U.S. Capitol Police Chief TomManger said the agency is “engaged in a review” of the recent attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, noting that today’s “political climate” necessitates the need for more security resources to protect lawmakers.
“Friday’s attack against Paul Pelosi is an alarming reminder of the dangerous threats elected officials and public figures face during today’s contentious political climate, Manger said in a statement Tuesday.
“With the increasing number of threats against elected officials from city council members to federal judges, our work to further our efforts to protect the members of Congress becomes increasingly urgent,” he continued.
He listed the 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., and the 2017 shooting at the baseball field of GOP Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., as examples of today’s “contentious” climate.
Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi attend the pre-Grammy gala, and David DePape
(Michael Short/ San Francisco Chronicle )
“The USCP has engaged in a review of Friday’s incident. We believe today’s political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for members of Congress,” Manger continued. “This plan would include an emphasis on adding redundancies to the measures that are already in place for congressional leadership.”
Manger described the atmosphere as a “time of heightened political tension.” He says the USCP is monitoring “thousands of cases across the country – in an effort to stop potential threats before they make headlines.
U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
PAUL PELOSI ATTACKER TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE PLANNED TO BREAK HOUSE SPEAKER’S ‘KNEECAPS’: AFFIDAVIT
On Oct. 28, David DePape, a 42-year-old illegal immigrant from Canada, broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week and attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, with a hammer, allegedly wanting to hold the congresswoman hostage and threatened to break “her kneecaps” if he caught her lying, according to an FBI affidavit.
U.S. Capitol Police
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
