A 28-year-old Washington man was arrested near the White House this week after National Guard troops accused him of pretending to shoot at them with a finger gun, then detained him until police arrived. William Clark now faces a misdemeanor charge and has pleaded not guilty.
According to NBC4 Washington, Clark was arrested for threats made in a menacing manner and for assault on a police officer following the encounter at 15th and E Streets NW. The alleged incident happened at about 5:20 p.m., when Clark held a cellphone in one hand while allegedly making a shooting gesture with a finger gun using the other, according to court documents cited by the station.
The Washington Post, which first reported the case, says National Guard troops driving near the White House detained Clark and called D.C. police to make the arrest over what the paper describes as a threatening hand gesture, according to court records. Per The Washington Post, an arrest affidavit states that Clark had a cellphone in one hand and used the other to pretend to shoot at the troops with a finger gun.
Misdemeanor Charge, Not Guilty Plea
Clark has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge he's facing, according to NBC4. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the station.
Under D.C. law, assaulting or threatening another person in a menacing manner is punishable by a fine not exceeding the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisonment for not more than 180 days, or both, according to the D.C. Council Code. The statute is the one cited in connection with the menacing-gesture allegation against Clark.
A Separate Guard Weapons Case From Earlier This Fall
Clark's arrest is not the only recent case involving National Guard members deployed in the district. In September, NPR reported that Zion Mitchell, a 21-year-old Georgia National Guard member, was arrested on felony charges after allegedly drawing his service weapon and pointing it at another soldier during a dispute over hairstyle regulations.
That alleged confrontation happened on Aug. 25, while several Guard members were sitting in a black van during a patrol break outside a Popeyes restaurant, according to NPR. At a preliminary hearing on Sept. 4, Mitchell was ordered held without bond in a D.C. jail, the outlet reported. The two cases are separate incidents and do not, on their own, establish a broader pattern involving Guard deployments in the capital.
