Cole Allen charged in Trump assassination plot indicted on new count

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., on a new count of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon.

The charge stems from the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Armed with guns and knives, Allen ran through a security checkpoint and pointed his weapon at a Secret Service officer. The officer was struck once in a bullet-resistant vest. The officer returned fire five times without hitting anyone.

The new indictment adds to existing charges of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump and two firearms counts. Conviction on the assassination charge alone carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Federal authorities now formally allege Allen fired the shot that struck the Secret Service agent. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had indicated last week that investigators needed additional ballistics evidence before making that determination.

The assault forced an early end to the high-profile event in the nation’s capital.

Allen’s attorneys have challenged the government’s theory, arguing that claims about his intent to kill the president and his role in the shooting rest on inferences that raise more questions than answers.

Allen was injured in the confrontation but was not shot by law enforcement. He was placed on suicide watch after his arrest, though jail officials later removed him from that status.