Paul Pelosi video shows moment of brutal hammer attack

SAN FRANCISCO - The body camera footage of the attack of Paul Pelosi in his San Francisco home was released on Friday – the first time the public has been able to witness the violent home invasion that left the former House Speaker's 82-year-old husband with a fractured skull.  

The graphic video shows the moment Pelosi was bludgeoned by alleged attacker David DePape, 42, on Oct. 28, 2022, at the Pelosi Pacific Heights home. 

The array of videos shows officers arriving at the home, the attack and the arrest of the suspect, and other scenes outside the home where DePape is seen casing and then entering the home of the House Speaker, although Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the attack. 

Police body-worn camera video begins with DePape, wearing cargo shorts and a jacket, opening the door of the Pelosi home for a San Francisco police officer. DePape has grabbed Pelosi's right hand under his arm. Pelosi appears confused. 

"Hey, how is it going?" DePape said to police. 

An officer responded, "What’s going on, man?"

"Everything’s good," DePape said.

Looking disoriented, Pelosi is standing next to him, wearing a blue button-down pajama shirt and black boxers. 

WARNING GRAPHIC: Video shows moment of Paul Pelosi attack

Even though a police officer is standing at the door, DePape takes a hammer in his right hand and whacks Pelosi, running away from the front door and into a hallway. Much of the bludgeoning is not seen on the camera. 

But an officer is heard saying, "Oh, shit." 

There is a struggle in the hallway. 

Both men are seen with their hands on the hammer at the same time, wrestling for control of it. 

The body camera video then shows DePape and Pelosi on the ground, as one officer yells: "Give me your f--ing hands. Give me your f---ing hands" and commands him to drop the hammer. 

After a short struggle, an officer places cuffs on DePape. His cargo shorts had been pulled down halfway during the arrest. 

Another set of videos released on Friday shows grainy black-and-white images of a man believed to be DePape, casing the Pelosis' back steps before breaking inside. 

The full release includes video from two San Francisco police officers Kolby Wilmes and Kyle Cagney, as well as surveillance video captured by Capitol police.

Nancy Pelosi spoke from Washington D.C. shortly after the video was releases, saying she has no intention of watching the footage.

"I have not heard the confession. I have not seen the break in and a I have absolutely no intention of seeing the deadly assault on my husband's life," she said.

Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy on Wednesday ordered that the video be released after news organizations pushed for it to be made public. 

Federal and state prosecutors have charged DePape with attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

DePape was motivated by his desire to take Nancy Pelosi as a hostage and interrogate her, police and prosecutors allege. 

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins had tried to keep the videos private, arguing that the release would trigger online conspiracies and not give DePape a fair trial. 

News organizations argued releasing the footage was in the public interest and would enable the media to debunk false information spreading on the internet about the attack.

Murphy sided with the media, declaring that there was no reason to keep the footage secret after it was aired by the prosecution at last month's hearing, Thomas Burke, an attorney representing news agencies in the matter, told The Associated Press. 

Her husband has recovered enough to leave the house and attend events, but his recovery has been slow-going.