SouthernWorldwide.com – Accused White House Correspondents’ Dinner attacker Cole Allen is now facing charges of assaulting a federal officer.
Allen was formally indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday. The indictment includes four charges.
These charges consist of three counts from a criminal complaint filed last week: attempting to assassinate President Trump and two firearm charges. A new charge of assault on a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon has also been added.
Federal prosecutors initially charged Allen in the hours following the attempted attack. This occurred at the annual press gala in Washington, D.C.
However, the charges were not presented to a grand jury for indictment until Tuesday. Prosecutors allege that on April 25, Allen attempted to breach a security checkpoint. He was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives.
The security checkpoint was located one story above the ballroom at the Washington Hilton. President Trump, top administration officials, and members of the press corps were dining in the ballroom at the time.
The indictment also accuses Allen of assaulting a federal officer identified as V.G. with a shotgun. Law enforcement officials have stated that Allen fired at a uniformed Secret Service officer.
This officer was struck on his protective vest by buckshot. Fortunately, the officer did not sustain serious injuries.
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Allen, who is 31 years old, has not yet entered a plea. His arraignment is scheduled for May 11.
Allen’s legal team has agreed that he will remain detained throughout the pre-trial proceedings. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden.
Judge McFadden was nominated to his position by President Trump in 2017. This assignment places the case under a judge appointed by the President who was the target of the alleged attack.
On Monday, a federal magistrate judge in D.C. expressed concern regarding Allen’s treatment in the jail where he is being held. The magistrate stated he was “very troubled” by the conditions Allen experienced.
The magistrate, Zia Faruqui, issued an apology to Allen for issues encountered during his initial week of detention. Lawyers for Allen reported that he was placed on suicide watch shortly after his arrival at the jail.
This involved being held in a padded cell with constant lighting. He had no access to a phone or tablet during this period. A day later, his status was downgraded to suicide precautions.
These precautions still significantly limited his phone access and his ability to leave his cell, according to his lawyers. On Friday, Allen’s lawyers stated that he was reassessed and found not to be a risk.
However, he was still held in a form of protective custody. This resulted in him being housed separately from the general population.
