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Tuesday 1 November 2022

Police: Pelosi suspect wanted to break speaker’s knees

Continued from Front

No attorney has been listed
for DePape. He is to be ar-
raigned Tuesday, and pros-
ecutors will ask for him to
be held in jail without bail.

When a surprised Paul Pelo-
si told the intruder she was
not there, DePape said he
would wait — even after
being told she would not
be home for some days.
The assailant then started
taking out twist ties, to tie
him up, the complaint says.

“By breaking Nancy’s knee-
caps, she would then have
to be wheeled into Con-
gress, which would show
other members of Congress
there were consequences
to actions,” the complaint
says DePape told investiga-
tors.
DePape told police of his
plans to hold Speaker Pelosi
hostage to “talk to her” and
viewed her “as the “leader
of the pack of lies told by sional leaders have security founding fathers with the are high with record secu-
the Democratic Party,” the Police were dispatched to protection for themselves, British, he was fighting rity threats against lawmak-
eight-page complaint says. the home in the upscale Pa- but not their families. against tyranny without the ers and other officials.
“If she were to tell DePape cific Heights neighborhood option of surrender,” the af-
the ‘truth,’ he would let her around 2:20 a.m. Friday af- In the ambulance to the fidavit said. The incident sparked fresh
go and if she ‘lied,’ he was ter Paul Pelosi placed a 911 hospital, Paul Pelosi told The federal complaint security concerns for law-
going to break “her knee- call. DePape broke into the police he had never seen also said DePape said he makers and other elected
caps,” the complaint al- rear glass door and made DePape before, the com- wanted “to use Nancy to officials before the mid-
leges. his way upstairs to confront plaint said. lure” another person. But terms.
Paul Pelosi, police said. the complaint provides no With nearly 10,000 threats
DePape is a Canadian citi- They arrived two minutes DePape told police it was other details of that plan. against members of Con-
zen who legally entered the later to see the two men difficult to break through “We have nothing to sug- gress in the last year, U.S.
United States in 2000 but struggling over a hammer, the glass door with his ham- gest that these two men Capitol Police have ad-
has stayed long after his and then DePape struck mer, and he went upstairs knew each other prior to vised lawmakers to take
visa expired, according to Pelosi at least once before and told a sleeping Paul this incident,” Jenkins said precautions. Chief Tom
a U.S. official who was not being tackled by officers. Pelosi to wake up. Pelosi at a briefing Sunday. Manger, who leads the U.S.
authorized to discuss the Jenkins said DePape appeared surprised, De- Capitol Police, has said the
matter publicly and spoke “pulled the hammer away Pape said. The district attorney’s re- threat from lone-wolf at-
on condition of anonymity. from Mr. Pelosi and violently marks came as crass com- tackers has been growing
struck him in the top of his After Paul Pelosi told the mentary on the attack cir- and the most significant
Family described DePape head.” She said he had a intruder his wife was not culated on social media. threat the force is facing is
as estranged, and he was second hammer in his bag. home, he then asked De- Elon Musk over the week- the historically high number
known by some in San Pape how they could re- end tweeted, then deleted, of threats against lawmak-
Francisco as a pro-nudity DePape was arrested Fri- solve the situation, the a fringe website’s conspira- ers, thousands more than
activist who appeared to day on suspicion of at- complaint said. DePape cy theories to his millions of just a few years before.
embrace a range of con- tempted murder, elder explained he was tired, followers, as his purchase of
spiracy theories. DePape abuse and burglary in a and wanted to tie Pelosi Twitter has raised concerns The beating of the speak-
has lived for the past two gruesome attack that has up while they waited. At that the social media plat- er’s husband follows other
years in a garage at a resi- amplified the toxic political one point Paul Pelosi tried form would no longer seek attacks and threats. This
dence in Richmond, Cali- climate ahead of the Nov. to reach the elevator in to limit misinformation and summer, a man carrying
fornia, the complaint said. 8 midterm elections. the home, where there is hate speech. a gun, a knife and zip ties
a telephone, but DePape was arrested near Justice
The attack was an unset- Paul Pelosi remains hospi- blocked him. Pelosi later Trump’s son, Donald Trump Brett Kavanaugh’s house in
tling echo of the Jan. 6, talized in San Francisco af- asked to use the restroom Jr., was among those mak- Maryland after threatening
2021, insurrection at the ter undergoing surgery for and called 911. ing light of the attack on to kill the justice. In 2017, Re-
Capitol, when rioters try- a fractured skull and other Paul Pelosi, tweeting out publican Rep. Steve Scalise
ing to overturn Joe Biden’s injuries. Speaker Pelosi, who DePape told investigators crude jokes about it. was seriously injured when
election defeat of Donald was in Washington, D.C., at that he didn’t leave even a Bernie Sanders supporter
Trump stormed the halls ee- the time of the attack, re- though he knew Paul Pelosi In the heated political cli- opened fire on Republi-
rily calling “Where’s Nan- turned swiftly to California. had called 911 because mate, a week before the cans at a congressional
cy?” Some carried zip ties. Unlike presidents, congres- “much like the American midterm elections, tensions baseball game practice.q