U.S. federal judge Zia Faruqui has apologised to Cole Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, for his treatment in custody. The incident occurred during a court hearing on Monday after it was revealed Allen had been placed in a five-point restraint and held on suicide watch at the District of Columbia jail. Allen was arrested in April at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. His legal team stated he had no history of suicidal intent and was held in solitary confinement without personal items or visits. He has since been removed from suicide watch, leading his lawyer to withdraw a motion challenging the conditions. Judge Faruqui expressed discomfort with the level of restraint used, saying, "Whatever you've been through, I apologise for the prior week." He described the use of five-point restraints on a person with no criminal history as "extremely disturbing" and added, "I never heard of one January 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell." The judge maintained that the treatment raised serious concerns about detainee care. Republican lawmakers have sharply criticised the apology. Senator Mike Lee said the judge was apologising to a man who "nearly killed federal officers." Senator Tim Sheehy called for Faruqui's removal from the bench. Congressman Abe Hamadeh described the apology as emblematic of dysfunction in Washington.
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