Guardsman Charged After Gun Incident
PHOTO CAPTION: A U.S. Army soldier displays an approved braided hairstyle following changes to the Army’s grooming standards in 2021. Army hair regulations were reportedly at the center of an argument that prosecutors say escalated when a Georgia National Guardsman drew a loaded pistol in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Army photo)
A Georgia National Guardsman deployed to Washington, D.C., is facing two felony charges after an argument with another soldier over Army grooming standards allegedly escalated to him drawing a loaded pistol.
And according to court records, the guardsman later described the confrontation as essentially playful banter.
Spc. Zion Mitchell, 21, has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to an arrest affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court. He is currently being held in the D.C. jail.
The confrontation occurred Aug. 25 while Mitchell and several other National Guard members were taking a break from patrol duties inside a parked van outside a Popeyes on H Street in Northeast Washington.
According to accounts provided to investigators, the conversation turned into an argument over hairstyles and whether the soldiers were complying with Army grooming regulations.
That's when things allegedly went considerably further than the usual barracks argument over AR 670-1.
The female soldier involved told police she heard what sounded like Mitchell's holster being unclipped during the exchange. She said she did not personally see him draw the weapon, but other soldiers inside the vehicle told investigators they did.
Two witnesses told police they saw Mitchell point the pistol in the woman's direction. Other soldiers interviewed said they did not actually see the gun leave the holster.
One witness told investigators the pistol was loaded and had a round in the chamber.
Mitchell's own account also changed during questioning, according to court records.
Investigators said Mitchell initially claimed he had pulled a pistol magazine from his vest during what he described as a “playful argument.”
He later acknowledged drawing the pistol itself and pointing it toward the other soldier, according to the affidavit. Mitchell maintained that the weapon was angled roughly 45 degrees toward the ground rather than pointed directly at her head.
Witness accounts also differed over exactly what led to the confrontation.
Several described the dispute as being about hair and Army grooming regulations. One witness additionally told investigators that Mitchell and the other soldier did not get along after she had previously rejected his advances.
Mitchell is a member of the Georgia National Guard who was serving with Joint Task Force-District of Columbia.
The Georgia National Guard confirmed his military status to Task & Purpose. Joint Task Force-D.C. did not immediately provide the outlet with details about his current military status or whether the Guard had opened a separate administrative or military investigation.
Thousands of National Guard personnel from several states have been assigned to the ongoing Washington mission, conducting patrols and supporting local law enforcement.
DVIDS footage from the same day as the alleged incident — Aug. 25 — shows Georgia National Guard personnel assigned to the task force conducting patrols at Union Station. The footage does not show Mitchell or the incident and should not be interpreted as doing so.
A judge ordered Mitchell held in preventive detention without a cash bond, according to CNN's review of the court records.
His next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 15.
The criminal charges remain allegations, and Mitchell has not been convicted.
(Source: OAF Nation)
