Fact check: Pelosi and DePape struggle involved one hammer, not a 'hammer fight,' police say
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The claim: Pelosi break-in involved a ‘hammer fight’
Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked Oct. 28 by a man who allegedly broke into the couple's residence brandishing a hammer. Some social media users, though, claim the incident was actually a "hammer fight" between Paul Pelosi and his alleged assailant, 42-year-old David DePape.
"Remember ... if two guys in their underwear get into a hammer fight at 2am – it's Trump's fault," reads a screenshot of a tweet in an Oct. 29 Facebook post shared more than 400 times in four days.
The original tweet accumulated more than 13,000 retweets in four days.
But the claim is false.
USA TODAY previously debunked the claim that Pelosi and DePape were in their underwear when police showed up. The "hammer fight" element of the post is also incorrect.
DePape and Pelosi each had a hand on the same hammer when police arrived, but DePape got control of the hammer and "violently assaulted" Pelosi with it, the San Francisco Police Department said in an Oct. 29 statement.
The criminal complaint filed Oct. 28 says DePape assaulted Pelosi with "DePape's own hammer." DePape has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the post for comment.
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Pelosi and DePape were struggling over a hammer when police arrived
When police arrived at the Pelosi residence shortly after 2:30 a.m., Pelosi and DePape were "both holding a hammer with one hand and DePape had his other hand holding onto Pelosi's forearm," according to the criminal complaint.
"Officers then asked Pelosi and DePape to drop the hammer," the complaint says. "DePape pulled the hammer from Pelosi's hand and swung the hammer, striking Pelosi in the head."
That's when police went inside and restrained DePape, who has since pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in connection with the incident.
In an interview with police, Pelosi said DePape had a hammer with him during the incident and that the hammer "did not belong to the Pelosi family," the complaint says.
In his own interview with police, DePape said he used a hammer to break through a glass door and get inside the residence, and he also described the struggle over the hammer that ended when he struck Pelosi, the complaint says.
Other posts claim attack involved dogs, fenced-in property
In similar posts, social media users made the "hammer fight" claim alongside assertions that the attacker would have had to get over a security fence and past multiple guard dogs in order to reach the home.
There is no mention of guard dogs in the criminal complaint or in any of the statements released by police.
Images of the Pelosi residence taken after the incident do not show a fence around the property.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that the Pelosi break-in involved a "hammer fight." DePape and Pelosi each had a hand on the same hammer when police arrived, and DePape gained control of it and struck Pelosi before police intervened, according to police and prosecutors.
Our fact-check sources:
USA TODAY, Oct. 31, What we know about attack on Paul Pelosi, federal charges against David DePape
USA TODAY, Oct. 28, Who is David DePape? What we know about the suspect who attacked Paul Pelosi
USA TODAY, Nov. 2, Fact check: Paul Pelosi and alleged attacker were both clothed when police arrived
San Francisco Police Department, Oct. 29, San Francisco Police Arrest Suspect in Violent Assault at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Residence 22-153
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oct. 28, Criminal Complaint
USA TODAY, Nov. 1, Alleged Paul Pelosi attacker pleads not guilty at court appearance; will remain jailed
USA TODAY, Oct. 29, FBI and San Francisco Police respond on scene after Paul Pelosi violently attacked at home
U.S. Department of Justice, Oct. 31, Man Charged with Assault and Attempted Kidnapping Following Breaking and Entering of Pelosi Residence
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Pelosi, attacker struggled over hammer as police arrived
