Some National Guard members in Washington, D.C., likely fewer than 50, were to be armed starting Sunday night, a military official told CBS News. Video later confirmed that some of the troops were carrying weapons.
A spokesperson for the Joint Task Force in the nation's capital declined to disclose where and when guardsmen would be armed, citing security concerns.
"The Secretary of Defense has directed JTF-DC service members to carry their assigned service weapon," the Joint Task Force in D.C. told CBS News in a statement on Sunday. "Task force personnel operate under the established Rules for the Use of Force, which allow the use of force only as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm."
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