Moments later – after being requested to drop the weapon – DePape abruptly struck Mr Pelosi earlier than being wrestled to the bottom by officers. All the incident was caught on physique cameras worn by the officers.
Along with a fractured cranium, Mr Pelosi suffered accidents to his arm and hand. He was struck thrice throughout the assault.
In a letter filed forward of the sentencing, Mrs Pelosi known as on the court docket at hand down a “very lengthy” sentence for DePape, including that she and her husband have by no means been capable of talk about the incident.
“Paul and I’ve not mentioned the occasions of that horrible evening,” she wrote. “Paul would not wish to endure revisiting it, and the docs’ recommendation is that discussing the vicious assault would solely renew his trauma.”
Through the trial, Mr Pelosi testified that DePape mentioned his plan was to “take out” Mrs Pelosi, whom he known as the “chief of the pack”.
“It was an amazing shock, taking a look at him, trying on the hammer and the ties,” Mr Pelosi recalled. “I recognised I used to be in critical hazard. I attempted to remain as calm as doable.”
After the assault, Mr Pelosi mentioned his subsequent reminiscence was waking as much as a “pool of blood” and being rushed to the hospital.
In his personal letter to the court docket earlier than the sentencing, Mr Pelosi mentioned he’s nonetheless grapping with the consequences of the assault.
“I stroll slowly and have problem with my steadiness. Practically day by day I get complications that change into migraines until shortly addressed,” he wrote. “I have to sleep throughout the day and can’t tolerate shiny lights or loud noises for prolonged durations of time.”
DePape’s court-appointed lawyer, Jodi Linker, argued that her consumer was motivated by right-wing conspiracy theories, which the defendant believed “with each ounce of his being”.
Prosecutors, nevertheless, argued that DePape had a “plan of violence”, noting that he instructed investigators he had a “goal record” and plan to interrupt Mrs Pelosi’s kneecaps if she didn’t reveal “the reality”. On the time of his arrest, DePape had zip ties and duct tape.
Along with the federal costs, DePape is going through separate state costs stemming from the assault. They embrace housebreaking, assault with a lethal weapon, elder abuse, and tried homicide.
He faces life imprisonment if convicted of these costs. He has pleaded not responsible.
