Who Is David Depape? Suspect Charged in Paul Pelosi Attack

The San Francisco Police Department identified 42-year-old David Depape as the suspect who violently attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul on Friday morning.

During a press conference on Friday, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott announced that Depape will be booked into the San Francisco County Jail on charges including attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and "several other additional felonies."

The announcement of the suspect's identity and charges come shortly after Nancy Pelosi's office confirmed that her husband was "violently attacked" at their home in San Francisco.

"Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi. The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation. Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery. The Speaker was not in San Francisco at the time," Pelosi's spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement on Friday morning.

During the press conference, Scott explained that at around 2:27 a.m. local time on Friday, officers were called for a well-being check at Pelosi's home. When officers arrived at the residence, which is located in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, they encountered an adult male and Paul Pelosi inside the home.

"Our officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it," Scott said. "Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid."

According to Scott, both Pelosi and Depape were transported to a local hospital to be treated for their injuries.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also spoke during the press conference and applauded the officers and their "immediate response to this home and for swiftly making sure that Mr. Pelosi was ok and that the suspect was apprehended."

Pelosi, 82, sustained blunt force injuries to his head and body, according to the Associated Press, citing two anonymous sources with knowledge of the investigation. The AP also reported that the suspect was yelling "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?" before attacking her husband.

Depape is known by some to be "out of touch reality," according to CNN.

The network also spoke with some relatives of Depape who confirmed the contents of his Facebook page––which has since been deleted–– to include posts discussing widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, posts with misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, and a YouTube video titled "Global Elites Plan To Take Control Of YOUR Money! (Revealed)."

Shortly after the attack, several lawmakers expressed concerns to the House Speaker.

"What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act. I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on Twitter.

The White House also issued a statement saying, "The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family. This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected."

Update 10/28/22, 3:01 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include further context about Depape.