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Zion Mitchell faces felony charges after allegedly pointing a service revolver at a fellow National Guard member in Washington, D.C.

Zion Mitchell, a 21-year-old National Guard member from Georgia, was arrested on felony charges after an argument over hair regulations led to him allegedly pointing a service revolver at a colleague. The incident occurred on August 25 while the guardsmen were on a patrol break inside a black van parked outside a Popeyes restaurant in Northeast Washington, D.C. During the exchange, Mitchell and a female guard member argued over whether their hairstyles followed Army regulations. The argument escalated until the female guard member told Mitchell to "shut the f*** up." At that point, Mitchell allegedly drew his pistol and pointed it in the direction of the colleague. While Mitchell initially told detectives the interaction was "playful banter," he later recanted and admitted to pointing the weapon at a user's direction, though he stated it was angled downward at 45 degrees. Mitchell faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous crime. He was ordered held without bond due to the nature of the crimes. The National Guard was deployed to Washington, D.C. by President Trump as part of an anti-crime initiative that began in August 2025.

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