Paul Pelosi Attack Suspect Tells TV Station He Has No Remorse
The man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, called a California news station unexpectedly on Friday and expressed no regret for his conduct in October. He made the implication that he regretted not doing more damage.
In his Friday phone conversation to a reporter for KTVU from his San Francisco County Jail cell, David DePape, the guy accused of attacking Mr. Pelosi, claimed he was simply “sad I didn’t get more of them.” The station is a Bay Area Fox affiliate.
On the same day that a San Francisco court revealed police body camera film depicting the frenetic moment of the attack, the attacker’s words to the reporter, Amber Lee, who indicated on-air that the statements seemed rehearsed, were made. According to the station, Ms. Lee’s call to him was unexpected, although she had already contacted him after his incarceration the year before.
According to the body camera video, when police arrived at the couple’s San Francisco house in the early hours of October 28, they saw the attacker and Mr. Pelosi standing quietly with one hand on a big hammer each.
Officers ordered the hammer to be put down, but Mr. DePape seized custody of it, lifted it above his head, and struck Mr. Pelosi in the head.
It was a remarkable portrayal of a vicious act of political violence that was motivated by a plot to kidnap Ms. Pelosi, who at the time was the second in line for the president. Mr. Pelosi underwent surgery for a skull fracture when he was hospitalised for six days in San Francisco.
Mr. DePape’s rambling comments to KTVU further demonstrate how right-wing conspiracy beliefs, including untruths about the 2020 election being rigged, inspired him to carry out the attack. He had already been homeless for a while and was alienated from his family at the time of the incident.
According to the station, Mr. DePape informed Ms. Lee he intended to make a statement at the beginning of the five-minute conversation.
According to KTVU, “Our reporter was not permitted to refute his claims or ask follow-up questions.” DePape claimed he didn’t want to endanger his legal position.
It wasn’t immediately obvious whether the prohibition on further inquiries was a requirement for speaking with him. On Saturday, attempts to contact Ms. Lee and the station’s spokesperson were unsuccessful. On Saturday, it was not possible to quickly get in touch with a public lawyer who was defending Mr. DePape.
On the day of the attack, Mr. DePape informed the channel that he “could have come better equipped.” The individuals who are “killing” freedom, he continued, “had names and addresses,” and he want to “have a heart-to-heart conversation about their awful behaviour.”
Mr. DePape claimed in a police interview conducted shortly after the assault that he had been searching for Ms. Pelosi, a politician who has been vilified and dehumanised by Republicans for years, and that he intended to abduct her, shatter her kneecaps, and have her “rolled into Congress.”
The night of the incident, Ms. Pelosi was not at home.
“I’m not trying to, like, get away with it,” Mr. DePape said when asked by the police. I am well aware of what I did.
In state court, he is accused with many felonies, including attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. He is also accused of assaulting a government official’s family member and attempting to abduct a federal cop. He might spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty.
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