A member of the Oklahoma National Guard deployed to Washington, D.C., was arrested on Monday, September 28, 2026, for carrying an unauthorized firearm. Spec. Jakob Noonan, 22, was stopped by U.S. Park Police while off duty in his personal vehicle for an expired license tag. Officers reported finding a pistol in the vehicle, which Noonan acknowledged he did not have a District of Columbia permit to carry.
The arrest occurred during a mission initiated by President Donald Trump in August 2025 to address crime in the capital. The deployment, which included more than 5,000 troops during America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, currently maintains about 3,000 members. Guard members have assisted law enforcement in arrest operations and performed tasks such as snow removal and beautification projects.
According to court documents, Noonan told officers that Oklahoma is an open-carry state and that the firearm was registered to him there. He was charged in D.C. Superior Court with carrying a pistol without a license and had his first court appearance on September 29, 2026. This is the second arrest of a task force member in two months, following the August arrest of Georgia National Guard member Zion Mitchell for allegedly pulling a weapon on a fellow soldier during a dispute over regulation haircuts.
The arrest affects the roughly 3,000 National Guard members currently stationed in Washington, D.C. The deployment, which has been extended until January 2029, places service members under the jurisdiction of District laws. In this case, a soldier from Oklahoma faces charges for not possessing a District-specific concealed-carry permit.
For District residents and local officials, the incident contributes to ongoing debates regarding the cost and necessity of the deployment. The mission is funded by federal taxpayer money, and critics cited by the Associated Press have described the deployment as a waste of funds that normalizes military presence in a domestic urban environment.
Noonan’s legal proceedings will continue in D.C. Superior Court. His court-appointed attorney has not yet commented on the case. Meanwhile, Zion Mitchell remains held without bond following his September 4 preliminary hearing on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Joint Task Force has not yet issued a formal response regarding the recent arrests.