Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is recovering from surgery after being attacked at home by a hammer-wielding intruder.
Mr Pelosi, 82, was left with a fractured skull and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. President Joe Biden saw the attack as political and called it “despicable”.
A 42-year-old man has been arrested on charges including attempted homicide. No motive is known. The suspect is said to have demanded to see Mrs Pelosi after breaking into the San Francisco home.
Mrs Pelosi, who was on the other side of the country in Washington DC at the time of the assault, flew back to see her husband in hospital.
A spokesman for the senior Democrat said Mr Pelosi had been attacked in the early hours of Friday morning “by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker”.
He was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for an operation and doctors expect a full recovery, said Mrs Pelosi’s spokesman, Drew Hammill. In a news conference, San Francisco Police Chief, William Scott, revealed that officers had responded to a call at around 02:27 local time (09:27 GMT) on Friday.
They found Mr Pelosi and the suspect named by police as David DePape, struggling over a hammer, but it was wrested from Mr Pelosi by the intruder, who violently assaulted him with it. Mr Pelosi was bludgeoned at least once, said police.
The suspect was tackled and disarmed by officers. He had attempted to tie up Mr Pelosi “until Nancy got home”, law enforcement indicated. He reportedly shouted “where’s Nancy?” during the incident.
Chief Scott has noted that the suspect is also facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and several other felonies. He said the suspect had gained access through a rear entryway to the four-bedroom Pelosi home in the upmarket neighbourhood of Pacific Heights. Footage shows a smashed glass door at the property.
Chief Scott stated that the alleged intruder was currently in hospital, though he declined to share details about his medical condition.
Nancy Pelosi’s home invaded by intruder
At the start of the break-in, Mr Pelosi told the intruder he needed to use the bathroom then made a secret 911 call on his mobile phone and left the line open, allowing a dispatcher to hear him talking to the suspect, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Chief Scott confirmed it was Mr Pelosi who had called police and that a quick-thinking emergency dispatcher had been “able to read between the lines” and send officers.
“This was not a random act. This was intentional. Everybody should be disgusted by what happened this morning.”
Chief Scott
Speaking at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, President Biden said political violence had “no place” in the US, and “enough is enough”.
“Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics.”
Joe Biden
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he was “horrified and disgusted” by the attack.
