By Sgt. Katlynn Pickle, Joint Task Force DC

Washington – U.S. National Guardsmen with the Georgia National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC) in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, detained a potential suspect in a reported battery around the corner of Wisconsin Ave NW and M St NW in Washington, July 26, 2026.

“My first concern was for my Soldiers,” says 1st Lt. Cormac McCarthy, a platoon leader with the Georgia National Guard, of the situation his Soldiers found themselves in. “I knew they were dealing with an uncooperative individual, so I immediately started thinking about what had occurred, whether anyone had been injured, and whether the team was following the proper steps to safely control the situation.”

Sgt. Jacob King and his team were walking on M Street towards Wisconsin Avenue when they were approached by a passer-by claiming to have been pushed down by another individual at the corner. The team immediately responded; making contact with and detaining the individual after he became erratic. “When the man locked eyes on us, he immediately started screaming at us and backing into the intersection of M and Wisconsin,” recalled Sgt. King. After making a radio request for support from local authorities. They gave the scene to law enforcement partners and switched to holding scene security. The Georgia Guardsmen maintained scene security as their partner agencies assessed the situation, and returned to patrol after he was taken for a mental health evaluation.

“My team was professional, methodical, and swift in the time of emergency and I couldn’t ask for a better group of soldiers to lead,” says Sgt. King about his team. “My training made me able to keep calm and properly control the situation through my team, and ensure the safety of not only my team but the civilians on the sidewalk next to us.”

Teams like Sgt. King’s undergo stringent de-escalation training in order to uphold not only the mission objective of assisting local authorities, but also to maintain public safety in emergency situations. “The training was very helpful during the situation. It allowed us to remain calm and composed while quickly gaining control of the situation and ensuring both our safety and the individual’s safety. It also helped us make sure that no pedestrians were injured,” says Spc. Arjun Shashank, a Soldier on Sgt. King’s team, regarding the training they completed. De-escalation training provides service members with the skills to communicate effectively, reduce risk to themselves and others, and prevent unnecessary physical force.

“I believe it’s important to treat everyone with respect, even in high-stress situations,” says Spc. Emilio Alvarado, a Soldier on Sgt. King’s team. “Regardless of what someone says to you or how they behave, maintaining professionalism and treating them with dignity helps keep the situation under control and reflects positively on our team.”