National Guard member arrested in DC, accused of pulling gun in argument over hairstyles

A National Guard member was arrested last week, accused of pointing a gun at a fellow guard member in late August, an arrest affidavit shows.

Zion Mitchell, 21, of Georgia, is facing felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm while committing a crime of violence or dangerous crime, according to the affidavit filed in District of Columbia Superior Court.

As of Friday, Mitchell was being held without bond because of “the nature of the crimes,” according to the court docket.

On Aug. 25, Mitchell and a group of National Guard members were on break from patrol and were sitting inside a black van in front of a Popeyes on H Street NE, the affidavit states.

During an argument with another guard member over whether their hairstyles followed Army regulations, Mitchell told her that he would “slap the Jackson 5 out of you,” with the ensuing back-and-forth leading to the woman telling Mitchell, “Shut the f‑‑‑ up. Try me,” per the affidavit.

At that point, the woman heard a “holster click,” with one witness saying, “Put that up. You almost shot me in the hand.” The woman was informed later that Mitchell had drawn his weapon.

The woman told investigators she believed Mitchell’s weapon was loaded, as all firearms held by National Guard members were. One witness told investigators that Mitchell said the gun “was on safe,” while another confirmed his gun was loaded and had a round in the chamber.

In addition to Mitchell and the woman, six National Guard members were in the van at the time. Several of them corroborated to investigators that Mitchell pointed his weapon at the woman.

During his interview with detectives, Mitchell initially said he was in a “playful argument” with the woman when he pulled a magazine out of his vest and pointed a pistol at her, adding it was part of the “playful banter,” the affidavit states.

The 21-year-old later recanted, saying he pointed the pistol “in the direction” of the woman but at a roughly 45-degree angle and not toward her head.

One witness, a woman, told investigators the alleged victim told her that Mitchell “threatens” women and did not get along with him after she rejected his advances.

National Guard troops have been in D.C. for more than a year as part of President Trump’s intention to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital.

As of Monday, more than 3,100 guard members from 17 Republican-led states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were in the capital, according to data from Joint Task Force D.C.

The Pentagon is planning to maintain a National Guard presence in D.C. through the end of Trump’s second term in January 2029, a guard official told The Hill in March.