Judge asks why jail placed suspect in White House correspondents’ dinner attack on suicide watch
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal magistrate judge Monday pressed a prison official to explain why a man is accused of trying to kill himself. Attack on White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and attempted murder of President Donald Trump were subject to a restrictive sanction watch suicide after his arrest.
Officials at the city jail in Washington, D.C., removed Cole Tomas Allen from designated “suicide status” over the weekend following complaints from his lawyers that he was unnecessarily confined to a constantly lit padded room, repeatedly strip-searched and placed in handcuffs outside his cell.
But the relaxed conditions did not satisfy U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui’s concerns that Allen may have received different, punitive treatment that violated his due process rights. Faruqui noted that the D.C. jail routinely houses convicted murderers and others accused of violent crimes without 24-hour isolation.
“Being in this situation can drive you crazy,” he said.
Faruqui apologized to Allen for the quarantine conditions. In response to a report about that apology, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro criticized Faruqui in a social media post, saying Faruqui “believes that a defendant who is armed to the teeth and attempted to assassinate the president is entitled to preferential treatment in prison compared to all other defendants.”
Allen’s attorneys said after his arrest that he did not exhibit any suicide risk factors. But a psychiatrist at the jail evaluated him and initially concluded he was a suicide risk, according to Tony Towns, acting general counsel for the city’s department of corrections.
“Every case is different, Your Honor,” Towns said.
Allen was placed in protective custody after the prison lifted its suicide prevention measures. His lawyers did not object to his new detention status. They had asked the judge to cancel Monday’s hearing, but Faruqui went ahead with it due to “serious concerns” about Allen’s treatment in prison.
Allen was wounded but not shot in the April 25 attack. Washington Hiltondisrupted one of the most high-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.
Authorities said Allen was armed with a gun and knives as he passed through a security checkpoint and pointed his gun at a Secret Service agent, who fired back five times. Pirro said Allen fired one shot that hit the agent’s bulletproof vest.
Justice Department prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine said Allen later told FBI agents that he did not expect to survive the attack, which may help explain why he was considered a possible suicide risk.
Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is charged with attempted assassination of the president and two additional firearm counts. He faces life imprisonment if convicted of the assassination charge alone.
Defense attorney Eugene Ohm said Allen was prohibited from keeping anything in his cell. According to Ohm, he asked for a Bible and a priest to visit him, but received neither.
