What started as a disagreement over a soldier’s haircut took a serious turn when a National Guardsman allegedly pulled out his service weapon and pointed it at a fellow soldier in Washington, D.C.
According to CNN, Zion Mitchell, 21, a member of the Georgia National Guard, is facing felony charges after the August 25 confrontation. The two soldiers – Mitchell and a woman – were reportedly arguing about military grooming rules, specifically whether one soldier’s hair met Army standards. But according to court documents, the disagreement escalated inside a National Guard vehicle near a Popeyes restaurant on H Street Northeast.
Investigators say the soldiers were inside a van when, at some point in the argument, Mitchell allegedly told the woman he would “slap the Jackson 5 out of [her],” TMZ reported. That’s when the woman allegedly replied, “Shut the f**k up. Try me.”
Police say Mitchell then pulled out his handgun and pointed it toward the other soldier, according to The Washington Post. The weapon was loaded – as all Guard weapons are – making what might have otherwise been a heated workplace disagreement much more serious.
Mitchell gave investigators a different account of what happened. He reportedly said he had removed the magazine from the gun and described the confrontation as part of a “playful argument,” according to CNN. He also said the gun was pointed downward. Investigators, however, say he acknowledged pointing the weapon at the other soldier.
RELATED: A Black Man Was Fatally Shot by National Guard Troops in Memphis, Now His Family Demands Answers
According to KRCR, when another officer asked Mitchell why he had drawn the gun, Mitchell reportedly responded, “It doesn’t matter; it was on safe.”
The incident has now turned into a criminal case. Mitchell was arrested on Sept. 1 and now faces felony charges that include assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm while committing a crime of violence or dangerous offense, according to NPR.
A judge ordered him to be held without bond.
Military grooming rules can seem minor to people outside the armed forces, but appearance standards are taken seriously in the military as part of discipline and uniformity. Still, few disagreements over hair are expected to end with someone facing felony charges.
The situation is especially striking because Mitchell was on duty as part of the Georgia National Guard contingent deployed to Washington, where thousands of National Guard troops have been assisting with a federal public-safety operation, as we previously reported.
Debates over Guard presence have only escalated after President Donald Trump announced the occupation will continue until 2029, PBS reported.
The allegations have not been proven, and Mitchell is presumed innocent unless he is found guilty. But for him, a dispute that began with a conversation about hair has now become a much bigger legal and professional issue. He remains in custody while the case moves through the courts.
