Body-camera footage released of hammer attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband

Video released publicly Friday shows the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fighting for control of a hammer with his assailant during a brutal attack in the couple's San Francisco home last October.

The body-camera footage shows suspect David DePape wrest the tool from 82-year-old Paul Pelosi and lunge toward him the hammer over his head. The blow to Pelosi occurs out of view and the officers — one of them cursing — rush into the house and jump on DePape.

Pelosi, apparently unconscious, can be seen lying face down on the floor in his pyjama top and underwear. Officials later said he woke up in a pool of his own blood.

The release comes after a coalition of news agencies, including The Associated Press, sought access to the evidence that prosecutors played in open court last month. The San Francisco District Attorney's Office had refused to make the exhibits available to journalists.

A state court judge Wednesday ruled there was no reason to keep the video secret.

The evidence includes portions of Paul Pelosi's 911 call on Oct. 28, as well as video images from Capitol police surveillance cameras, a body camera worn by one of the two police officers who arrived at the house and video from suspect DePape's interview with police.

The Capitol Police video shows DePape walk up to a glass-panel door, leave and then return wearing a large backpack and carrying two other bags.

He set all the items down and pulled out a hammer, pausing to put on gloves, and used it to smash the door glass so he could step through an opening.

DePape has pleaded not guilty in ongoing state and federal cases. He is being held in jail without bail.

Members of Congress have faced a sharp rise in threats in the two years since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Paul Pelosi was asleep at the couple's home when DePape allegedly broke in. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time and under the protection of her security detail, which does not extend to family members.

Her husband of nearly 60 years later underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. He has since appeared in public wearing a hat and a glove that covered his wounds.

Nancy Pelosi on Thursday told reporters her husband's well-being was paramount and she did not know if she would view the video once it was released.

"I don't even know if I will see that," she said. "I mean, it would be a very hard thing to see an assault on my husband's life, but I don't know."

Police have said DePape told them there was "evil in Washington" and he wanted to harm Nancy Pelosi because she was second in line to the presidency at the time.

DePape told police he was on a "suicide mission," court documents say, and authorities have said he was drawn to conspiracy theories.