Pelosi's house and hitting him with a hammer.

“We are coordinating closely with federal and local law enforcement partners on this investigation. We will bring forward multiple felony charges on Monday and expect DePape to be arraigned on Tuesday. DePape will be held accountable for his heinous crimes,” she wrote.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the suspect is still in the hospital, as of Friday night, but will be booked into jail on felony charges.

11:00 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

San Francisco police ask for tips about the attack on Paul Pelosi

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott speaks with reporters about the break in and attack at the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on October 28. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Authorities in San Francisco are appealing to the public to provide tips regarding the attack against Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

“While an arrest has been made, this remains an open investigation,” the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement. 
Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444. People can also text TIP411 and begin a message with the police department, the statement said.

"You may remain anonymous," police said.

9:43 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

Police chief praises quick-thinking dispatcher who handled Paul Pelosi's 911 call

A San Francisco police officer stands guard near the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on October 28. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott praised the quick-thinking dispatcher who sent police officers to the Pelosi home Friday, after the House speaker's husband made a surreptitious 911 call.

"When you have an experienced dispatcher with good instincts, they learn how to read between the lines," Scott told reporters.

The dispatcher in question got a call from Paul Pelosi, who managed to leave the line open while he confronted an intruder in his home.

Pelosi was talking in code, a law enforcement source told CNN earlier today, providing enough detail that the operator could understand something was wrong. At the same time, Pelosi tried not to make it evident that he had an open line.
"She knew something more was going on, just in her heart and her intuition, just with her experience," Scott said. "And that calls for a higher priority than this type of call normally receives. This was a well-being check. And she just knew there was more to it. So she alerted our officers, she went that extra step ... and that led to a quicker response."

9:12 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

Suspect in Pelosi attack is still being treated at the hospital

David DePape, the man suspected of attacking Paul Pelosi earlier Friday, is still being treated in the hospital, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said during a press conference this evening.

Scott did not elaborate on how DePape was hurt, but officers say they witnessed a struggle for control of a hammer between Pelosi and an intruder when they first arrived at the home.

While Scott did not discuss the suspect's medical condition, he did tell reporters that DePape will be booked on felony charges.

“The suspect is still in the hospital, but let me say this: we intend to book the suspect, whether it’s in absentia or whether it’s in person — he will be booked for felony charges,” he said.
9:35 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

"Everybody should be disgusted." Police chief says Pelosi attack was a targeted act

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott speaks during a press conference Friday October 28. KGO

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the attack at the Pelosi home was a targeted act of violence, not random, and shared an emotional rebuke of any threat on a public figure's life.

"This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it is wrong," Scott told reporters at a news conference. "Our elected officials are here to do the business of their cities, their counties, their states, and this nation. Their families don't sign up for this, to be harmed. And it is wrong. And everybody should be disgusted about what happened this morning."
9:00 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

Someone opened the door for officers when police arrived at the Pelosi home, chief says

(KPIX)

In an evening update, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott provided more details on the sequence of events in the attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Scott said when officers arrived at the home they knocked on the front door and "the door was opened by someone inside," though he didn't clarify who that person was.

Officers then stood at the threshold and watched as Pelosi and another man struggled over control of a hammer. They shouted for both men to drop the weapon, but the intruder wrestled the weapon away and hit Pelosi in the head with it at least once, Scott said.

At that point, the officers ran in and tackled the man.

8:51 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

Police are providing another update on the attack of Paul Pelosi

Law enforcement officials are providing another update on the hammer attack at the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which left her husband hospitalized.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott is addressing reporters at the department's headquarters.

Local police are working with the FBI, the US attorney’s office, US Capitol Police and the San Francisco district attorney’s office on the investigation.

8:25 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

Biden says attack on Paul Pelosi directly ties to right-wing extremism

US President Joe Biden speaks at a reception for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in Philadelphia on Friday. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

President Joe Biden described the attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as "despicable" and directly tied the assault to growing strains of rightwing extremism.

"This is despicable. There’s no place in America — there’s too much violence, political violence. Too much hatred. Too much vitriol," Biden told a fundraising dinner Friday in Philadelphia.

He said the chant the intruder reported used upon entering Pelosi's home — "Where's Nancy?" — was the same one used during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

The President said it was implausible to cultivate conspiracies like a stolen election and Covid hoaxes without also fostering an environment of extreme violence.

"What makes us think that it's not going to corrode the political climate," he asked.

"Enough is enough is enough," Biden said. "Every good person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence."

He said he'd spoken to Speaker Pelosi earlier in the day, and helped arrange her travel back to San Francisco.

9:53 p.m. ET, October 28, 2022

Jan. 6 House committee chair says attack on Paul Pelosi should be condemned by all elected officials

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Chair of the House select committee Investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection speaks with reporters at the Capital on September 13. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, called the attack on Paul Pelosi "abhorrent" and said all elected officials should publicly condemn the violence.

“Every elected official, regardless of political party, should be outraged and publicly condemn what happened today in no uncertain terms,” he said in a statement Friday night.

He called on other members of Congress and elected officials around the country to put "country over party and reject the conspiracy theories that are proving so divisive, despite any perceived political advantage."

Thompson said the attack was a "symptom of a much larger problem within our democracy" and urged law enforcement and federal agencies to use their resources to protect other elected officials and the upcoming midterm elections.

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