Man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband gets life in prison

David DePape, the individual who broke into Nancy Pelosi's home two years ago and violently assaulted her husband with a hammer, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on October 29.

The sentencing, delivered by a San Francisco judge in state court, concludes the legal proceedings against DePape, whose attack just days before the 2022 midterm elections heightened concerns about political violence and highlighted the toxic state of political discourse in a divided nation, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

Prior to the attack, DePape, 44, had immersed himself in extremist online communities and embraced conspiracy theories, including Pizzagate and QAnon.

DePape is already serving a 30-year federal prison sentence after being convicted last year of attempted kidnapping of a federal officer and assault on a family member of a federal official. In June, he was found guilty of multiple charges in state court, including aggravated kidnapping and first-degree burglary. His state sentence will run concurrently with his federal one, and he will be incarcerated in a state prison, as confirmed by the San Francisco district attorney's office.

"We cannot allow political violence to become normalized, and we must take swift action to ensure that serious consequences await those who use violence to intimidate or silence our elected officials," stated Brooke Jenkins, San Francisco's district attorney, following the sentencing.

During the sentencing hearing, DePape delivered a lengthy, disjointed statement lasting over 45 minutes, where he promoted various conspiracy theories, including those related to September 11, and spoke of “evil murder magic rituals” in the U.S., according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

The incident occurred early in the morning on October 28, 2022, when DePape entered the Pelosi residence with a hammer and repeatedly demanded to know, "Where’s Nancy?" Although Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., DePape found her husband, Paul Pelosi, then 82, asleep in their bedroom.

When police arrived, they discovered Mr. Pelosi and DePape grappling over the hammer. At that moment, DePape gained control of the weapon and struck Mr. Pelosi, who fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Mr. Pelosi underwent surgery for two skull fractures, and during the trials, he testified about the ongoing effects of his injuries.

In a statement released by Nancy Pelosi's office, the family expressed that they think about the assault and its aftermath daily, as well as the potential for future violence. “Today’s sentence of life without parole provides our Pop with a measure of legal justice and, we hope, sends a message that political violence against elected officials or their families will not be tolerated, minimized, or condoned. We all have a role to play in fostering a peaceful democracy,” they stated.

By Tamilla Hasanova