Cole Tomas Allen, 31, the Torrance man accused of opening fire near the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25, appeared in federal court Monday in Washington and, according to reports, entered a not guilty plea to an indictment accusing him of attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump. Authorities say the confrontation outside the Washington Hilton ended with a Secret Service officer hit in a ballistic vest and Allen tackled and restrained by agents. The case has already drawn high-level Justice Department attention and sparked a flurry of defense filings aimed at limiting who can take part in the prosecution.
Charges and indictment
A grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Allen with Attempt to Assassinate the President, Assaulting an Officer or Employee of the United States with a Deadly Weapon, Transportation of a Firearm and Ammunition in Interstate Commerce with Intent to Commit a Felony, and Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. The charges carry potential penalties that include life in prison if he is convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Prosecutors’ account of the attack
According to Justice Department filings and investigators, Allen booked a room at the Washington Hilton several days before the black-tie dinner. Prosecutors say he then charged a security checkpoint on the hotel’s Terrace Level while carrying a long gun and fired a single shotgun round that struck a Secret Service officer’s ballistic vest. The officer returned fire, Allen went down, and agents moved in to take him into custody, according to that account. The details, including photos and a manifesto that prosecutors say Allen scheduled to be sent to relatives minutes before the incident, are laid out by the Department of Justice and have also been reported in depth by The Washington Post.
Judge questions jail treatment
At a May 4 hearing, a federal magistrate judge sharply criticized the conditions of Allen’s confinement, including his initial placement on restrictive suicide watch, and apologized to him in open court for what the judge called “legally deficient” treatment, according to reporting that relayed the judge’s remarks. The court ordered jail officials to explain their housing and monitoring decisions as the case moves forward. Reuters detailed the exchange.
Defense seeks recusal
Allen’s defense team has moved to disqualify senior Justice Department officials from direct involvement in the case. They argue that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who both attended the dinner and heard the gunfire, could be considered witnesses or even victims. The motion, described by The Associated Press, asks the judge to consider appointing a special prosecutor or otherwise walling off officials with personal ties to the event.
What’s next
Prosecutors secured the indictment earlier this month, and the case is now headed into a series of pretrial and detention hearings in the coming days, according to ABC News. At Monday’s appearance, Allen entered his not guilty plea, and court records and future filings are expected to provide the main public window into how the high-stakes case unfolds. New York Post offered contemporaneous coverage of the arraignment.
