Accused Pelosi Attacker’s Other Targets Allegedly Included Tom Hanks

The seemingly mild-mannered carpenter accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in his San Francisco home earlier this year allegedly had plans to also target Hunter Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and—bizarrely—actor Tom Hanks.

In a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, San Francisco Police Department Lt. Carla Hurley testified that David DePape, 42, appeared lucid as he explained in an interview with police that he wanted to travel to Los Angeles to confront the president’s son at his mansion, which is guarded by Secret Service agents.

Adam Lipson, the public defender assigned to DePape’s case, asked Hurley if DePape had intended to kidnap Biden to discuss “all of the corruption” in Washington, D.C. According to KRON-TV, Hurley said that he had.

Paul Pelosi was discharged from a San Francisco hospital six days after the hammer attack, which left him with a skull fracture and other injuries. DePape is accused of breaking into a rear entrance of the couple’s home in the early hours of Oct. 28, before confronting a sleeping Paul Pelosi in his bedroom, and demanding to know where his wife was.

Pelosi told investigators that DePape had told him, “Everybody [in D.C.] is crazy and corrupt and we need to take them out,” a reporter in the courtroom tweeted Wednesday.

In a police interrogation tape played in court, DePape could be heard telling Hurley, “I told [Pelosi], I have other targets. I can’t be stopped right now. If I have to go through him, I will.”

DePape also told police at the scene he was on a “suicide mission,” according to a November court filing that noted, but did not name, the 42-year-old’s other targets. “I’m sick of the insane fucking level of lies coming out of Washington, D.C. ...” he added. “I’m not going to stand here and do nothing, even if it cost me my life.”

Prosecutors also played audio from Pelosi’s 911 call on Wednesday, as well as a 15-second clip from the body camera of the first San Francisco police officer to arrive on the scene. In the call, Pelosi can be heard saying, “There’s a gentleman here waiting for my wife to come back, Nancy Pelosi. I don’t know who he is…”

A moment later, according to Fox News, another voice comes in on the call: “My name’s David.”

Those in the courtroom gallery could only hear the audio of the body-cam footage because the TV was facing towards Judge Stephen Murder, according to KRON-TV. However, it reportedly showed the officer opening the door; DePape striking Pelosi repeatedly with a hammer; then DePape being tackled and arrested.

An officer in the recording could be heard initially saying, “Good morning, what’s going on, man?” to which DePape responded, “Everything’s good.”

The officer then said, “Drop the hammer!” before DePape said, “Uh, nope” followed by the sounds of a struggle. An officer could be heard shouting, “Whoa! Oh, shit!” and tackling the suspect.

“This whole thing happened in a matter of seconds?” Assistant District Attorney Sean Connolly asked Kyle Cagney, the San Francisco police officer who had recorded the body camera footage.

“Yes,” replied Cagney, who at another point produced the hammer allegedly used in the attack from an evidence bag, wielding it to demonstrate DePape’s blow to Pelosi’s head, the New York Post reported.

While investigating the scene after the attack, detectives discovered that, in addition to the hammer, DePape had been carrying zip ties, which he allegedly admitted were for the purposes of taking Nancy Pelosi hostage.

Decked out in an orange prison jumpsuit, DePape was present for the San Francisco Superior Court hearing on Wednesday. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, and threats to a public official and their family.

If he goes to trial and is convicted, DePape could face 13 years to life behind bars.

Separately, he has pleaded not guilty to two federal charges in connection with the case: attempted kidnapping and assault with intent to retaliate against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member. Those charges carry a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.

Murphy, who is weighing whether there is enough evidence to move forward with a state trial, is expected to reach a decision on the matter in the near future.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.