A National Guard soldier died due to an “unspecified medical emergency” while guarding the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC amid reports of soldiers being hospitalized after being fed raw, under cooked food with metal shavings. The soldier was off duty at the time.
“Joint Task Force District of Columbia is sad to confirm the death of a National Guard member serving with the U.S. Capitol security mission due to an apparent medical emergency,” said the Joint Information Center spokesperson, Lt. Col. Robert Carver. “The individual was not on duty at the time, and the incident is under investigation.” In a statement to National File, National Guard’s Bureau of Public Affairs Media Operations Chief Nahaku McFadden asserts that the loss of life was not related to tainted or under cooked food.
However, McFadden notes that “His death is under investigation by the Washington D.C. Metro Police.” National File has inquired about the nature of this investigation with both the Bureau of Public Affairs Media Operations and the Metro Police and did not receive an immediate response.
The soldier, who has been identified as Specialist Justin Grennell, was reportedly found dead in the JW Marriott by his roommate. “New York National Guard Soldiers immediately called 911 and administered CPR until police and emergency services personnel arrived.”
On March 3, National File reported that multiple National Guard soldiers had been hospitalized after repeatedly being fed raw, undercooked food with metal shavings as they guard the Capitol in DC.
A whistleblower revealed to 7 Action News that National Guard troops in DC were being served raw, undercooked meals for several weeks, causing many of them to get sick and be sent to the hospital. On Sunday, almost 75 meals were subsequently thrown away after they were found to have contained pieces of metal inside.
“Yesterday, for instance, there were 74 different meals found with raw beef in them,” said an anonymous Michigan National Guard staff sergeant. “Just yesterday, the lunches were, soldiers had found metal shavings in their food.”
McFadden says no soldiers in Washington, D.C. have been hospitalized due to food poisoning since January 6.
Our nation’s capitol remains occupied by the military and it will continue to be until the fall. We have since seen homeless camps emerge just a few feet away from the occupied area, with homeless people doing drugs out in the open, as National File reported.
“Right across the street 15 feet away is a massive homeless camp with people doing drugs out in the open,” wrote Hookstead. “Our tax dollars at work. Citizens kept away from the Capitol using military force as homeless people overrun the neighborhoods doing drugs.”
Right across the street 15 feet away is a massive homeless camp with people doing drugs out in the open.
Our tax dollars at work. Citizens kept away from the Capitol using military force as homeless people overrun the neighborhoods doing drugs. pic.twitter.com/ncevTInvbz
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) March 13, 2021
This article was updated on March 14, 2021 to reflect a statement from the Army National Guard and to reflect media inquiries made by National File into the death of Specialist Grennell. National File still does not know the cause of this tragic loss of life.