Video and audio in Paul Pelosi attack case will be released Friday
By Kevin Flower and Jack Forrest, CNN
Video and audio recorded last year during the attack on Paul Pelosi in the San Francisco home he shares with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be released on Friday, according to the San Francisco Superior Court.
The released material will include 911 audio calls, police body camera footage and home surveillance video, as well as other investigative material, the court said in a news release.
The California court ruled Wednesday that the district attorney’s office must make the materials public, along with audio from police interviews with David DePape, the alleged attacker.
The decision came following a motion by a coalition of news organizations, including CNN, seeking the release of the material on arguments that the circumstances involving the residence of the then-speaker of the House demanded transparency.
DePape has pleaded not guilty to a litany of state and federal crimes, including assault and attempted murder. His lawyers argued against the public release of the audio and footage, writing it would “irreparably damage” his right to a fair trial.
Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday that she has not seen the video and does not know if she will.
“I don’t have anything to do with the legalities of this. I respect the system. My concern is my husband’s … my husband’s well-being and we take that day to day,” she said. “We’re really grateful to the outpouring of prayers and support for him and that is what our focus is. The justice system, we have confidence in, and whatever that is, it is.”
Paul Pelosi was violently attacked in October with a hammer at the couple’s home by a male assailant who was searching for the House speaker, according to court documents — a development that ultimately drove the then-speaker’s decision to leave House Democratic leadership.
Pelosi underwent surgery “to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands” following the incident, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. The California Democratic congresswoman told reporters Thursday that her husband continues to recover.
“It’s one day at a time. He’s made some progress but it’ll be about at least three more months, I think, until he’ll be back to normal, but the prayers are very helpful,” she said.
Court documents revealed DePape allegedly woke Paul Pelosi shortly after 2 a.m., carrying a large hammer and several white zip ties, and demanded: “Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?” He then threatened to tie up Paul Pelosi and prevented him from escaping via elevator, according to the documents. DePape later allegedly told him, “I can take you out.”
Pelosi placed a 911 call during the attack after convincing the assailant to let him go to the bathroom, where his phone was charging, and he spoke cryptically to police. CNN previously reported that police body cam footage from the incident is expected to show what officers saw when Paul Pelosi opened the door and his assailant attacked him with a hammer, fracturing his skull.
A limited number of Pelosi family members met with authorities in November to listen to the call and to view the footage, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room” at the time, confirming details first reported by CNN.
“I don’t even know if I will see it. It would be a very hard thing to see an assault on my husband’s life. But I don’t know,” Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.
This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.
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CNN’s Taylor Romine and Jessica Dean contributed to this report.
