Georgia Guardsman faces charges after alleged gun incident

A Georgia National Guard member deployed to Washington as part of President Donald Trump’s crime task force has been charged with felonies after investigators said he drew a pistol and pointed it at a fellow Guard member during an argument over Army hairstyle rules.

Zion Mitchell, 21, of Macon, Georgia, was arrested Sept. 1 in connection with the Aug. 25 incident in Northeast Washington, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report and a criminal complaint filed in D.C. Superior Court by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office. He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm while committing a crime of violence or dangerous crime.

The complaint says the dispute began while several Guard members were taking a break in a black van parked in front of a Popeyes. Mitchell and a female Guard member argued over their hairstyles and whether they complied with Army regulations.

The woman later told police she heard a “holster click” and believed Mitchell had opened his holster. After she got out of the van, other Guard members told her Mitchell had drawn his weapon and pointed it at her, according to the complaint. She told an investigating officer she assumed the gun was loaded because National Guard firearms are generally loaded, NPR reported.

Several witnesses in the van told police they saw Mitchell remove his gun and point it at the woman. According to the complaint, one witness described Mitchell as someone who “picks on people and is aggressive,” while another said he was known for threatening women.

When questioned by police, Mitchell initially described the encounter as playful banter, according to the complaint. Investigators said he later recanted that account and admitted he had pulled out his pistol and pointed it in the woman’s direction.

Mitchell has been detained without bond, according to the public court docket. An attorney for him could not immediately be reached, CBS News reported. NPR reported that a request for comment from the Joint Task Force on Mitchell’s status was not immediately answered.

The case comes as National Guard troops remain stationed across Washington under Trump’s anti-crime initiative, which began in August 2025 after the president issued an emergency order citing what he described as out-of-control crime. The deployment included the activation of the D.C. National Guard, hundreds of federal law enforcement officers and agents, and support from Guard units sent by states led by Republican governors. Trump also briefly took control of the local police department, NPR reported.

The mission has been extended until January 2029. More than 3,100 Guard members from 18 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia are still operating in the city as part of the task force, according to NPR. More than 5,000 were in Washington for Freedom 250 events in July and August. Georgia had the second-largest contingent as of Sept. 8, with 531 personnel.

The deployment has drawn criticism from some Washington residents who say the troops are in the city illegally and are not reducing serious crime. Guard members have responded to medical emergencies, assisted with arrests, helped local police enforce the city’s juvenile curfew and carried out beautification projects, NPR reported. The D.C. Guard also helped with snow removal during a major storm in January.

Pirro has previously praised the National Guard for helping reduce violent crime rates in Washington, CBS News reported.