Anna King, a retired U.S. Army captain who served in Iraq and received both a Purple Heart and Bronze Star, was detained by three Idaho National Guard members outside her home on May 8. Video footage from her Ring security camera shows the troops entering her front gate, confronting her while she sat on a bench, and forcing her to the ground while restraining her with zip ties. King repeatedly told the guard members they had no authority to detain her as they wrestled her to the pavement.
The ACLU of the District of Columbia and private law firm Levy Firestone Muse have filed a federal tort claim on King’s behalf seeking $3 million in damages for what they characterize as an assault resulting in serious injuries. According to King’s legal team, the National Guard claimed she had assaulted a guard member two days prior, a claim they describe as baseless and note no charges have been filed in connection with such an incident. King’s attorneys suggest she was targeted due to her vocal opposition to the National Guard deployment, citing signs she displayed outside her residence including messages stating “Occupation: Troops Out.”
The three guardsmen belong to nearly 5,000 National Guard members deployed to D.C. as part of an anti-crime initiative launched last August. These troops have been deputized as special police by the U.S. Marshals Service and carry handguns, an unusual configuration for domestic National Guard operations. While they lack arrest authority, they are permitted to detain individuals pending officer arrival.
Following her detention by the National Guard, metropolitan police were called and King was held overnight. She now faces charges of assaulting the guard members who detained her. King reported sustaining serious wrist injuries from the zip ties requiring surgery and experiencing post-traumatic symptoms including sleep disturbances and nightmares. Despite the incident, she has stated her intention to continue protesting the National Guard presence in the city.
The Idaho National Guard stated it takes allegations of misconduct seriously but declined further comment citing ongoing litigation. Michael Perloff, her attorney at the ACLU, argued that National Guard members lack training for police work and are not equipped for such domestic assignments.
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