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The man accused of striking the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hammer told police he wanted to take the speaker hostage and “break her kneecap,” federal prosecutors said.
Authorities said on Monday that David DePape wanted to show the “consequences of his actions” to other MPs.
In a federal complaint, officials said the 42-year-old man broke into the couple’s San Francisco home Friday morning with zippers and tape on his back, then went upstairs where 82-year-old Paul Pelosi was sleeping, And asked to speak to “Nancy”.
When Mr Pelosi told the intruder she was not there, DePape said he would wait – even after being told she would not be home for a few days, it said.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced the charges against DePape, including attempted murder, at a news conference Monday night, “that the house and the speaker himself were specific targets.”
“It was politically motivated,” Ms Jenkins said. She implored the public to “heed what we say and lower the volume of our political discourse”.
Investigators believe DePape has been researching ahead of time to target Pelosi, Ms. Jenkins said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“It’s not something he does on a whim,” she said.
In a statement late Monday, Speaker Pelosi said her family was “extremely grateful” for “thousands of messages of concern, prayers and warm wishes.” Her husband, who underwent surgery for a fractured skull and other injuries following the attack, said he was making “steady progress through a long recovery process”.
The stark narrative presented by state and federal prosecutors stands in stark contrast to the sarcastic jokes and conspiracy theories spread by far-right figures and even some leading Republicans in the week leading up to the midterm elections. A record number of security threats have been reported targeting politicians and election officials.
During a campaign event in Arizona on Monday, Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake drew roars of laughter when he joked about the safety of Pelosi’s home.
In addition to the state charges, DePaup was charged in federal court Monday with influencing, obstructing or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or harming a family member. He also faces one count of attempting to kidnap a U.S. official on official business.
There are no lawyers listed for DePape. He is scheduled to be arraigned on state charges on Tuesday, and prosecutors will ask him to be held in jail without bail.
According to the eight-page complaint, DePape told investigators that he wanted to speak to Speaker Pelosi and viewed her as “the leader of the Democrats who lied.”
“If she told DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘ly lied,’ he would break her kneecap,” the complaint states.
“By breaking Nancy’s kneecap, she would have to be pushed into Congress, which would show other MPs that action would have consequences,” DePape told investigators.
The federal complaint alleges that DePape said he wanted to “use Nancy to lure” another person, but did not provide details of such a scheme.
Ms Jenkins said after DePape confronted Mr Pelosi in the bedroom, Mr Pelosi tried to go to the home’s elevator to answer the phone, but DePape blocked his way. Mr. Pelosi then told the attacker in his pajamas that he had to use the bathroom so he could pick up his phone and call 911, according to authorities.
Ms Jenkins said when police arrived they saw two men struggling with a hammer before DePape attacked Mr Pelosi at least once before being subdued by officers.
The affidavit said DePape told investigators that he did not leave even though he knew Mr Pelosi had called 911 because “just like the American Founding Fathers did with the British, he was fighting tyranny and had no option to surrender. “.
DePape, a Canadian citizen who entered the U.S. legally in 2000, remained in the U.S. long after his visa expired, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity.
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