Georgia National Guard soldier Zion Mitchell, 21, was arrested in Washington, D.C., after he allegedly pointed a gun at a fellow soldier during an argument about whether their hairstyles complied with Army regulations, the Associated Press (AP) reports. Mitchell was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent or dangerous crime.
On August 25, a group of National Guard troops were performing missions as part of a crime-fighting task force. During the break, they were in a company van parked outside a fast food restaurant in Washington.
A dispute arose between Mitchell and a female soldier about whether their hairstyles complied with Army regulations. The verbal altercation continued for some time, after which Mitchell, according to witness testimony, told his colleague that he would hit her, CNN clarifies.
The woman then heard the click of the holster and assumed Mitchell had unfastened it. Other soldiers in the van later told investigators they saw the man pull out a gun and point it at a fellow soldier.
The woman herself learned about this from other servicemen after she got out of the van. She also told investigators she assumed the weapon was loaded because National Guard members' firearms are typically in that condition.
During the interrogation, Mitchell first claimed that he did not take a pistol out of his holster, but only a magazine and jokingly pointed it at his colleague. However, he later changed his testimony and admitted that he took out the weapon, but insisted that he pointed it down and not at the woman’s head, The Hill writes.
According to court documents, Mitchell was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent or dangerous crime. A warrant for his arrest was issued on September 1, and the serviceman was taken into custody on the same day.
At the first hearing, the judge ordered Mitchell held without the possibility of release until trial, citing the severity of the charges and the potential danger of the defendant.
The serviceman was part of an expanded National Guard contingent deployed to Washington after US President Donald Trump declared an emergency in August 2025 due to what he said was out-of-control crime, AP notes. The deployment of the National Guard in the capital has been extended until January 2029.
