Judge apologizes to accused White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter and makes Jan. 6 comparison

A federal judge reportedly apologized on Monday to accused White House Correspondents’ Dinner attacker Cole Tomas Allen for how he has been treated in jail.

After his April 25 arrest, Allen was temporarily put on suicide watch in highly restrictive conditions, according to his attorneys. They said this meant being confined in a padded room in straitjacket-like restraints, while being subject to visitation limits, around-the-clock lighting and repeated strip searches.

“At a minimum, I should be apologizing to him,” Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui reportedly said during a hearing on Monday. “We are obligated to make sure he’s taken care of. Mr. Allen, I’m sorry that things have not been the way they are supposed to.”

“To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history,” the judge reportedly added, arguing that even people accused of storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, hadn’t faced such conditions. “It’s troubling. I never heard of one Jan. 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell. If the only way to keep him safe is the most punitive thing, that’s a problem.”

Over the weekend, Allen, 31, was taken off suicide precautions, according to his attorneys. Still, Judge Faruqui demanded the parties return to court on Monday to address the detention conditions, writing in a Sunday order of his “grave concerns” about Allen’s “seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days.”

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A jail psychiatrist evaluated Allen and initially concluded that he posed a potential risk to himself, Tony Towns, acting general counsel for the Washington, D.C., corrections department, told the court on Monday.

“Every case is different, your honor,” he said.

The accused attacker has asked for a Bible and a visit from a jail chaplain since his arrest, but he hasn’t received either, his attorneys claim.

Allen, who is accused of attempting to storm the dinner while armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, told FBI agents he didn’t expect to survive the attack, a Justice Department prosecutor said in court on Monday.

The 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California, is charged with attempting to assassinate the president and multiple weapons charges. He has not yet entered a plea.

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The court has ordered an update regarding Allen’s jailhouse conditions by Tuesday morning.

The Independent has contacted the Washington Department of Corrections and Allen’s attorney for comment.

Federal officials say further charges are expected against Allen, who they say booked a room at the Washington Hilton hotel and later ran through a security checkpoint while armed.

The 31-year-old allegedly fired a shotgun and hit a Secret Service agent in the chest. The agent was largely unharmed because of their bulletproof vest, according to federal officials. As Allen is accused of running by, agents withdrew their weapons and multiple shots were fired.

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The California man was then arrested without serious injury.

Shortly before the incident, Allen allegedly sent a message to family members detailing his plans and criticizing the Trump administration.

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