The army drill sergeant who was filmed shoving a black man and telling him that he ‘came to the wrong neighborhood motherf****r’ has been charged with third-degree assault.
42-year-old Jonathan Pentland, a Ford Jackson Drill Instructor, was charged after accusing the young man of ‘hanging around’ a gated community in South Carolina, said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.
The video of the altercation at the Lakes at Barony Place in Richland County quickly went viral and Pentland had been identified right away.
In the video, Pentland can be heard telling the young man, identified as Deandre: “You’re in the wrong neighborhood. I ain’t playing with you… I’m about to show you what I can do.”
If found guilty, the army drill sergeant faces 30 days in prison and a $500 fine.
Pentland is listed as detained in the Richland County jail. According to online jail records, he issued a personal recognizance bond.
Throughout the clip, Pentland continuously instructed Deandre to leave the area. At one point, he pushed the young man and he almost fell to the ground.
Sheriff Lott said the other man had been involved in other incidents before the video but “none of them justified the assault that occurred.”
“The first time I saw the video, it was terrible. It was unnecessary,” he added, noting that he had met with community officials and leaders before speaking with reporters.
Fort Jackson Commanding General Brig. Gen. Beagle, Jr took to Twitter and said: “This is by no means condoned by any service member. We will get to the bottom of this ASAP.”
A spokesperson for the base told Daily Mail that Fort Jackson was working with authorities and that “this type of behavior is not consistent with our Army Values and will not be condoned.”
One person commented: “What a bully, good for him! Men like this are so weak, I can’t imagine how he treats his wife when they argue!!! We’ll be hearing his insincere apology soon, about how he was drunk or that this isn’t his true character. And the neighborhood seems to be gated, not private! Who does he think he is?”
Another wrote: “Good. I hate power/ego hungry guys who are out to pick a fight. Kindness goes a long way.”
A third added: “Way to go genius. You risked your military rank, pension, and benefits for what exactly? So you could feel like a man pushing around a guy half your size?”
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