According to The Hill, an arrest affidavit filed last week accused a National Guard member of pointing a gun at a fellow service member in late August. The document, submitted in the District of Columbia Superior Court, outlined the alleged incident and the charges that followed.
Zion Mitchell, 21, of Georgia, faces felony counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm while committing a crime of violence or dangerous crime, the affidavit stated. The court docket showed that as of Friday, he was being held without bond because of “the nature of the crimes.”
The affidavit stated that on Aug. 25, Mitchell and other National Guard members were on a break from patrol. They were apparently sitting in a black van parked in front of a Popeyes on H Street NE.
Court papers outline how a hair-regulation argument inside the van escalated
The affidavit stated that Mitchell argued with another guard member about whether their hairstyles followed Army regulations. During that exchange, he told her that he would “slap the Jackson 5 out of you.” The back-and-forth then led the woman to tell Mitchell, “Shut the f–k up. Try me,” the document said.
The woman said she heard a “holster click” at that moment. One witness said, “Put that up. You almost shot me in the hand.” The woman later said she was told that Mitchell had drawn his weapon.
She told investigators she believed the weapon was loaded because all firearms carried by National Guard members were. One witness told investigators that Mitchell said the gun “was on safe.” Another witness said the gun was loaded and had a round in the chamber.
The affidavit stated that six other National Guard members were in the van with Mitchell and the woman. Several of those members told investigators that Mitchell pointed his weapon at her.
Mitchell first told detectives he had been in a “playful argument” with the woman when he pulled a magazine from his vest and pointed a pistol at her. He added that the act was part of the “playful banter,” the affidavit stated.
He later recanted that version. He then said he pointed the pistol “in the direction” of the woman but at a roughly 45-degree angle and not toward her head.
A female witness told investigators that the alleged victim said Mitchell “threatens” women and that she did not get along with him after she rejected his advances.
National Guard troops have been stationed in D.C. for more than a year as part of President Trump’s stated plan to crack down on crime in the capital. Incidents involving security personnel and firearms have occurred elsewhere, such as when a security guard pulled his firearm after a man allegedly took a dog into a Ralphs supermarket.
Data from Joint Task Force D.C. showed that as of Monday more than 3,100 guard members from 17 Republican-led states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands were in the city.
A guard official told The Hill in March that the Pentagon planned to keep a National Guard presence in D.C. through the end of Trump’s second term in January 2029. The Guard’s presence in the capital has coincided with other public incidents, such as when a woman was detained at the reflecting pool after allegedly touching the water.
Published: Sep 9, 2026 09:15 am