Charges filed; confrontation caught on camera in South Carolina neighborhood
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Leon Lott, Richland County Sheriff in South Carolina, has announced charges against Jonathan Pentland, 42, who's a soldier stationed at Fort Jackson, over a confrontation caught on camera.
Pentland faces third-degree assault charges.
The video, circulating through social media with millions of views, shows an encounter between Pentland, who is white, and a black man on the sidewalk in The Lakes at Barony Place subdivision that has led to community outrage. Deputies aren't identifying the victim, who's seen in the video getting pushed by Pentland.
It's unclear what exactly led to the fight. WACH is working to confirm those details.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department took two reports of incidents after the video was shot Monday, April 12.
Both were accusations from women in the neighborhood, according to information provided by the Richland County Sheriff's Department.
According to one incident report, an African-American man approached a woman walking in the area on April 8, put his hand around her waist and then put her hand down the side of her shorts. The woman then pushed away and when she did, her shorts partially came down. As she pulled her shorts back up, the man put his arm around her waist for a second time, according to the incident report. The woman then ran back into her home.
A second incident report showed on April 10 a woman was walking when an African-American man approached her and picked up a baby who was with her. The woman said he tried to walk away with the baby but she grabbed the child back. She said this happened three times before she told the man it was not her baby and she "did not have the right to allow people to hold the child." She then went home and said she wanted to prosecute, but no charges have been filed, according to the incident report.
Officials have not confirmed whether the man seen in the video is involved with any of those incident reports.
The footage on April 12 starts with Pentland demanding that the man "go away." The man responds by suggesting Pentland call the police.
According to The Associated Press "throughout the three-minute video, Pentland continuously demands that the other man leave the neighborhood, getting in his face and, at one point, pushing the man, who almost falls to the ground."
A woman not seen in the video says, "they've already been called."
When Pentland asked what he was doing in the neighborhood, the man responded by explaining that he is walking and lives nearby.
"Then walk," Pentland responds.
The woman behind the camera then says, "you've been here for like, 15 minutes."
"Let's go. Walk away," the soldier said.
That's when the man being confronted asks if it was being recorded.
"I'm happy to help you," Pentland, standing barefoot on the sidewalk, responded.
The two then argue about Pentland allegedly pushing the young man.
"I didn't hit you," Pentland exclaims, "there's a difference between pushing. You're aggressing on our neighborhood."
That's when Pentland is seen pushing the other man and begins screaming, "you walk away!"
The man says, "how can I be the aggressor when someone came running up on me."
The Pentland then shoves the man and yells at him, "You walk away!"
Both then discuss the soldier's wife, though it is unclear exactly what her involvement is in the incident.
"Check it out, you either walk away, or I'm going to carry your ass out of here; what do you want to do," says Pentland?
The young man responds by exclaiming Pentland better not touch him.
"I didn't do anything to you," the man responds.
"I'm about to do something to you. You better start walking," Pentland demands.
"You come after me like that," asks the young man?
"I ain't coming after you. You're in the wrong neighborhood, m*****f*****. Get out."
"I live here," the man responds.
Pentland then asks where the young man lives.
"Maybe we should walk you home," someone off-camera suggests. It's unclear what the young man says.
"You want to bet what I can do?" Pentland asks.
"I live here, sir," the man said.
Pentland accuses the man of harassing the neighborhood, who responds by saying he was just walking around.
"Check it out. We are a tight-knit community. We take care of each other," Pentland explains. The man responds by asking how long Pentland has lived in the area.
"A hell of a lot longer than you're a**, because I've not seen you before in my life," Pentland responds.
"You walked up to me," the man explains.
"Check it out, m*****f*****, I ain't playing with you. You either get your a** moving, or I'm going to move you," Pentland demands.
"You smell drunk," the man notes.
"You wanna bet?" Pentland asks.
"I'm about to show you what I can do," Pentland is heard saying.
The two continue to argue about walking away and where to go when the video ends.
The Associated Press also reported "at the end of the video, a woman who Pentland identifies as his wife can be heard telling the other man that he had picked a fight with "some random young lady" in the neighborhood, a claim the Black man then denies."
Fort Jackson officials said they have begun their investigation and are working with local authorities.
"Thank you to the community for bringing this to our attention and we will get to the bottom of this ASAP," said Fort Jackson Commanding General Brig. Gen. Milford H. "Beags" Beagle Jr. in a statement.
According to The Associated Press Beagle said Army officials "have begun our own investigation and are working with the local authorities."
The AP also reported earlier this year, the Department of Defense announced that Beagle would take over as commanding general at Fort Drum, New York, to be succeeded at Fort Jackson by Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis. An official transfer date has not been announced."
