Cole Tomas Allen indictment adds assault charge after Secret Service officer shot

Cole Tomas Allen, a California man accused of trying to breach the White House Correspondents Association dinner, was indicted on an added charge of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors say he fired a shotgun at a US Secret Service officer at the Washington Hilton. He already faced attempted assassination and firearms counts.

Federal prosecutors said Cole Tomas Allen, 31, faced an added charge after the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton. Allen is accused of trying to force entry to the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Authorities also alleged Allen tried to kill President Donald Trump. A new indictment said Allen assaulted a federal officer with a deadly weapon.

A federal grand jury in Washington, DC, returned the indictment on Tuesday. It kept three earlier counts and added the assault count. Allen was first charged by complaint with attempting to assassinate the president. The complaint also listed two firearms counts. Prosecutors said the attempted assassination count alone carried a maximum life sentence.

White House Correspondents Association dinner attack charges

The April 25 incident disrupted the annual dinner and ended the event early, officials said. A Secret Service officer was hit once in a bullet-resistant vest. Authorities said Allen ran through a security checkpoint. Investigators said Allen carried guns and knives. Officials said Allen pointed a weapon at the officer during the confrontation.

Authorities said the Secret Service officer fired five shots and did not hit anyone. The new assault charge signalled investigators believed Allen fired the round. Prosecutors linked the added count to the shot that struck the officer’s vest. The indictment described the officer as a federal officer. It called the weapon used a deadly weapon.

Secret Service officer shooting and ballistics review

The assault charge followed earlier comments from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche said last week investigators wanted more ballistics review. Authorities said they were still assessing evidence before concluding who fired the shot. The new count suggested that assessment had progressed. It also aligned with claims in the case about the officer being struck.

Allen’s lawyers disputed the government’s account in court filings. They questioned whether the evidence showed Allen meant to kill the president. They also challenged claims that Allen fired the shot. "In sum, they wrote, the governments entire argument about the nature and circumstances of the offense is based upon inferences drawn about Mr. Allens intent that raise more questions than answers.\"

Cole Tomas Allen custody conditions after White House Correspondents Association dinner case

Authorities said Allen was injured during the incident but was not shot. After the arrest, jail staff placed Allen on suicide watch. Officials removed that status over the weekend. Allen’s lawyers objected to the custody conditions. They said Allen was kept in a padded room with constant lighting. They also cited strip searches and restraints outside the cell.

The case now includes four counts in the federal indictment against Allen. Prosecutors said the updated filing kept the earlier weapons and attempted assassination allegations. The added assault charge reflected the officer-injury claim from April 25. The White House Correspondents Association dinner incident remained central to the investigation. Court proceedings were expected to continue in Washington, DC.

With inputs from PTI