A top Navy civilian has been charged with brandishing a personal handgun for a June encounter where he allegedly pointed the gun at men on the street near his Northern Virginia home.
Karnig Ohannessian, a deputy assistant Navy secretary, was charged in Fairfax Country with three misdemeanor counts of brandishing a firearm, according to The Washington Post.
The encounter was captured on cell phone video. In it, Ohannessian points his gun at the men in response to their taunting, while a women tries to defuse the situation.
Ohannessian is the primary adviser to the assistant Navy secretary for energy, installations and environmental programs. He is a registered professional engineer who has received two meritorious civilian service awards from the Navy Department.
The Navy placed him on administrative leave after the cell phone video emerged in early July following a CBS News report.
"We are aware of the charges," Navy spokesman Cmdr. Mike Kafka said in a Tuesday statement. "Mr. Ohannessian was placed on administrative leave by the Navy upon notification of the incident (7 July) and remains on leave. For information on the charges I refer you to local authorities."
