USA08 September, 20263 min read
Zion Mitchell Charged After Pointing Loaded Pistol At Fellow Georgia Guard Soldier Over Hair Rules
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Zion Mitchell, 21, Georgia Army National Guard specialist, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. Allegedly pointed a loaded pistol at a fellow Guardsman over hair-regulations dispute in DC.
Gun threat in van
A 21-year-old member of the Georgia Army National Guard, Zion Mitchell, is being held at the DC Jail after he allegedly pointed a loaded pistol at a fellow soldier during an argument over hairstyles while the two were sitting in a parked van outside a Popeye's on H Street Northeast.
Mitchell, who faces felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a dangerous crime, is accused in court records of a confrontation that began on August 25 and was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Court records cited by ABC 17 News say Mitchell was assigned to a task force patrolling Washington, D.C., and that the argument began when he and other soldiers debated whether their hairstyles complied with Army regulations.
A judge ordered Mitchell held in preventive detention without a cash bond, and he is due back in court on September 15, according to the reporting.
The alleged incident took place around 11:30 a.m. Aug. 25 inside a black van parked near the Popeyes restaurant at 1226 H Street NE, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court.
Witness accounts and quotes
Multiple witnesses told Metropolitan Police Department detectives that the argument escalated into Mitchell drawing and aiming his service weapon at a fellow Guardsman during a dispute over Army grooming rules.
One witness told detectives that Mitchell removed his service weapon and aimed it at the woman over another Guardsman’s shoulder, while a second witness also reported seeing Mitchell point the firearm in the woman’s direction, according to the probable cause affidavit.
In court records described by CNN, Mitchell told investigators he would “slap the Jackson 5 out of you” during the argument, and other soldiers later told police that Mitchell had drawn his weapon.
Mitchell’s account shifted, with court records described by ABC 17 News saying he initially claimed he had pulled a pistol magazine from his vest and pointed it at the soldier, but later said he had pulled out his pistol and pointed it toward the soldier, adding that the gun was aimed downward and not at the soldier's head.
Task & Purpose reported that Mitchell is “preventively detained” and currently held in the D.C. jail, with a status hearing scheduled for Sept. 15.
Deployment backdrop and stakes
The case is unfolding against the backdrop of a National Guard mission in Washington, D.C., where Zion Mitchell is identified as one of the more than 3,000 National Guardsmen mobilized over the last year to assist with crime prevention.
Task & Purpose said the incident was investigated by the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department while guardsmen were taking a break from patrol duties and sitting in a parked black van in front of a Popeyes on H Street in Northeast D.C.
CNN reported that President Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency because of what he described as an out-of-control crime problem in D.C., and that eight hundred soldiers were initially deployed to patrol the capital with the number later growing to the thousands.
Metropolitan Police Department data cited by CNN shows total crime rates have fallen by 17%, homicides are down by 30% and robberies are down by 10%, while violent crime is up 6% and assault with a dangerous weapon is up 40%.
The stakes for Mitchell’s case include the felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a dangerous crime, and the next court appearance is scheduled for September 15, according to the reporting.