Neighbors and San Franciscans who frequent Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Pacific Heights neighborhood have spoken out after her husband Paul Pelosi was attacked.
San Francisco police said that at approximately 2:27 a.m. on Friday morning, officers responded to the 2600 block of Broadway in the Pacific Heights neighborhood for a welfare check.
The suspect was taken into custody and was named as 42-year-old David Depape, a Berkeley resident.
Mr. Pelosi and Depape were observed by SFPD officers in the home, both holding one hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and immediately assaulted him with it; officers then tackled the suspect, SFPD Chief Bill Scott told a press conference.
Mr. Pelosi is in hospital for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery, according to Drew Hammill, spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi.
'I was like, 'Oh my God!''
Melissa Graham lives in the Marina and walks through Pacific Heights regularly.
"I was like, 'Oh my God!' It's devastating that someone in political power isn't safe in their own house," she said. "It's heartbreaking and scary."
Graham said when she heard about the attack, she was immediately concerned about the safety of the speaker.
Carolyn Bell, who lives a few blocks from the Pelosi residence, says she heard about the attack this morning.
"It's just sad for him. Terrifying. Must have been a horrible experience," she said. "It's not great that someone could sneak in in the middle of the night and do that. It's terrifying that we're in that state where individuals are taking it upon themselves to carry out politically motivated attacks," she added.
Another neighbor, Paige Pietrofesa, saw the police tape and looked up what was happening in the news on her phone. “Is this a movie shooting or a crime scene? Because I guess you never know in California," she said. “I feel bad for Mr. Pelosi. It’s hard to defend yourself at that age."