A Fort Jackson soldier was found guilty Monday for pushing and threatening a Black man in a South Carolina neighborhood back in April.
Army Sgt. Jonathan Pentland, 42, was found guilty of a misdemeanor count of third-degree assault. He will also have to choose between paying a $1,087 fine and spending 30 days in jail.
Video of the confrontation between Pentland and the man went viral after it was posted to Facebook. The soldier, who was suspended after the video surfaced, can be seen shoving Deandre Williams, 22. He can be heard telling Williams, “You’re in the wrong neighborhood.”
Pentland testified at the two-day trial that he was trying to protect his family. He maintains that Williams was acting strangely. William’s father testified that his son struggled after having had a form of cancer that caused swelling in his brain two years ago. He told the court his son has some difficulty understanding things.
Pentland’s attorney maintains that police did not thoroughly investigate the altercation. He claims other factors led up to Pentland confronting Williams. Two previous incidents involving Williams had been reported to deputies. In one instance, he touched a woman without her consent and allegedly picked up someone’s baby. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department offered up his underlying medical condition as reasoning for his behavior.
“We are, of course, disappointed with the judge’s decision and are looking into further pursuing legal remedies to challenge the decision,” Pentland’s attorney, Benjamin Stitely, said in a statement.
