The top enlisted leader at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island was arrested on Friday after getting into an altercation with a former Marine drill instructor leading a protest outside the base, Stars and Stripes reports.
Sgt. Maj. Paul Archie, 44, who advises the base's commanding general, turned himself in to Port Royal police on a charge of third-degree assault and battery, Stripes reports.
The arrest stemmed from a heated argument between Archie and Ethan Arguello, who was wearing a campaign cover drill instructors are known to wear.
"He pulls up and he walks up to me and says, ‘Are you Ethan Arguello?' I said ‘yes', and he said ‘I spoke to you on the phone yesterday' and I said ‘yes'. He said ‘I know I told you not to wear that campaign cover,'" Arguello told WTOC-TV. "As I gave ground, he took ground. I'm slowly backing up as he's coming after me, close and closer. We were both 12 inches from face to face at this point."
Arguello, who was protesting against the release of five Taliban detainees in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, told police that Archie lunged at him, knocked his hat off and took it, then got back into his car and drove away, Stripes reported.
Police recovered the hat from Archie and gave it back to Arguello, who filed charges afterward, WTOC reported.
The recruit depot at Parris Island, about five miles from Beaufort, is one of only two sites where the Corps trains enlisted recruits.
Here's video of the altercation: