D.C. National Guard soldiers temporarily detained a man on Friday who the authorities say assaulted a U.S. Park Police officer on the National Mall. It was the first such action by the Guard since President Trump ordered 800 Guard troops to the streets of the capital this week to help fight crime. Local officials have criticized the deployment as unnecessary.
The Park Police officer asked for help after being thrown to the ground during an altercation with the man, an Army spokesman said.
A National Guard team observed the incident and asked if the officer needed help, the spokesman said. When the officer said yes, the Guard team pursued and detained the person about a block away.
The man was escorted back to the Park Police officer and transferred to Park Police custody, the spokesman said. The Park Police said in an email that the person had been arrested on the charge of assault on a police officer, and would make an appearance in court on Saturday.
The Guard members deployed in Washington do not have arrest authority, but are authorized to temporarily detain people until federal authorities take them into custody. This week, they have largely been a presence near monuments or around high-profile buildings like Union Station. Much of the heightened police activity in other parts of the city in recent days has involved D.C. police officers, along with federal agents from the F.B.I. and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times. He has reported on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism for more than three decades.
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