Jonathan Pentland’s booking photo, provided by the Richland County, SC, detention center.
Army Sergeant Jonathan Pentland was charged with third-degree assault after shoving a young Black man who was merely walking in a South Carolina neighborhood.
Video of the incident was posted on Monday (April 12) and went viral quickly.
The video shows It shows Pentland, who is white, demanding the victim to leave the area, telling him, “You’re in the wrong neighborhood, motherf—er” and then threatening him with physical violence.
“You either walk away or I’m going to carry your ass out of here,” Pentland tells the younger man. “I ain’t playing with you. I’m about to show you what I can do.”
Initially, Pentland was given a citation for malicious injury to property for allegedly slapping the man’s phone from his hand and causing it to shatter. However, on Wednesday, he was arrested and charged with third-degree assault.
To put the charge in perspective, 3rd Degree Assault: Reckless infliction of fear of serious bodily injury, or recklessly causing a fear of injury through the use of a deadly weapon.
The man, identified as Deandre, also lives in the neighborhood.
The Richland County Sherriff’s department issued a statement about the altercation through social media, calling the video “disturbing.”
Army Sergeant Jonathan Pentland and his wife own a home in The Lakes at Barony Place subdivision, where the encounter happened.
On Wednesday night, dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters showed up at Pentland's home.