A National Guard member deployed to Washington, D.C., as part of a mission launched by President Donald Trump was arrested and charged with a firearms offense after a U.S. Park Police traffic stop, according to documents reviewed by the Associated Press and an emailed statement from the Park Police.
The stop and the charge
The AP reported that Spec. Jakob Noonan, 22, of the Oklahoma National Guard, was arrested Monday and charged with carrying a pistol without a license. The AP said the vehicle was stopped for an expired tag while Noonan was with a fellow Guard member.
The U.S. Park Police said an officer observed an empty holster in the rear of the vehicle, asked if there was a firearm inside, and Noonan confirmed there was. According to the Park Police statement, Noonan was off duty, not in uniform, and driving his personal vehicle at the time. Law enforcement statements filed with the arrest said several responding officers spotted the pistol.
Court papers cited by the AP say Noonan told authorities he was temporarily living in D.C. for the Guard operation, said Oklahoma is an open-carry state, and said the firearm was registered to him there. He acknowledged he did not have a valid District of Columbia concealed-carry permit, according to the statement, and a records check confirmed that.
Court status and responses
According to the complaint, Noonan was charged with carrying a pistol without a license and had his first court appearance on Sept. 29 in D.C. Superior Court. The AP reported that a call to the Superior Court public defender’s office to reach his court-appointed attorney was not returned, and an email to the attorney was not immediately answered. The Joint Task Force overseeing the Guard deployment did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the AP.
Second arrest tied to the DC mission
The AP noted this is the second time in two months a member of the task force has been arrested. In August, Georgia National Guard member Zion Mitchell was arrested and later charged after he allegedly pulled a gun on a fellow Guard member in an apparent dispute over regulation haircuts, according to the AP.
Why the Guard is in Washington
The AP reported that Guard presence in Washington has been continuous since the deployment began in August 2025, when Trump issued an emergency order because of what he said was out-of-control crime. Over the summer, more than 5,000 troops were in the capital during celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary; the number has since been scaled down to around 3,000, the AP said. Guard members have supported law enforcement in arrest operations and have also taken part in beautification projects and snow removal. According to the AP, the deployment has been extended until January 2029.
