Pipe Bomb Suspect’s Attorneys Say He Has OCD, Autism, in Their Request Not to Detain

The attorneys for Brian Cole Jr., who allegedly planted pipe bombs before the events of Jan. 6, 2021, are asking a court to allow their client to avoid detention before his expected trial. In a filing on Dec. 30, they said that various factors weighed in favor of releasing Cole. Among them were his lack of criminal history, as well as his diagnosis with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism spectrum disorder, Level 1. A resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, Cole has been detained at the Rappahannock Regional Jail and was recently given permission to see mental health professionals. His attorneys also submitted multiple character reference letters with redacted names. One, whose signatory identifies as a business associate of Cole’s father, describes Cole’s “peaceful nature.”...