Warning: Graphic and explicit video
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Video footage of the attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was released by a judge Friday morning. The footage includes a San Francisco Police Department officer’s body camera, Paul Pelosi’s 911 call for help, David DePape’s confession tape, and home surveillance video showing DePape breaking into the Pelosi home on October 28, 2022.
Police Body Camera Footage
Body camera footage shows two San Francisco police officers, Officer Kolby Wilmes and Officer Kyle Cagney, walking up to the front door of the Pelosi house minutes after Paul Pelosi called 911. The attempted murder suspect, David DePape, and Paul Pelosi answer the door. DePape is holding a hammer and gripping Mr. Pelosi’s arm. Paul Pelosi also has his hand on the hammer.
Police ask what’s going on. DePape smiles and answers, “Everything’s good.”
An officer orders, “Drop the hammer!”
DePape replies, “Uh, nope.”
Paul Pelosi lets go of the hammer and tries to move away from DePape before DePape swings the hammer. Police enter the home and tackle DePape to the ground.
Mr. Pelosi can be seen lying on the ground seemingly unconscious while police gain control of DePape and the hammer. Police then call for backup and paramedics, and the video ends.
Prosecutors wrote in court documents, “Mr. Pelosi remained unresponsive for about three minutes, waking up in a pool of his own blood.”
Surveillance Video From Pelosi Home
The security footage of the patio outside Pelosi’s home shows DePape walking around the backyard looking through a backpack. He ends up taking what looks like a hammer and putting on a pair of gloves before approaching the home and smashing the window.
Paul Pelosi’s 911 Call
Paul Pelosi dialed 911 on speaker so DePape would know he was calling police, SFPD Lt. Carla Hurley said. Mr. Pelosi can be heard speaking cryptically to the San Francisco Police Department dispatch and telling them he did not know DePape, the man who had just broken into his home. Mr. Pelosi ends the call by saying, “He’s (DePape) telling me to get the hell off the phone.”
Read the full transcript of the 911 call below:
OPERATOR: San Francisco Police…
PELOSI: Oh I guess I told them…what is this?
OPERATOR: This is San Francisco Police, do you need help?
PELOSI: Oh well there’s a gentleman here just waiting for my wife to come back, Nancy Pelosi. He’s just waiting
for her to come back but she’s not going to be her for days, so I’m just going to have to wait.
OPERATOR: Okay, do you need police, fire, medical for anything?
PELOSI: Uh I don’t think so. I don’t think so.
OPERATOR: Okay
PELOSI: Is the Capitol Police around? They’re usually here at the house protecting my wife.
OPERATOR: No this is San Francisco Police.
PELOSI: No, I understand. Uh…Okay well uh, I don’t know what do you think?
DEPAPE (in the background): [inaudible]
PELOSI: Uh he says everything’s good. I’ve got a problem, but he says everything’s good.
OPERATOR: Ok, call us back if you change your mind.
PELOSI: No, no this gentleman just came into the house and he wants to wait here for my wife to come home.
and so anyways…
OPERATOR: Do you know who the person is?
PELOSI: No I don’t know who the person is. He’s telling me not to do anything.
OPERATOR: What is your address sir?
PELOSI: 2640 Broadway
OPERATOR: What is your name?
PELOSI: My name is Paul Pelosi. Anyway this gentleman says…he’s telling me to put the phone down and just
do what he said. Ok?
OPERATOR: Ok, what’s the gentlemen’s name?
PELOSI: I don’t know
DEPAPE: My name’s David
PELOSI: The name’s David
OPERATOR: Ok and who is David?
PELOSI: I don’t know…what’s that?
DEPAPE: I’m a friend of theirs.
PELOSI: He says he’s a friend.
OPERATOR: But you’ve don’t know who he is.
PELOSI: No ma’m
OPERATOR: Okay
PELOSI: He’s telling me I’m being very [inaudible] so I gotta stop talking to you.
OPERATOR: Okay, you sure? I can stay on the phone with you to make sure everything’s okay
PELOSI: No he wants me to get the hell of the phone, okay?
OPERATOR: Okay
PELOSI: Thank you
OPERATOR: Okay bye.
— End of 911 call —
DePape’s Confession Tape
(Warning: Graphic language in audio tape)
DePape was interrogated by San Francisco Police Department Lt. Carla Hurley while he was in custody in a hospital. On tape, DePape confesses to breaking into the Pelosi home, attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer, and explains his motive.
“I’m not trying to get away with it. I know exactly what I did,” DePape tells Hurley.
DePape explains why he targeted Nancy Pelosi, saying, “The lies are insane. It originates with Hillary (Clinton). Honestly, day in and day out, the person on TV lying every day was (Nancy) Pelosi. It’s f***ing insane the crime spree the Democrats have been on.”
Hurley asks, “What was your intention going there (to the Pelosi’s home)?”
DePape answers, “Well, I was basically going to hold her hostage and talk to her. If she told the truth, I’d let her go. If she told a lie, I’d break her kneecaps.”
Defense Attorney Says Releasing Footage Was ‘Mistake’
The video and audio tapes were released by a judge in response to a public information request filed by several media outlets following DePape’s preliminary hearing. The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office argued that releasing the footage to news media outlets would only allow people to manipulate it leading to false information being spread.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy ultimately ruled that there was no reason to keep the video out of the public view and from the media, adding that prosecutors have already played portions of it in open court.
When asked about the footage’s anticipated release, Nancy Pelosi said, “My biggest concern is my husband’s wellbeing, and we take that day-to-day,” Pelosi said.
DePape, 42, of Richmond, is currently behind bars facing state and federal charges. Charges include attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree burglary, threatening a family member of a public official, and inflicting injury on an elder.
DePape has pleaded not guilty to both the federal and state charges.
His defense attorney, San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Adam Lipson, said the court made a “terrible mistake” by releasing the footage Friday. Lipson also raised concerns over whether his client will get a fair trial with an unbias jury.
“I think it was a terrible mistake to release this evidence, and in particular the video. Releasing this footage is disrespectful to Mr. Pelosi, and serves no purpose except to feed the public desire for spectacle and violence. The footage is inflammatory and could feed unfounded theories about this case, and we are extremely concerned about Mr. DePape’s ability to get a fair trial,” Lipson said.
“The damage has been done. But we are evaluating our options for this case and intend to continue providing Mr. DePape the vigorous defense that he’s entitled to,” Lipson said.
