Attorneys for Cole Tomas Allen have asked a federal judge to remove suicide-prevention measures imposed while he is jailed in Washington after an alleged shotgun attack outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25. Allen was first placed in a padded 'safe cell' when booked on April 27 and later put on suicide precautions that limit phone calls and visits. A nurse recommended lifting those measures, but they remained in place during a public defender's visit, the filing says. Defense counsel argues the restrictions 'amount to punishment' and block access to a jail tablet for communicating with family.
White House Dinner Shooting Suspect Seeks Removal Of Jail 'Suicide Precautions'
FILE PHOTO: Law enforcement personnel detain Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 25, 2026. DONALD J TRUMP via Truth Social/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Attorneys for Cole Tomas Allen have asked a federal judge to lift suicide-prevention restrictions imposed while he is detained in Washington after he allegedly fired a shotgun outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25.
Jail Status And Lawyers' Filing
According to a court filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Allen was initially placed in a 'safe cell' when he was booked on April 27 — described by his lawyers as a padded room with 24-hour lockdown rules and a requirement to wear 'a vest akin to a strait jacket.' Authorities later moved him to 'suicide precautions,' which continue to bar him from telephone calls, visits from anyone other than his legal team, and recreational time outside his cell except for escorted showers or legal visits.
Medical Recommendation And Defense Argument
The filing says a nurse recommended on Friday that the suicide-precaution measures be lifted, but those restrictions remained in place during a visit by one of Allen's public defenders that same day. Defense lawyers argue the measures 'amount to punishment' and prevent Allen from accessing resources such as a jail tablet that would allow him to communicate with loved ones outside the facility.
Defense filing: 'These ongoing restrictions amount to punishment and deny Mr. Allen access to necessary resources, including the ability to communicate with family.'
Charges And Case Status
Allen is charged with attempted assassination, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines. He has not yet entered a plea. The request to change his detention conditions is now pending before the court.
(Reporting by Ross Kerber; editing by Rod Nickel)
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