A Georgia National Guardsman told police that an argument over U.S. Army hair regulations was just “playful banter” when he pointed his loaded service pistol at another soldier during a break from patrol in Washington, D.C., according to court records.
Spc. Zion Mitchell was arrested after the Aug. 25 confrontation, which occurred inside a van carrying seven Guard members. Six of the soldiers later gave police their accounts of the incident, and several described Mitchell drawing his weapon as the argument escalated.
Mitchell told law enforcement that he pulled out his pistol but kept it pointed at the ground.
According to court documents, the group had stopped at a Popeyes fast food restaurant and was sitting in the van when the conversation turned to their hairstyles and whether they were within Army regulations. The discussion escalated, and the victim told Mitchell to stop talking, using an expletive. At that point, the victim said she heard a “holster click.”
A witness said he saw Mitchell aim his weapon at the victim over another witness’s shoulder. According to that witness, Mitchell’s weapon was loaded, and he had a round chambered.
During an interview with detectives, Mitchell initially said he was having a “playful argument” with the victim and that he pulled a magazine out of his pocket and pointed it at her. He later recanted, admitting that he did point the weapon in the victim’s direction, but that it was at an approximately 45-degree angle downward.
The witnesses gave varying accounts of how the incident, first reported by WUSA9, escalated. One witness said that the victim rejected Mitchell’s advances and the two had ongoing friction.
A spokesman for the Georgia National Guard said in an email that the Guard was unable to comment on the ongoing investigation but that it “expects all service members to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct and safety. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement authorities as the legal process proceeds.”
President Donald Trump has sent thousands of National Guardsmen to the nation’s capital in the last year as part of the “Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” which he describes as an attempt to combat crime.
According to Reuters reporting, the Guardsmen have been mentioned in only 1.3% of criminal cases filed in the District of Columbia since their arrival. Many soldiers have also been involved in cases as the victims of crime.
Mitchell’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.