"Soldier conduct on and off duty must be exemplary to retain the trust of our communities and our nation," the statement read. Pentland, meanwhile, has been charged with As seen on a viral video, 42-year-old Jonathan Pentland shoved 22-year-old Deandre Williams in a residential community in Richland County. On a separate encounter, Williams allegedly picked up a baby belonging to Hernandezs daughter-in law, she testified. Read moreRichland sheriff sued over the 2022 fatal shooting of man with mental illness, A former superintendent of the Lexington-Richland Five School District accused three current and former school board members and the districts accounting firm of conspiring and retaliating against him in a new countersuit. Authorities say 25-year-old Taijier Isaiah Ellis was found guilty of malicious injury to personal property and breach of peach for the April 14 incident. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Deandra tells Pentland "You smell drunk you are drunk," Deandre says as Pentland leans over him. The activist, named by local paper The State as Navy veteran Shea Harley, initially wore two masks as he screamed his outrage toward the Summit home of the drill sergeant who is charged with assaulting a black man after confronting him in a now-viral video. 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The problem is, my client was minding his own business.". Williams was yelling so loud and got so close to Hernandez, he was unintentionally spitting in her face, she testified. Williams motions his hand to point backward and focuses on the women behind Pentland. I wasnt supposed to be out there because I was recovering from COVID-19, but I had to let Johnathan Eugene Pentland KNOW!! He was arrested around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday on Gervais Street in downtown Columbia. Authorities say the bat was recovered and taken in as evidence. "I aint playing with you. Several witnesses said Williams was acting erratic or volatile before the incident. Pentland was charged with third-degree assault and suspended from his post after he was caught on camera pushing and yelling at a man named Deandre who was walking in a Columbia, South Carolina neighborhood earlier this month. Harley, who was wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt, soon ripped off his two masks a plain black one as well as a medical one under it as other protesters screamed their support of his impassioned tirade. The video and others from that day were played multiple times in court. I saw the conversation was one-sided, McDaniels testified. When Pentland arrived, he saw Williams in the face of a neighbor and got between Williams. Just before Ellis arrest, police were called to Gervais Street on reports of a man looking into cars and trying to get into a closed business. The incident was seen by some as another moment of racism against a Black man. All rights reserved. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis is reviewing his options in the matter of Sgt. Jonathan Pentland, 42, is a drill sergeant and US Army sergeant first class who approached a Black man on the sidewalk in a South Carolina subdivision in April of 2021. You have permission to edit this article. Your Army is committed to confronting racism, extremism, and corrosive behaviors, but I must remain mindful of protecting due process in both the civil and military jurisdictions as this proceeds.. High 78F. You dont deserve to serve another second in the United States Army, Harley yelled toward Pentlands home in the clip shared Wednesday, accusing him of betraying his oath to defend the Constitution. Instead, the judge determines the verdict. You trespassed on Pentlands property and knowingly exposed ppl to a deadly virus (you said you were dying), one commentator told him. Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. "I'm not harassing anyone, I'm walking through the neighborhood. Pentland has been working since 2019 as a drill instructor at Fort Jackson, a US Army base that is located in South Carolina. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said the man had been involved in incidents in the Columbia-area neighborhood recently, but none of them justified the assault that occurred., The young man was a victim, Lott said. Taijier Isaiah EllisCourtesy: Richland County Sheriffs Department. The defense also claimed police made several. In the video, Pentland can be seen confronting the victim on the sidewalk and instructing him to move away. Wake up son. Even Michael B. Jordan has to answer to his mother. In the viral video, the soldier continuously goes toe to toe with the black victim, identified only as Deandre, after accusing him of "hanging around" and "harassing the neighborhood.". The defense argued this was political interference, but McDaniels said the evidence was strong enough against Pentland that he would have signed the arrest warrant even without Lotts involvement. Gospel Hits for St. Louis. Jonathan Pentland, who was found guilty of assault on a Black man, is leaving the Columbia Army Installation, according to a statement from base Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But Shawn McDaniels, the Richland County sergeant who signed Pentlands arrest warrant, said Pentlands admission of shoving Williams during a suspect interview and analysis of the video justified charging him. The defense argues Pentland was trying to protect his wife, but McDaniels, citing Pentlands exact words, doesnt believe that. View our online Press Pack. We are the nation's Army and we continue to value and strengthen our shared trust with our local communities. Pentland has said he feared for his and his wifes safety, and the young man is accused of earlier assaults, The Washington Post reported. Pentland's case first made national headlines back in April when he was recorded accosting Williams as he walked through a South Carolina neighborhood. Soldiers are trained to conduct themselves in a respectful manner and adhere to the Army values. Im about to do somthing to you. Williams father testified that his son, once a high-performing student, suffered potential brain damage after suffering from lymphoma, a type of cancer. Even if I wanted to scratch the first and second assault because they were near his wife and neighbors, at (the third) point he was walking away, and because he had his phone up lawfully, thats an assault, McDaniels said. The defense also alleged law enforcement failed to conduct a thorough investigation. He has since posted bond and been released from jail. } The man was mentally ill and has since been committed to a facility for treatment, according to DailyMail.com. I do not want to take any actions now that could interfere with the fair resolution of civilian criminal charges., I want to reiterate that the command in no way condones the behaviors and actions depicted, he continued. A native of Boston, he spent three years at the Greenwood Index-Journal and has won multiple South Carolina Press Association awards for his reporting. I am arguing that Mr. Pentland was defending a threat to the neighborhood, Pentland's lawyer, BenjaminStitely, said Aug. 23. 1st Class Jonathan Pentland will be transferred out to a new duty station, An ambulance donation will make learning easier for students, Alex Murdaugh trial: All sides rest in the case after final witnesses testify, Planets will be easily found in the March night sky, found guilty of third degree assault in Richland County Court, Summit neighborhood in northeast Richland County, Ft. Jackson soldier found guilty in assault captured in viral video, Bystanders in viral video speak out after neighborhood incident, Soldier charged after viral video incident in Columbia's Summit neighborhood. While on the stand, McDaniels admitted he did not obtain audio from the original 911 call to see why police were called in the first place. The threat was not him walking toward his wife, McDaniels said. COLUMBIA, S.C. (Tribune News Service) A judge found suspendedFort Jackson ArmySgt. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This April 14, 2021, booking photo provided by the Richland County, S.C., detention center shows U.S. Army Sgt. Pentland, meanwhile, has been charged with third-degree assault and battery Wednesday and has also been suspended from his duties. The star and director of Creed III got candid with ET about his steamy Calvin Klein campaign on the premiere red carpet Monday night. Pentland was charged with assault after a threatening rant in which he told the man he was "in the wrong neighborhood.". Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. The threat was him talking to his wife. ", In social media footage, protesters screamed: "No justice, no peace.. According to reports, authorities initially handed Pentland a citation for malicious injury to property for slapping the man's phone out of his hand and smashing it. Asked about the hours and days leading up to the altercation, McDaniels said those were closed cases and not relevant to the video evidence of Pentland shoving Williams. These iconic individuals continuously catalyze some of the most significant moments in pop culture. A bench trial does not include a jury. Sgt. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. All Rights Reserved. Court records show a judge granted him a personal recognizance bond totaling $3,212.50. His third-degree assault charge is a misdemeanor and he faces a fine of not more than $500 and/or 30 days behind bars. Deandre then told the sergeant not to touch him and Pntland replied, What are you going to do? H thn says, Lts go, walk away. Pentland's wife, Cassie, said on the stand she was fearful that Williams was going to charge at her at the time of the shove, which "created space" to ward him off. Pentlands attorney,Benjamin Allen Stitely, argued that the altercation was based on behavior by the alleged victim before cameras were turned on and that Pentland was justified in his actions. Throughout the trial, Williams mental state was contrasted against the demeanor of Pentland. Glad his career is over. The situation stemmed from an incident that happened in the Summit neighborhood in northeast Richland County back on April 12, 2021. You are talking to my wife right now," the soldier warns. Or is it just a bunch of racist white knights talking for a people they dont think are smart enough to do it for themselves. Deputies were called to the scene at the request of a concerned citizen who reported an altercation was taking place. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @AdamNewshound12. Jonathan Pentland, 42, will spend either 30 days in jail or pay a $1,087 fine after the guilty verdict from Magistrate Judge Diedra Wilson Hightower onthe misdemeanor charge. COLUMBIA Fort Jackson Army Sgt. Im about to show you what I can do.". To get alerts for breaking news, download the ABC Columbia News App for iPhone or Android, Suspect, out on bond, accused of Fairfield Co. double murder, Irmo Police search for alleged Smoothie King robber, Mortgage rates rise for third straight week, 18-year-old forced girl, 15, to perform sex act: Police, $10,000 reward for information leading to arrest in murder case, SLED: Richland woman charged with fraudulent application for driver's license. Protesters are at the home of Jonathan Pentland, the racist Army sergeant who assaulted a young Black man pic.twitter.com/DIHJxV5EwS. The woman, Hernandez, cried out yelling for someone to call 911, Wilson testified. New details about Williams also emerged in court. Example video title will go here for this video. A portion of the video was captured on a cell phone and then shared across the community and the country on social media. COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) The Richland County Sheriffs Department says the man accused of vandalizing the home of Jonathan Pentland in April was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine. Jonathan Pentland, who is a U.S. Army soldier assigned to Fort Jackson, was arrested at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Pentland will be transferred to a new assignment at an unnamed duty station. Pentland didn't use any slurs during the run-in, according to witness testimony and the film clip, and race was never mentioned during the trial. The trial, which lasted nearly 21 hours over two days, marked the first time either Pentland or Williams spoke publicly since the confrontation. Williams spoke to the threat that Pentland posed him that day and the threat he could potentially post to others. Pentland has not been relocated but the Richland County Sheriffs Department doesnt know where he is, a department spokesperson told the Daily Mail on Friday. A white Army drill sergeant who was arrested and charged for harassing and assaulting a Black man for being in the wrong neighborhood will be tried in a civilian court. "Things are being hidden from us.". Move on.". The second was caught on video. Williams, witnesses say, was preparing to strike or verbally attack the women, who were three or four feet behind Pentland. Jonathan Pentland has been found guilty after he was recorded shoving and harassing a young Black man named Deandre Williams in a South Carolina neighborhood. "I'm just thankful that we were able to get things done. Im on your yard, bro, I'm on your territory at this point, one woman roared outside a property believed to be his home. According to investigators, cell phone video shows Ellis smashing a light on the Pentland home with a baseball bat and later disposing of the baseball bat down a storm drain. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. mistakes in conducting the investigation. 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