San Francisco NBC affiliate investigative team releases new report corroborating details of Paul Pelosi attack that got NBC News reporter suspended
The NBC affiliate in San Francisco released a new report regarding the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi in the early hours of Oct. 28. Interestingly enough, the new report from the affiliate's investigative team corroborates several details from an earlier NBC News report that the outlet determined was not up to par with its "reporting standards."
On Nov. 4, NBC News national correspondent Miguel Almaguer delivered new details regarding the attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband at the couple's home in San Francisco. The report aired on the "Today" show and was promoted on the TV program's website.
The NBC News report claimed, "Officers were unaware that it was the home of the House speaker."
Officers allegedly knocked on the front door of the home around 2:30 a.m., and Pelosi answered the door.
NBC News reported, "The 82-year-old did not immediately declare an emergency or try to leave his home. But instead, he began walking several feet back into the foyer, toward the assailant and away from police."
There was reportedly a struggle between Pelosi and the home invader. David DePape, 42, then allegedly hit Pelosi in the head with a hammer. Police arrested DePape.
Pelosi was reportedly lying in a puddle of his own blood after the hammer attack. He was rushed to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and was diagnosed with a fractured skull. He was released from the hospital on Nov. 3.
NBC News vanished the report about the Paul Pelosi attack just hours after it aired.
NBC News said: "The piece should not have aired because it did not meet NBC News reporting standards."
TheBlaze contacted NBC News to find out exactly what in the report did not meet the reporting standards, but the outlet did not respond.
Washington Post media critic Paul Farhi wrote on Nov. 5:
Much of Almaguer’s account was inaccurate, based on flawed information provided by a source who was unnamed in the report, according to people at the network. Those people said Almaguer was incorrect when he reported that the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave police no indication he was in danger when he answered the door. In fact, San Francisco police have said that Pelosi was struggling with the intruder, David DePape, when they first saw him.
On Nov. 14, the Daily Beast reported that Almaguer was suspended following an internal investigation.
Almaguer began his television career with California's KSBW in 2000. Almaguer provided reporting to "NBC Nightly News," MSNBC, and "Today." Almaguer won an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2004, and an Emmy Award in 2007 for his reporting on the San Diego wildfires.
NBC's San Francisco affiliate — KNTV, also known as NBC Bay Area — released a report that shared the same details as the since-deleted NBC News account. KNTV's investigative team cites an unnamed source who allegedly personally viewed the police body cam video of the attack on Pelosi.
KNTV reported that the source said the body cam video contradicts "one of the details included in the Department of Justice's account of what happened that evening."
NBC Bay Area senior investigative reporter Bigad Shaban said, "This all has to do with the moments, seconds really, just before Paul Pelosi was struck in the head with a hammer inside his San Francisco home. Now, there continues to be contradicting accounts of a relatively simple question. Who opened the door that night when San Francisco police arrived to the Pelosi house?"
The federal indictment said that the "two officers" opened the front door. However, the office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins previously stated, "Mr. Pelosi opened the door with his left hand."
Shaban, citing the source familiar with the investigation, said, "Officers knocked on the door of the Pelosi home, then backed away. And the video clearly shows Paul Pelosi open the door with his left hand. Just like what was noted in the documents filed by the DA's office."
Shaban continued, "The body cam video shows officers having a brief conversation with Pelosi and David DePape ... before DePape starts beating Pelosi with a hammer."
Shaban requested a comment from the Department of Justice on the discrepancy between the two accounts, but the DOJ did not respond.
Shaban asked Jenkins why Pelosi didn't flee from the crime scene when police arrived.
Jenkins said she wouldn't speculate or start "Monday-morning quarterbacking" as to why someone took the actions he did.
"We know that all victims of crime respond very differently under the stress of the situation," Jenkins said. "And I don't think it's fair for us to place what we believe."
Earlier this month, Jenkins said that some evidence in the Paul Pelosi case, including the body cam footage, would not be released to the public.
"For us, revealing that evidence through the media is just not what we think is appropriate," Jenkins told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "We want to make sure that this individual is held accountable for these egregious acts. For us, we’re going to make sure that we limit the evidence as much as possible in order to get that done."
Body Cam Video Shows Paul Pelosi Opened Door for Police, Despite DOJ Saying Otherwise: Source www.youtube.com