Nancy Pelosi, a US House of Representatives member, stated on Saturday that the savage attack on her husband at their California home had left her and her family “heartbroken and terrified.”
Early on Friday morning, a burglar stormed into the couple’s San Francisco home and hit Speaker Paul Pelosi with a hammer, breaking his skull.
Pelosi wrote about the event in a statement that was published on Twitter on Saturday night. “Our children, our grandkids, and I are horrified and terrified by the life-threatening attack on our Pop,” she said.
In her initial statement after the incident, she added, “We are grateful for the fast response of law police and emergency services and the life-saving medical care he is getting.
82-year-old Paul Pelosi underwent surgery and is recovering in the hospital — was at home alone as his wife was working in Washington.
His condition is still getting better, Pelosi said in the letter.
Just before 2:30 am (0930 GMT), San Francisco police said they discovered the attacker at the couple’s house, where he and Paul Pelosi were fighting over a hammer.
San Francisco police chief Bill Scott told reporters that Paul Pelosi was hit at least once, adding that the suspect “took the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and viciously beat him with it.”
David Depape, 42, was named as the attacker by police. According to Scott, Depape will face charges of attempted homicide, assault with a dangerous weapon, burglary, and other offenses.
Scott declared, “This was not a random act. This was done on purpose, and it is wrong.
Upon demanding to confront me, the suspect “brutally assaulted my husband Paul,” Pelosi — who is second in line to the presidency — said in Saturday’s letter.
According to family sources cited by US media, the burglar allegedly informed Paul Pelosi that he would tie up the speaker and wait for him to get home.
According to local media reports, where’s Nancy? She reportedly screamed during the attack less than two weeks before the midterm elections.
President Joe Biden added, “I don’t know for certain, but it appears like this (attack) was intended for Nancy” after casting his vote in his home state of Delaware on Saturday afternoon.
He criticized the attack and pointed out the increasingly divisive political language.
“You can’t condemn the violence unless you denounce those who maintain that the election was rigged and all the nonsense that’s been thrown out there to make that claim,” he said.
He said, “This discussion generates violence.
According to law enforcement officials who were quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the suspect broke in through a sliding glass door and had expressed radical right-wing views online.
Several Republicans also condemned the incident, including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, who was shot at a congressional baseball practice in 2017 and described being “disgusted” by Friday’s assault. Scalise had spoken out against the attack in the past.
