National Guardsman Charged With Pointing Gun at Another Soldier on D.C. Patrol

A National Guard soldier has been charged with felony assault, accused of pointing his service gun at another soldier while they were on patrol in Washington, D.C., last month.

Zion Mitchell, 21, of Macon, Ga., drew his handgun and pointed it at a female Guard member during an argument while on patrol on a commercial strip in Washington’s Northeast quadrant, according to a criminal complaint filed in criminal court last week that cited the testimony of the victim and several of Mr. Mitchell’s fellow soldiers.

Mr. Mitchell initially denied drawing his gun, according to the complaint, and said he had a “playful” dispute with the female soldier, but later told investigators he pointed it at a downward angle toward her. The victim told a D.C. police detective that she and Mr. Mitchell had gotten into an argument “over their hairstyles and whether they were following Army regulations.”

The office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, charged Mr. Mitchell with two felonies: assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, Mr. Mitchell could face up to 10 years in prison for the assault charge and up to 15 years for the gun possession charge. The gun possession charge requires a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.

Serious crimes committed by members of the military are typically tried through military courts and lawyers instead of the civilian justice system. Ms. Pirro’s office and the National Guard force deployed to Washington did not immediately respond to questions about why Mr. Mitchell had been charged in civilian court.

Mr. Mitchell was not granted bond “due to the nature of the crimes,” and is being held in the D.C. jail, according to court records. Gregory W. Copeland, Mr. Mitchell’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.