OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Editor’s Note: An original version of this story stated that Paul Pelosi and his attacker were in their underwear when police showed up at his San Francisco residence. A fact check from USA Today determined that to be false. We have corrected our headlines and reporting to reflect accurate information.
The FBI expanded its investigation Friday into the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, that took place last week. Agents have visited a home that neighbors refer to as a “hippie collective” in Berkeley, Calif., according to reports.
“FBI visits Berkeley home tied to Pelosi beating suspect,” NBC Bay Area investigative reporter Jaxon Van Derbeken noted on Twitter Friday in a post that included a photo of the home. “The Victorian is dubbed a ‘hippie collective’ by neighbors.”
FBI visits Berkeley home tied to Pelosi beating suspect. The Victorian is dubbed a “hippie collective” by neighbors pic.twitter.com/jOhbVTvElx
— Jaxon Van Derbeken (@jvanderbeken) October 28, 2022
A sign in one of the windows says, “Berkeley Stands United Against Hate,” while another looks to be a handwritten “Black Lives Matter” sign. Across from the home, there appears to be an LGBTQ banner adorned with marijuana leaves resembling an American flag.
NBC reported that a man at the Berkeley home told the FBI that DePape had not lived there for a decade. The man also declined to speak further with the agents.
Pelosi said he had to use the bathroom and when he did he called 911 and left the line on so the dispatcher could hear him talking to the attacker.
At a press conference Friday, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott praised Grimes’ quick thinking.
“She had to interpret what she was being told,” the police chief said. “And based on her experience and intuition, she basically figured out that there was something more to this incident than what she was being told. Her actions, in my opinion, resulted in both a higher-priority dispatch and a faster police response.”
When police arrived they found Pelosi and DePape each with a hand on the hammer but DePape immediately took the hammer from him and started attacking him with it as police tackled him.
“It was thanks to Mr. Pelosi having the ability to make that call” and the “instincts of that dispatcher to realize something was wrong” that police were able to get to the scene quickly, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said to CNN. “They got there within two minutes to respond to this situation.”
In a press conference later Friday, Scott said officers were dispatched to the home around 2:27 a.m. and, upon arrival, found DePape struggling with Paul Pelosi over a hammer.
“Officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” he noted, adding that his officers tackled the suspect immediately and disarmed him.
“Earlier this morning, Paul Pelosi was attacked at home by an assailant who acted with force and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker,” Hammill said following the attack. “Mr. Pelosi was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. His doctors expect a full recovery.”
“The Speaker and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from friends, constituents, and people around the country. The Pelosi family is immensely grateful to Mr. Pelosi’s entire medical team and the law enforcement officers who responded to the assault. The family appreciates respect for their privacy during this time,” Hammill added.
