WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Oklahoma National Guardsman Jakob Noonan, 22, faces a felony charge after police found a 9mm Canik pistol during a traffic stop.
  • Noonan told officers the firearm was registered in Oklahoma but acknowledged that he lacked a valid Washington, D.C. concealed carry permit.
  • The traffic stop began over vehicle registration that had expired in May, and Noonan disclosed that a firearm was inside the vehicle.
  • Joint Task Force-District of Columbia said service members are expected to maintain high standards of professionalism and conduct.

An Oklahoma National Guardsman deployed to Washington, D.C., was arrested after a traffic stop led Metropolitan Police Department officers to a pistol that was not registered in the district. The service member now faces a felony charge for carrying the weapon without a local license.

Court records identify the guardsman as Jakob Noonan, 22, who was charged Tuesday with carrying a 9mm Canik pistol without a license. Noonan told police that he was in Washington with his National Guard unit as part of its deployment to the capital.

According to a federal affidavit filed in Washington, D.C. Superior Court, Noonan told officers that the firearm was legally registered to him in Oklahoma. He also acknowledged that he lacked the permit required in the district.

“He stated that Oklahoma is an open-carry state and that the firearm was registered to him in Oklahoma. He acknowledged that he did not possess a valid District of Columbia concealed-carry permit,” the affidavit said.

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Washington, D.C. law treats carrying a pistol outside a home without a permit as a felony. The offense carries a possible fine or a prison sentence of up to five years, turning an expired registration stop into a serious legal fight for the guardsman.

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Image Credit: DoW
U.S. Army Soldiers from the District of Columbia National Guard, activated in support of D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, at the National Mall, Washington, D.C., Aug. 18, 2025. President Donald J. Trump activated the D.C. National Guard under Title 32 to assist Federal and Washington, D.C. law enforcement within the nation’s capital, Aug. 11, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Nina Cortez)

The affidavit says Noonan was initially arrested for carrying a pistol and 12 rounds of ammunition without a permit. The final charges, however, list only the pistol and do not include the ammunition.

The encounter began Monday, when a Metropolitan Police Department officer pulled Noonan over because his vehicle registration had expired in May. During the stop, Noonan informed the officers that he had a firearm inside his vehicle.

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Police arrested Noonan on Tuesday and took him to the station. An online inmate search tool showed that he was no longer in Washington, D.C. jail custody as of Friday.

Photos released by the Department of War during the previous month identified Noonan as a specialist with the Oklahoma National Guard. His unit was among the National Guard forces deployed to Washington.

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D.C. National Guard soldiers supporting Joint Task Force D.C. (JTF-DC) stand guard at Union Station in Washington D.C., Aug. 15, 2025. Approximately 800 National Guard service members comprise JTF-DC to support the DC Safe and Beautiful Taskforce. These National Guard service members provide critical support such as crowd management, presence patrols and perimeter control in support of law enforcement. D.C. Guard Soldiers and Airmen are proud to say, “we live here, we work here, we serve here.” (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Filzen)

A Joint Task Force-District of Columbia spokesperson told Task & Purpose on Saturday afternoon that the task force knew about the arrest. The spokesperson described the arrested individual as a service member assigned to the task force.

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“JTF-DC service members are expected to maintain high standards of professionalism and conduct at all times. This matter will be addressed in accordance with established policies and procedures,” the spokesperson said, directing additional questions to the Metropolitan Police Department.

More than 3,000 National Guard troops remain deployed in the nation’s capital as part of a mobilization ordered by President Donald Trump in August 2025. Trump cited crime prevention as the reason for ordering the mobilization.

The source reported that crime in Washington was at a 30 year low before Trump took office. It also said National Guard patrols have mostly remained in tourist heavy sections of the city with low crime and have had little impact on crime.

Joint Task Force-District of Columbia reported that 56 Oklahoma guardsmen were participating in the Washington mission as of mid September. Noonan told police that he was deployed to the city with his National Guard unit.

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National Guard soldiers take part in the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, near the "Reflecting Pool" in Washington, D.C., Aug. 16, 2025.

The timeline in the affidavit places the traffic stop on Monday and Noonan’s arrest on Tuesday. By Friday, the online inmate search no longer listed him as being held in Washington, D.C. jail custody.

The case centers on the difference between Noonan’s firearm status in Oklahoma and the permit requirements enforced in Washington, D.C. Noonan told officers that Oklahoma permits open carry, but he admitted that he did not have a valid district concealed carry permit.