Overview
- Cole Allen, charged with attempted assassination and gun offenses, faced a Monday hearing where Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui voiced “grave concerns” and said Allen was treated more harshly than Jan. 6 defendants.
- Faruqui apologized to Allen and cited reports that he was kept in a padded, constantly lit “safe cell,” shackled with five-point restraints, repeatedly strip searched, and denied phone use, legal materials, and a Bible.
- Jail officials said a psychiatrist flagged suicide risk and prosecutors noted Allen told the FBI he did not expect to survive the attack, while the judge questioned whether that showed suicidal intent rather than fear of being shot.
- The judge ordered the D.C. Department of Corrections to report by Tuesday morning on Allen’s housing and to ensure basic legal access, as Allen remains in protective custody after removal from formal suicide status.
- Prosecutors plan to present evidence to a grand jury this week, citing ballistics tying buckshot to a Secret Service agent’s vest and data that he tracked the dinner, with a preliminary hearing set for May 11.