Happens almost every time in high profile politicized criminal cases — the media immediately report facts that turn out to be wrong, and fear of political pressure causes the police not to release evidence that further clouds what happened. Meanwhile, the political spin, almost invariably against the political opponents of Democrats, goes into overdrive.
I covered this phenomenon, with numerous examples we have covered at Legal Insurrection, in my initial post about the incident currently dominating Democrat (including Joe Biden) attacks on Republicans and “mega MAGA”, Paul Pelosi Attack – Follow The Evidence, Not The Media Spin.
Initial media reports said Pelosi and the alleged attacker, David DePape, were accompanied by a third person who opened the door for police. Then the reports changed, including in the FBI affidavit supporting federal charges.
It turns out there apparently was video surveillance of the home by the Capitol Police, but they weren’t watching, that shows DePape breaking in. That tape would put to rest a lot of claims that DePape was invited into the house. Why not release it?
Why not release the police bodycam video? That is routinely done in police shootings to calm public opinion, or at least to get the facts of what happened with evidence. While the Pelosi attack was not a police use of force, it was possibly a police failure to use force fast enough, allowing DePape to hit Pelosi on the head with a hammer. It’s in the public interest for the public to see if the police failed to act, particularly where the attack has become a political talking point.
Now, it gets stranger.
NBC News reported earlier today that when police arrived, Pelosi opened the door and seeing the police did not do what you would think someone effectively being held hostage would do – move toward the police for protection. Instead, NBC News reported Pelosi moved back into the house towards his attacker. Fox News reports:
On Friday’s installment of “Today,” NBC News national correspondent Miguel Almaguer went viral for stunning revelations of what apparently transpired when police arrived to Pelosi’s San Francisco home.
“Sources familiar with what unfolded in the Pelosi residence now revealing when officers responded to the ‘high priority call,’ they were seemingly unaware they’ve been called to the home of the Speaker of the House,” Almaguer told viewers. “After a ‘knock and announce,’ the front door was opened by Mr. Pelosi. The 82-year-old did not immediately declare an emergency or tried to leave his home but instead began walking several feet back into the foyer toward the assailant and away from police. It’s unclear if the 82-year-old was already injured or what his mental state was, say sources.””According to court documents, when the officer asked what was going on, defendant smiled and said ‘everything’s good’ but instantaneously a struggle ensued as police clearly saw David DePape strike Paul Pelosi in the head with a hammer. After tackling the suspect, officers rushed to Mr. Pelosi who was lying in a pool of blood,” Almaguer continued.Almaguer concluded his report by telling “Today” co-host Craig Melvin “we still don’t know exactly what unfolded between Mr. Pelosi and the suspect for the 30 minutes they were alone inside that house before police arrive. Officials who are investigating this matter would not go into further details about these new details.”
Given Pelosi’s age and the possible trauma of being in the presence of a hostage taker, I can believe that maybe Pelosi didn’t act rationally and that might be the explanation. Releasing police bodycam video could go a long way towards informing the public of the facts with evidence. Yet there is no indication police plan on releasing the bodycam video anytime soon.
Adding to the intrigue, NBC News retracted and took down the report across all platforms. But not before others had downloaded it:
(The video is also on Rumble)
NBC News has not yet explained the facts as to why it took down the report, issuing only a vague explanation that the reporting did not meet its standards.
Release the evidence. Release the tapes. I repeat what I said at the end of my prior post:
It might be that this ends up a simple case of a political attack. Or something else. The evidence will reveal the truth, the media will not (at least not before the midterms).
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