National Guard member deployed to DC accused of pulling gun on fellow soldier in dispute over hair regulations

By Michael Williams, CNN

(CNN) — A member of the Georgia National Guard assigned to the task force patrolling Washington, DC, is facing assault and gun charges after he was accused of pulling his firearm on a fellow soldier during an argument last month.

Zion Mitchell, 21, faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a dangerous crime. He’s being held in the DC Jail.

Mitchell’s attorney, Gregory Copeland, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. CNN has also reached out to the task force for comment.

According to court records, Mitchell and other soldiers were sitting in a van outside a Popeye’s on H Street Northeast on August 25 when an argument started about whether the soldiers’ hairstyles followed Army regulations.

One witness told detectives that Mitchell told the soldier he was arguing with that he would “slap the Jackson 5 out of you.” It’s not clear what that comment meant.

One soldier told detectives she heard a clicking noise after telling Mitchell to shut up and believed he had unclicked his holster. Other soldiers in the van later told police that Mitchell had drawn his weapon. One of the soldiers told detectives they saw Mitchell point his handgun at the solider he was arguing with.

Mitchell initially said during an interview with detectives that he pulled a pistol magazine out of his vest and pointed it at one of the soldiers during a playful argument. He later recanted his statement and said he pulled out his pistol and pointed it toward the soldier, but said the gun was aiming downward and not at the soldier’s head, according to court records.

A judge ordered Mitchell to be held in preventative detention without a cash bond due to the nature of the alleged crimes. His next court appearance is September 15.

National Guard troops from several states have been patrolling Washington, DC for more than a year after President Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency because of what he described as an out-of-control crime problem in DC.

Data showed, however, that violent crime reached decade lows in the city even before Trump’s deployment. The president also surged members of federal law enforcement to patrol the city alongside DC police officers.

Eight hundred soldiers were initially deployed to patrol the capital — a number that has grown to the thousands. The soldiers have become a part of life in DC, patrolling Metro stations, tourist attractions and neighborhoods throughout the city.

City crime rates this year are generally lower than they were last year. Total crime rates have fallen by 17%, homicides are down by 30% and robberies are down by 10%, according to data kept by the Metropolitan Police Department.

There are some outliers to the lower rates. Rates of violent crime rates are slightly higher than last year at 6%.

Another exception to the lower rates: reported incidents of assault with a dangerous weapon — the same crime Mitchell is accused of — are up 40% from last year.

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