Washington DC - Attorneys representing Cole Thomas Allen, the man facing charges for allegedly attempting to kill President Donald Trump, have expressed skepticism in court over a major detail of the official story.
According to The Washington Post, Allen's lawyers on Wednesday submitted a formal request for evidence, including video, witness statements, and ballistics information related to the case.
Court records reveal the legal team has been arguing that the Department of Justice has not disclosed evidence that Allen actually fired a weapon when he allegedly stormed the White House Correspondents' Dinner on May 25 with the intention of harming the president and members of his administration.
The DOJ claims Allen fired a round from a 12-gauge shotgun at federal officers, supposedly striking one in a bulletproof vest and causing no injuries. The struck officer then fired back several times – missing completely – before Allen was subdued and detained.
The department said that while "analysis of the crime scene evidence and recovered ballistics evidence is not yet complete... at least one fragment was recovered... that was physically consistent with a single buckshot pellet."
But Allen's attorneys say the only video of the incident released by the DOJ does not capture the exchange of gunfire and "seems to show no muzzle flash" from off camera.
Though Allen wasn't on the same floor as his intended targets when the shot was reportedly fired, he has been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump, which could land him in prison for life.