Deployed D.C. Guardsman Charged After Allegedly Pointing Gun

Georgia National Guard Spc. Zion Mitchell, 21, was arrested in Washington, D.C., and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence after allegedly pointing his service pistol at a fellow Guardswoman during a patrol break. The Aug. 25 confrontation reportedly began in a van outside a Popeyes over Army hairstyle regulations and escalated after Mitchell threatened to “slap the Jackson 5” out of the woman. Witnesses said they heard a holster click and saw Mitchell raise the loaded weapon, while Mitchell initially characterized the incident as playful banter before acknowledging that he drew the pistol but claiming it was angled downward. No injuries were reported, and Mitchell was ordered held without bond; his next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15. The incident occurred as National Guard troops from Georgia and other states participate in President Donald Trump’s public-safety deployment in the nation’s capital.