A California man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a White House Correspondents' Association dinner last month confessed to federal agents that he expected to die in the attack, prosecutors revealed during a court hearing Monday.
Cole Allen, 31, a teacher and engineer, appeared before federal Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui in an orange jumpsuit as authorities disclosed new details about his mental state and the conditions of his detention in a D.C. jail.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine told the court that Allen made the statement to the FBI following his arrest on April 25. "It's clear he did not expect to survive it, which gives rise to potential concern for suicide," Ballantine said.
The revelation came as Allen's federal public defenders challenged his incarceration conditions. They disclosed that Allen had been placed in a padded cell under 24-hour lockdown with constant lighting and suicide watch protocols.
Judge Faruqui pressed the government and jail officials on why Allen faced such restrictive conditions. He noted that the D.C. jail has housed numerous defendants charged in serious cases, including some convicted of murder. "How can those people have less restrictive conditions than he does?" the judge asked.
The judge also drew a parallel to the Capitol riot cases that have cycled through D.C. federal courts. "A lot of people seem to have forgotten about Jan. 6 but I have not," Faruqui said, adding that "pardons may erase convictions but they do not erase history."
Allen faces a charge of attempting to assassinate the president, which carries a potential life sentence. Federal prosecutors have characterized the incident as potentially catastrophic, saying Allen "would have brought about one of the darkest days in American history" had he succeeded in targeting Trump administration officials and anyone in his path.
Video released by prosecutors shows Allen charging through a magnetometer at the event and raising a weapon at an officer, who fired at him but missed. According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a Secret Service officer sustained an injury when buckshot from Allen's shotgun embedded in his protective vest.
Allen conceded to detention ahead of a scheduled detention hearing, effectively accepting that he would remain in custody during the legal process.
During Monday's hearing, Judge Faruqui directed that Allen receive a Bible and access to legal documents. He criticized what he characterized as improper jail conditions and promised to ensure Allen had appropriate materials for his defense and personal needs. "If we can get someone vegan food, we can get you a Bible," the judge said.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The judge's skepticism about these detention conditions speaks volumes, especially when the government's own case suggests a deeply troubled defendant who believed he wouldn't walk out alive."
Comments