❓WHAT HAPPENED: A National Guardsman intervened to stop an assault on a Park Police officer at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., amid President Donald J. Trump’s federalization of law enforcement in the American capital.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Staff Sergeant Hector Amaya of the D.C. Air National Guard and a Park Police officer.
📍WHEN & WHERE: August 16, 2025, at the National Mall, Washington, D.C.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I want people to see that we’re human beings, we’re their neighbors, we’re their friends, and we’re just here to help.” – Staff Sgt. Amaya
🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights the positive role of the National Guard in supporting public safety.
A District of Columbia Air National Guardsman intervened to stop an assault on a Park Police officer on August 16, amid President Donald J. Trump’s federalization of law enforcement in the American capital. The officer was directing traffic when the incident at the National Mall, one of the most visited landmarks in Washington, D.C., took place.
Staff Sergeant Hector Amaya, a security forces officer with the 113th Squadron, was patrolling the area with fellow airmen when he responded to the officer’s call for help. “The park police officer asked for our help, and I was the first one to catch up, and was able to detain him to the park police and turn him over,” Amaya stated.
Reflecting on his actions, Amaya expressed pride in serving the community where he has lived his entire life. “I have grown up and lived my entire life in the DMV. I remember coming here when I was in fifth grade for field trips, and all the way now into my 20s, I’m still coming to DC., so I care a lot about this city,” he said.
“I want people to see that we’re human beings, we’re their neighbors, we’re their friends, and we’re just here to help,” Amaya added, referring to the hostile reception some federal personnel have been receiving from far-left activists—including a now-former Department of Justice (DOJ) employee who assaulted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent.
President Trump has surged hundreds of National Guardsmen and personnel from federal law enforcement agencies into D.C., citing figures showing the American capital has worse homicide rates than many Third World capitals as evidence of a crime emergency.
Liberal critics of the America First leader claim D.C. statistics do not support the federalization, but the Fraternal Order of Police argue the crime statistics are being falsified, with one D.C. police commander already facing charges for allegedly doctoring the data to make crime appear lower.
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