David Depape, Paul Pelosi Attack Suspect, Railed Against Censorship in Blog
Paul Pelosi #PaulPelosi
The man suspected of attacking Paul Pelosi on Friday morning wrote about government and tech company “censorship” and spread conspiracy theories in recent blog posts, according to media reports.
Police identified the suspect as 42-year-old David Depape and said officers found the man at Pelosi’s home assaulting Pelosi with a hammer.
“The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it….Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told the media Friday. Paul Pelosi is the husband of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Paul Pelosi Attack Suspect Charged With ‘Several’ Felonies: Police
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According to CBS News, Depape allegedly spread conspiracy theories about issues ranging from voter fraud and COVID-19 vaccines to climate change, as part of a blog that has since been taken down. The posts also included antisemitic content and hate speech, CBS reported.
According to The Sacramento Bee, a banner on the blog allegedly belonging to Depape read “Welcome to Big Brothers Censorship Hell,” and he wrote posts criticizing censorship in the media, government and tech sectors. Titles of the posts included “pedophile normalization” and “facts are racist,” according to the Bee.
CNN also reported Friday that Depape spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol on his Facebook page.
A woman who knew Depape in Berkeley, California, several years ago told CNN Friday that Depape sent her “really disturbing” emails. The woman, Linda Schneider, said the emails made it sound like he was “out of touch with reality” and included discussion of “biblical justification to do harm.”
Responding to the news of the attack on Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement saying that the attack is “another example of the dangerous consequences of the divisive and hateful rhetoric putting lives at risk and undermining our very democracy and democratic institutions.”
“Those who use their platforms to incite violence must be held to account,” the governor added.
In a statement on Friday, Drew Hammill, a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi, said that following the attack, Paul Pelosi was taken to a hospital, “where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery.”
“The speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” Hammill said.
Newsweek has reached out to the San Francisco Police Department for comment.
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