By Carlos Barria

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A person wielding a hammer attacked the husband of U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi throughout a break-in on the couple’s San Francisco dwelling early on Friday, authorities mentioned , in an assault that raised fears of political violence earlier than November 11. 8 midterm elections.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to hospital for therapy and is anticipated to make a full restoration, Pelosi’s workplace mentioned. A number of media reported that he had undergone surgical procedure.

The person arrested on the scene, David Depape, 42, will probably be charged with tried murder, assault with a lethal weapon, elder abuse, housebreaking and several other different felony prices, the chief mentioned. of the San Francisco police, William Scott.

The Democratic speaker of the US Home of Representatives, who’s second within the constitutional succession to the US presidency, was in Washington along with her protecting element on the time of the assault, in keeping with US Capitol police.

Authorities had been nonetheless investigating the motive for the pre-dawn assault, which was noticed and damaged up by officers dispatched to Pelosi’s dwelling for a “precedence wellness verify”, Scott informed reporters.

The intruder shouted, “The place’s Nancy?” earlier than attacking her husband, CNN and The Washington Submit each reported, citing unnamed sources. CNN mentioned the assailant additionally informed police on the scene that he was “anticipating Nancy.”

Current posts on a number of web sites by a consumer named ‘daviddepape’ embody references to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, criticism of girls, ‘satanic pedophilia’, censorship by tech corporations and different far-right political themes . Older posts promote quartz crystals and hemp bracelets. Reuters couldn’t verify that the messages had been posted by the suspect.

It is unclear how the intruder obtained into the three-story crimson brick townhouse within the prosperous neighborhood of Pacific Heights. Aerial pictures confirmed shards of glass on a door in the back of the home. The streets across the residence had been closed on Friday morning.

ELECTION VIOLENCE WARNINGS

The assault occurred lower than two weeks earlier than midterm elections during which management of the US Home and Senate is at stake.

Scott mentioned police had been known as to the house at 2:27 a.m. Pacific time (0927 GMT), the place they encountered Depape and Paul Pelosi scuffling with a hammer, earlier than Depape pulled the hammer out and n assault Pelosi.

Officers tackled, disarmed and arrested Depape and took each males to hospital for therapy, Scott mentioned at a press briefing. He declined to reply questions and mentioned police would offer extra particulars later.

A number of retailers reported that Paul Pelosi was present process mind surgical procedure, whereas The Related Press reported that he was being handled for extreme bruising and swelling. Reuters was unable to substantiate these accounts.

President Joe Biden known as Pelosi to precise his help, in keeping with White Home spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

Home Republican Chief Kevin McCarthy additionally mentioned he contacted Pelosi, whereas Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell mentioned he was “horrified and disgusted” by the assault.

Capitol Police, tasked with defending Congress, mentioned they had been working with the FBI and San Francisco police on the investigation.

New York police warned on Thursday that extremists might goal politicians, political occasions and polling locations forward of the midterm elections.

Republicans campaigned on issues about violent crime, in addition to inflation and different quality-of-life points. San Francisco’s crime price in 2021 was 1.5 instances the nationwide common, in keeping with a number of crime-tracking web sites.

Because the Democratic chief in Washington and a longtime consultant of one in all America’s most liberal cities, Pelosi, 82, is a frequent goal of Republican criticism and is usually featured in assault advertisements.

Her workplace was ransacked in the course of the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by supporters of then-Republican President Donald Trump, a few of whom looked for her in the course of the assault.

In January 2021, his home was vandalized with graffiti saying “Cancel the lease” and “We would like all of it” painted on the home and a pig’s head left exterior the storage, in keeping with media experiences.

McConnell’s home was additionally vandalized round this time.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one in all two Republicans on the Jan. 6 Home panel, condemned the rise of inflammatory marketing campaign rhetoric defaming political opponents and selling lies about widespread voter fraud.

“Whenever you persuade those that politicians are rigging elections, consuming child blood, and so forth. you’ll get violence. This should be rejected,” he wrote on Twitter, calling on Republican candidates and elected officers to “specific themselves, and now”.

In a politically polarized local weather, threats in opposition to Republican and Democratic lawmakers have multiplied. Capitol Police mentioned they investigated 9,625 incidents in 2021, almost triple from 2017.

A gunman angered by Trump shot and injured 5 Republican members of Congress throughout a baseball apply in 2017, and Democrat Gabby Giffords was shot within the head throughout a public look in 2011.

Paul Pelosi, proprietor of a San Francisco-based actual property and enterprise capital agency, was convicted of a misdemeanor driving drunk after being concerned in a automobile crash in Could. He was sentenced to 5 days in jail in Napa County, California, however his sentence was compensated with group service and credit score given for time already served instantly after his arrest.