Cole Allen, the man accused of opening fire near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, has been removed from suicide watch at the Washington, D.C., jail where he is being held, his attorneys said in court filings.
Allen’s lawyers had asked to cancel a Monday hearing about his placement on suicide watch, but Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui refused the request, expressing ‘grave concerns’ about why Allen had been placed in solitary confinement and pressing jail officials for explanations.
In a motion seeking Allen’s removal from suicide watch, his attorneys said the conditions amounted to violations of his due process rights. They described Allen as being placed in medical isolation in a restrictive cell under continuous supervision, and said standard protocol typically places new detainees on suicide watch for 72 hours while they are evaluated. The filings said Allen was unable to communicate with people outside the jail, could not retain personal items or review case documents, was escorted to showers, and was strip searched when entering and leaving his cell.
Allen, 31, has agreed to remain detained until trial. It is not clear whether he was moved to another facility after being taken off suicide watch.
He is charged in federal court with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the annual press dinner on April 25, and faces two firearms-related counts tied to the incident. Allen made his initial federal appearance Monday and has not yet entered a plea; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.
According to sources, Allen allegedly charged a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton while the press dinner was underway and President Trump and other administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, were in attendance. He was arrested at the scene.
Investigators told CBS News that six shots were fired during the confrontation: one by Allen and five by a Secret Service officer. The officer was struck in his bulletproof vest and was not seriously injured; two sources said the round likely hit a cellphone in the agent’s pocket. Federal officials have pushed back against suggestions that the wound to the agent was caused by friendly fire. Jeanine Pirro, identified in filings as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told CNN investigators had determined the bullet was ‘definitively’ fired by Allen.
Magistrate Judge Faruqui’s demand for answers signals ongoing judicial scrutiny of the jail’s treatment of Allen as the case moves through the federal system. Defense counsel argue the confinement and restrictions have impeded Allen’s ability to prepare for his defense and to communicate with others, while prosecutors maintain security measures were appropriate given the seriousness of the charges and the circumstances of his arrest.