Arming of some troops in US capital is latest escalation as president vows to target other cities led by Black Democrats
Some national guard units patrolling the US’s capital at the direction of Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of the president’s military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defense department.
A defense department official who was not authorized to speak publicly said some units on certain missions in Washington DC would be armed – some with handguns and others with rifles. The spokesperson said that all units with firearms had been trained and were operating under strict rules for use of force.
An Associated Press photographer on Sunday saw members of the South Carolina national guard outside Union Station with holstered handguns.
A statement from the joint taskforce that has taken over policing in Washington DC said units began carrying their service weapons on Sunday and that the military’s rules say force should be used “only as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm”. It said the force was committed to protecting “the safety and wellbeing” of Washington’s residents.
