The man who allegedly attacked Paul Pelosi, the 82-year old husband of the Speaker of the House in what prosecutors say was a “near fatal” attempted murder and kidnapping plot, told police he was on a “suicide mission” and named several “prominent” politicians and their family members he wanted to target.
42-year old David DePape, who pleaded “not guilty” on Tuesday, “had a target list of state and local politicians as part of his effort to combat ‘lies’ coming out of Washington, D.C.,” The Washington Post reports.
He is facing state charges “including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary, false imprisonment and threatening the life of or serious bodily harm to a public official.” He is also facing federal charges.
Prosecutors did not make public which politicians were on his list, but did tell the judge that DePape should be held without bond given the “extreme public safety risk he poses.”
Court documents show Paul Pelosi tried to diffuse the situation when he called 911. DePape allegedly told him to tell the operator he was a friend of the family.
“But Pelosi told the dispatcher he did not know the man. When the 911 operator asked if Paul Pelosi was okay, he replied, ‘No, he wants me to get the hell off the phone.'”
Court documents also describe the details of the attack, including that after DePape allegedly hit Pelosi with the hammer on his head, “Mr. Pelosi remained unresponsive for three minutes, waking up in a pool of his own blood.”
Prosecutors said the attack was “near fatal.”
DePape also told police, “I am sick of the insane f—— level of lies coming out of Washington, D.C.. I came here to have a little chat with his wife.”
“I didn’t really want to hurt him, but you know this was a suicide mission. I am not going to stand here and do nothing even if it cost me my life … I will go through him if I have to,” DePape also allegedly said.
He told police he had planned to “hold Nancy hostage and talk to her,” referring to the Speaker of the House, who is also 82 years old.
DePape allegedly “named several targets, including a local professor, several prominent state and federal politicians and relatives of those state and federal politicians” he wanted to target.
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