Judge apologizes to Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect over ‘disturbing’ jail treatment

Politics
5 May 2026 • 1:17 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Judge apologizes to Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect over ‘disturbing’ jail treatment

  • A federal judge reportedly apologized to Cole Tomas Allen, accused of attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, for his treatment in jail.
  • Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui expressed regret during a Monday hearing, stating, “At a minimum, I should be apologizing to him.”
  • Following his April 25 arrest, Allen was placed on suicide watch under restrictive conditions, including confinement in a padded room with straitjacket-like restraints, constant lighting and repeated strip searches.
  • The judge found Allen's treatment “extremely disturbing,” particularly for someone with no prior criminal history.
  • Judge Faruqui noted that even individuals accused in the January 6 Capitol incident had not faced such punitive measures as five-point restraints or safe cells.

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