U.S. Army Sergeant Under Investigation For Threatening Black Teen If He Doesn't Get Out Of His Neighborhood

From Heavy.com- Jonathan Pentland is a U.S. Army sergeant first class who is being investigated over a viral video from Columbia, South Carolina. The 42-year-old Pentland is based at Fort Jackson in Columbia, according to now-deleted photos on his unit’s Facebook page. Pentland was identified by social media users on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, a day after the video was posted online.

The video, which can be seen above, shows Pentland pushing, threatening and yelling at a young Black male, who has only been identified as Deandre, in the Columbia neighborhood where Pentland lives. Pentland can be heard in the video, which was posted on Facebook, telling Deandre to leave the neighborhood, and questioning him when he says he also lives there. The incident takes place on a public sidewalk in the Summit neighborhood of Columbia, according to the woman who posted it. She said Pentland also broke Deandre’s phone.

After hundreds of Twitter users sent the video to accounts associated with Fort Jackson, many accusing Pentland of displaying racist behavior, and asking if the Army condoned it, Fort Jackson Commanding General Milford Beagle Jr. tweeted, “This is by no means condoned by any service member. We will get to the bottom of this ASAP.”