Authorities on Friday released police body camera footage showing Paul Pelosi being attacked in his home last October.
The clip shows Pelosi and alleged assailant David DePape holding onto a hammer. “Everything’s good,” DePape is heard telling the officers as both men appear to have possession of the hammer.
A police officer then tells DePape to “drop the hammer.” DePape then replies: “Umm, nope.”
A brief struggle ensued before DePape gained control of the hammer and appeared to hit Pelosi. Several officers then immediately rush to grab DePape and placed handcuffs on him as Pelosi remained on the ground.
The San Francisco Superior Court on Friday released the video and audio recorded during the incident after a court ruled the San Francisco District Attorney’s office must make the materials public.
Lawyers for DePape had argued against releasing the footage and audio, saying it would “irreparably damage” his right to a fair trial. The suspect has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges.
This week’s ruling came in response to a request by a coalition of media outlets who sought to gain access to the footage and other records. The outlets, including The Associated Press, filed a court motion in San Francisco earlier in January to get access to the evidence
That came after the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office on Dec. 14 introduced audio and video evidence against DePape but refused to make it public. At the time, it featured audio from a 911 call made by Pelosi, body camera footage from responding officers, an interview with DePape, and footage from Capitol Police surveillance cameras as evidence.
The hammer DePape allegedly used in the attack was also displayed in court, while surveillance video played in court showed what is alleged to be DePape swinging the hammer over a dozen times to break the glass before gaining entry into Pelosi’s home.
After DePape allegedly gained entry into the home, he awakened Paul Pelosi, who was in bed asleep, according to court documents. DePape then asked him where his wife, Nancy Pelosi, was. He replied he didn’t know Nancy Pelosi’s whereabouts so DePape said he’d wait, court documents show.
