Â鶹´«Ã½

World

    • Canadian man who attacked Pelosi's husband convicted of federal assault and attempted kidnapping charges

    This image from video from police body-worn camera footage, released by the San Francisco Police Department, shows Paul Pelosi, right, fighting for control of a hammer with his assailant, David DePape, during a attack at Pelosi's home in San Francisco on Oct. 28, 2022. (San Francisco Police Department via AP) This image from video from police body-worn camera footage, released by the San Francisco Police Department, shows Paul Pelosi, right, fighting for control of a hammer with his assailant, David DePape, during a attack at Pelosi's home in San Francisco on Oct. 28, 2022. (San Francisco Police Department via AP)
    Share
    SAN FRANCISCO -

    A jury on Thursday convicted the Canadian man who broke into former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home last year of federal charges for seeking to hold her hostage and attacking her husband with a hammer.

    Jurors deliberated for about eight hours before finding David DePape guilty of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. DePape, who faces up to 50 years in prison, did not react as the verdict was read.

    The attack on then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi that was captured on police body camera video just days before the midterm elections sent shockwaves through the political world.

    DePape, 43, admitted during trial testimony that he broke into the Pelosis' home on Oct. 28, 2022, intending to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage and "break her kneecaps" if she lied to him. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after San Francisco police officers showed up at the home, saying his plan to end what he viewed as government corruption was unraveling.

    Defense attorneys argued that DePape was motivated by his political beliefs, not because he wanted to interfere with Nancy Pelosi's official duties as a member of Congress, making the charges against him invalid. One of his attorneys, Angela Chuang, told jurors during closing arguments Wednesday that DePape was caught up in conspiracies.

    At a news conference outside the federal courthouse where the verdict was read, U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey told reporters: "People can believe what they want and engage in passionate debate. But this guilty verdict on all counts sends a clear message that regardless of what your beliefs are, what you cannot do is physically attack a member of Congress or their immediate family for the performance of their job."

    Defense attorneys did not comment on the verdict.

    A sentencing date has not yet been set. A status hearing is scheduled for Dec. 13.

    DePape, a Canadian citizen who moved to the U.S. more than 20 years ago, also is charged in state court with assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies. A state trial date will be set during a Nov. 29 hearing, said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. She said her office will confer with federal prosecutors and the Pelosis to determine next steps.

    During his testimony, DePape echoed right-wing conspiracy theories and told jurors he had planned to wear an inflatable unicorn costume and record his interrogation of Nancy Pelosi to upload it online. Prosecutors say he had rope and zip ties with him. Detectives also found body cameras, a computer and a tablet.

    DePape testified that his plan was to get Nancy Pelosi to admit that she had been lying to the American people. "If she lied, I would break her kneecaps," he said. "The choice is on her."

    He said he would then move to other targets, including a women's and queer studies professor who testified at the trial, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, actor Tom Hanks and President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden.

    Paul Pelosi also testified, recalling how he was awakened by a large man bursting into the bedroom door and asking, "Where's Nancy?" He said that when he responded that his wife was in Washington, DePape said he would tie him up while they waited for her.

    "It was a tremendous sense of shock to recognize that somebody had broken into the house and looking at him and looking at the hammer and the ties, I recognized that I was in serious danger, so I tried to stay as calm as possible," Pelosi told jurors.

    Pelosi recounted how he managed to call 911 with DePape looking on, urging Pelosi to tell police that he was a friend. Pelosi said he tried to tell police what was happening without aggravating DePape.

    Pelosi recalled being thankful when the police arrived, only for DePape to then hit him with the hammer. He said he woke up in a pool of his own blood.

    More than a year after the attack, he still hasn't fully recovered, Pelosi said. A neurosurgeon who operated on him testified that Pelosi had two wounds on his head, including a fracture to his skull that had to be mended with plates and screws he will have for the rest of his life. Pelosi also needed stitches on injuries to his right arm and hand, the surgeon said.

    A spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi issued a statement after the verdict was announced saying Paul Pelosi "continues to make progress in his recovery" and that the family was grateful for the outpouring of support for him from people across the U.S..

    DePape testified he thought Paul Pelosi was dead until he saw he was charged by San Francisco prosecutors with attempted murder.

    "He was never my target and I'm sorry that he got hurt," DePape said.

    He told jurors he believed news outlets repeatedly lied about former President Donald Trump. In rants posted on a blog and online forum that were taken down after his arrest, DePape echoed the baseless, right-wing QAnon conspiracy theory that claims the U.S. government is run by a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles. He repeated QAnon-like conspiracies during his testimony, referring to a cabal and the ruling elite and saying they are eroding Americans' liberty and allowing the abuse of children.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.

    An Air Canada flight headed to Toronto from Frankfurt diverted to Edinburgh due to an emergency Thursday, the airline says.

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    Canadian singer K’naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.

    WATCH LIVE

    WATCH LIVE Helene's winds batter Florida as Category 3 storm races toward the coast

    Tropical storm force winds began battering Florida on Thursday as Hurricane Helene prepared to make landfall, with forecasters warning that the enormous storm could create a "nightmare" surge along the coast and churn up damaging winds hundreds of miles inland across much of the southeastern U.S.

    An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.

    Vancouver police blocked traffic and the SkyTrain's Millennium Line suspended service to VCC-Clark Station due to an "unstable crane" in the area Thursday.

    Canada

    • A psychiatric report has found a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting six women east of Calgary is fit to stand trial but his lawyer wants the court to order another hearing before the long-delayed matter resumes.

    • Vancouver police blocked traffic and the SkyTrain's Millennium Line suspended service to VCC-Clark Station due to an "unstable crane" in the area Thursday.

    • Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.

    • A lawyer defending a 14-year-old accused of setting a classmate on fire says 'voices told her to do things' prior to a fiery attack which severely injured a classmate and a teacher at Evan Hardy Collegiate earlier this month.

    • The driver of a semi was injured and 22 cattle died following a rollover on Highway 39 near Midale, Sask. on Sept. 21.

    • No damage was reported after an earthquake shook parts of Vancouver Island and British Columbia's Lower Mainland on Thursday morning.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Canadian singer K’naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Willie Jefferson doesn't like to look too far ahead, but there is something he'd like to see happen after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Edmonton Elks on Friday. A victory by the Blue Bombers (8-6) in front of a third straight sellout at Princess Auto Stadium would clinch a playoff spot for the eighth consecutive season, one in which the team started 0-4.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

    Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

    A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

    An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

    Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

    An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

    Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

    Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    • Vancouver police blocked traffic and the SkyTrain's Millennium Line suspended service to VCC-Clark Station due to an "unstable crane" in the area Thursday.

    • Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.

    • British Columbia NDP leader David Eby was upstaged by a wasp that flew down his shirt and stung him during a news conference.

    • A new, temporary, stadium-sized seasonal concert venue is coming to Toronto's north end, with the capacity to host 50,000 people at one time. Rogers Stadium will open in June 2025 at the site of the former Downsview Airport Lands, Live Nation announced Thursday.

    • Standardized testing results released today show that fewer Ontario students in Grades 3 and 6 met the provincial standard in reading and writing than the previous year.

    • An Air Canada flight headed to Toronto from Frankfurt diverted to Edinburgh due to an emergency Thursday, the airline says.

    • A psychiatric report has found a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting six women east of Calgary is fit to stand trial but his lawyer wants the court to order another hearing before the long-delayed matter resumes.

    • A number of families whose children attended Little Scholars childcare centers in Calgary are frustrated they haven’t received a refund after the programs were unexpectedly shut down due to safety concerns in August.

    • The two men arrested after a deadly roadside shooting near Calgary last month will be tried together.

    • Police in Gatineau, Que. are investigating the third homicide of the year in the city. A 35-year-old man has been identified as the victim following an apparent assault.

    • Former Ottawa resident Judy Brown is among many in Tallahassee, Florida bracing for Hurricane Helene as it barrels towards the state.

    • A major redevelopment project on Parliament Hill that includes eventually building a tunnel in the area of Wellington and Sparks streets is scheduled to start this October, according to the City of Ottawa.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Canadian singer K’naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.

    • The Montreal fire department spent hours Monday battling a battery fire inside a container at the Port of Montreal.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Quebec provincial police have made an arrest in the case of a missing woman from southern Quebec.

    • A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

    • Bradley Pierson, founder of Trouvay, helps Canadian police solve cold cases by matching crime scene DNA samples with volunteers’ DNA in databases. He sat down on CTV Morning Live to explain how genetic genealogy works, from finding birth parents to solving crimes.

    • The two men arrested after a deadly roadside shooting near Calgary last month will be tried together.

    • A third person has been arrested and charged in connection with the homicide of Halifax teen Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared more than two years ago.

    • The mayor of a Nova Scotia town says recent disruptions to the ferry service that links Nova Scotia with eastern Prince Edward Island are posing a real challenge for the town's tourism industry.

    • New Brunswick's Progressive Conservatives announced a financial literacy program Thursday, while Liberal Leader Susan Holt vowed to "transform mental health care," and Green Leader David Coon unveiled an affordable housing plan.

    • An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.

    • The Manitoba NDP government says it is more than halfway toward its goal of hiring 1,000 health-care workers since taking office nearly a year ago.

    • The Town of Winnipeg Beach is without a leader after its mayor resigned Wednesday evening.

    • The driver of a semi was injured and 22 cattle died following a rollover on Highway 39 near Midale, Sask. on Sept. 21.

    • EXCLUSIVE

      EXCLUSIVE

      As Saskatchewan awaits the election call, how are voters feeling about the leaders of Saskatchewan’s two major parties? Â鶹´«Ã½ sought to find out, in partnership with Insightrix Research.

    • After a lengthy meeting Wednesday night, Regina city council has landed on a location for a permanent emergency shelter.

    • Advocates are demanding an apology after a staff report regarding the destruction of corn crops in Wilmot Township was found to be lacking in detail.

    • Guelph police say an elderly woman has died after she was struck by a vehicle Thursday afternoon on Eramosa Road.

    • A man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after the 2022 death of a Cambridge resident.

    • A lawyer defending a 14-year-old accused of setting a classmate on fire says 'voices told her to do things' prior to a fiery attack which severely injured a classmate and a teacher at Evan Hardy Collegiate earlier this month.

    • EXCLUSIVE

      EXCLUSIVE

      As Saskatchewan awaits the election call, how are voters feeling about the leaders of Saskatchewan’s two major parties? Â鶹´«Ã½ sought to find out, in partnership with Insightrix Research.

    • In a human trafficking trial Tuesday, a Bangladeshi woman says she was sexually assaulted nearly two years ago during her time working at a small-town Saskatchewan restaurant.

    • A northern Ontario man was in the bush hunting for partridge with his fiancé when he came across a big bull moose entangled in some hydro lines in his antlers.

    • A pedestrian is dead following a collision with a commercial motor vehicle on Highway 17 west of Thunder Bay on Thursday morning.

    • Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's defence lawyer continued her cross-examination of the complainant in his sexual assault trial in a northeastern Ontario court today, where he has pleaded not guilty.

    • Jonathan Halfyard lived with his mother Carolyn Carter, 69, in west London. But things took a deadly turn on April 20 of last year when she called police to have her youngest child removed from the house.

    • Some London renters say a new policy by their landlord to charge visitors for parking amounts to a corporate cash grab.

    • Officials in Grand Bend are trying to avoid car rally chaos, similar to what was seen in London on Saturday evening.

    • Residents living near Sunnidale Park in Barrie are calling for immediate action to address a growing coyote problem in their neighbourhood.

    • Provincial police say a second complainant has come forward with new allegations against a former aquatic supervisor in Orillia in a child luring and sexual exploitation case.

    • Two people were hospitalized following a collision in Angus Thursday morning.

    • As Windsor’s ward meetings roll on, residents on the east end say they’re tired of hearing about crime concerns downtown, pointing out they have problems too.

    • As respiratory illness season nears, local pharmacists are reminding people in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent to stay safe and prevent unnecessary visits to the hospital by staying up to date on vaccinations.

    • The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has arrested a “wanted fugitiveâ€, wanted on multiple warrants in Ontario.

    • British Columbia NDP leader David Eby was upstaged by a wasp that flew down his shirt and stung him during a news conference.

    • Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.

    • No damage was reported after an earthquake shook parts of Vancouver Island and British Columbia's Lower Mainland on Thursday morning.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Cardston, Alta., woman is $1 million richer after a Lotto Max draw in early August.

    • Alberta's Chief Mountain border crossing will soon close for the season.

    • It's been a decade since the signing of the Buffalo Treaty helped promote buffalo conservation among Indigenous communities in southern Alberta.

    • A northern Ontario man was in the bush hunting for partridge with his fiancé when he came across a big bull moose entangled in some hydro lines in his antlers.

    • A pedestrian is dead following a collision with a commercial motor vehicle on Highway 17 west of Thunder Bay on Thursday morning.

    • Every other day, Derek Moonias drives 15 minutes to the airport in Neskantaga First Nation and fills his pickup truck with cases of bottled water flown in on the dime of the federal government.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½