WASHINGTON –
U.S. Soldiers with the Georgia National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC) in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, assisted Metro Transit Police officers with locating and detaining a suspect at the Stadium Armory Metro Station in Washington, July, 27, 2026.
“It's a unique opportunity that the troops get to do,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Kiel. a Joint Task Force-District of Columbia battalion commander. “When local Police are not in the immediate area, we have the ability to cover down and support them.”
Guardsmen are tasked with doing safety patrols in areas that are considered high traffic for visitors and locals alike - such as the Metro stations, which span across the DC area. This allows them to react to threats or emergencies that may form.
The Soldiers on this particular patrol were alerted by the Metro Transit Police Department to be on the lookout for a male wearing a blue top, pink bottoms, and brown shoes, seen riding the metro. This particular team was riding the metro at the time the “Be On the Look Out” (BOLO) alert had come through. Shortly after the team received the alert, the train stopped and the suspect walked onto the train car. Greeting the Soldiers, the suspect sat behind them. The patrolling team made sure to be present near the individual until they asked the suspect to exit the train car at the Stadium Armory Metro Station.
“We actually used a good amount of our de-escalation training," says Sgt. Roberto Montes, the team leader of the responding team. “We were able to control the scene and keep the individual relatively calm until local police arrived.”
Upon the realization that the individual was being detained, he began to show erratic behavior and attempted to climb the metro entry gate. The responding team prevented him from doing so and informed him that they did not want to put him in restraints; but would if he proceeded to escalate. After talking with him for a little while, he was able to be calmed down until Metro Police arrived and took control of the suspect.
“It's cool that we are out here doing what we are trained to do.” said Pfc. Chastity Smith, one of the responding Soldiers. “It's great that we can help the community and help keep DC Safe and Beautiful.”
Soldiers operating around the clock in the DC area have had a direct effect on crime and its overall reduction. Assisting local authorities, local agencies and National Guardsmen have proven to be effective and efficient at responding to incidents of all manners. This also has the added benefit of allowing members from both agencies to learn from one another and reduce risk to the people living in or visiting the heart of the nation.