‘What Are You Doing Here? Keep Walking!’: Soldier Who Assaulted, Berated Black Man Arrested

A U.S. Army sergeant first class has been arrested after a shocking viral video showed him berating and psychically assaulting a Black man he did not believe lived in his South Carolina neighborhood.

The white man was quickly identified by social media users and news outlets as U.S. Army sergeant first class Jonathan Pentland, a drill sergeant at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, after the Monday video went viral showing his altercation with the man at the Lakes at Barony Place - a gated community in Richland County located in the Summit neighborhood.

Fort Jackson Commanding General Brig. Gen. Milford Beagle, Jr, took to social media to announced that Pentland had been arrested.

“The leaders at Fort Jackson in no way condone the behavior depicted in the video and will work closely with each law enforcement agency as investigations move forward. The Soldier in the video is stationed at Fort Jackson and has been charged by Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Department of Justice at the federal level is also looking into the incident. The command team, our Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID) agents, and our Staff Judge Advocate teams are all engaged with their professional counterparts and civil authorities to seek the facts which will determine how the investigations progress.”

The three-minute clip shows Pentland repeatedly scream at the man - identified only as Deandre - to “go away now.”

“Go away, right now,” Pentland says. “What is it you’re doing here?”

Twitter, I’m told this super douche lives in The Summit in Columbia, South Carolina. If you recognize him, please DM me — I want to make sure the name I have is accurate before I blast it all over social media. pic.twitter.com/LYAVzL2FaE

— Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) April 13, 2021

Deandre says he was walking and suggested Pentland call the police. A woman not seen on camera says officers have been called.

“You’re aggressing on our neighborhood,” Pentland says, shoving Deandre. “You better walk away or I’m going to carry your (expletive) out of here.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Deandre says.

“I’m about to do something to you,” Pentland says. “You better start walking.”

“You’re in the wrong neighborhood, (expletive),” Pentland shouts. “Get out. Get out.”

Pentland then accused Deandre of “harassing the neighborhood.” Deandre says he lives in the neighborhood, but does not answer questions asking where.

“Check it out, we are a tight-knit community,” Pentland says. “We take care of each other.”

The video does not show how the confrontation started or ended.

Shirell Johnson, one of the black women who came to see the commotion, took to Facebook to share the video after the woman who initially filmed it - identified as Lady Shadae - shared it with her.

Johnson shared that the group of women waited with Deandre until police arrived and “repeatedly informed the officer” that he was assaulted by Pentland, with the Army sergeant first class knocking his phone out his hand and cracking it.

She added: “The officer told us that his supervisor told him that he could only charge the white guy with malicious injury to property and not assault! Deandre was calm throughout and he had been in that neighborhood-The Lakes @Barony Place walking plenty of times and he lives in the summit! Lots of people walk out there and never any trouble.”

In a post online, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said that Sheriff Leon Lott was meeting with politicians and various organizations to discuss the incident.

Update:

Now I’m even more thankful I was able to help amplify this and get a response from his CG.

Someone sent me this from FB. After the initial assault, SSG Pentland followed them and slapped Deandre’s phone out of his hand, destroying it. pic.twitter.com/2d0clrPw6Q

— Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) April 14, 2021