Moments later – after being asked to drop the gun – DePape abruptly punched Mr Pelosi before being knocked to the ground by the officers. The entire incident was captured on body cameras worn by the officers.
In addition to a fractured skull, Mr. Pelosi suffered injuries to his arm and hand. He was hit three times during the attack.
In a letter filed before sentencing, Pelosi called on the court to impose a “very long” sentence on DePape, adding that she and her husband were never able to discuss the incident.
“Paul and I have not discussed the events of that horrible night,” she wrote. “Paul doesn’t want to go back to it, and the doctors’ advice is that discussing this violent attack would only renew his trauma.”
During the trial, Mr. Pelosi said DePape said his plan was to “eliminate” Ms. Pelosi, whom he called “the leader of the pack.”
“It was a huge shock to look at it, to see the gavel and the restraints,” Mr. Pelosi recalled. “I recognized that I was in great danger. I tried to stay as calm as possible.”
After the attack, Mr Pelosi said his next memory was waking up to a “pool of blood” and being rushed to hospital.
In his own letter to the court before sentencing, Mr. Pelosi said he was still dealing with the effects of the attack.
“I walk slowly and have difficulty with my balance. Almost every day I have headaches that turn into migraines unless treated promptly,” he wrote. “I need to sleep during the day and cannot tolerate bright lights or loud noises for long periods of time.”
DePape’s court-appointed attorney, Jodi Linker, argued that her client was motivated by right-wing conspiracy theories, which the defendant believed “with all his being.”
Prosecutors, however, argued that DePape had a “plan for violence,” noting that he told investigators he had a “target list” and planned to break Ms. Pelosi’s kneecaps if she didn’t reveal not “the truth”. At the time of his arrest, DePape had zip ties and duct tape.
Outside the courthouse, DePape’s son told reporters that his father’s prison sentence was the same as the death penalty.
“I think it’s a very long time, because if you think about it, he’s already almost 50 years old,” Sky Gonzalez said, according to the Associated Press. “Basically, it’s just a death sentence.”
In addition to the federal charges, DePape faces separate state-level charges stemming from the attack. They include burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and attempted murder.
He faces life in prison if convicted of these charges. He pleaded not guilty.
