An Army Sergeant in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, was found guilty of assaulting a Black man, CNN reports.
In April, Jonathan Pentland was relieved of his duties as an Army instructor when a video of him shoving a man, later identified as Deandre Williams, surfaced. In the footage, Pentland can be heard saying, "You either walk away or I’m going to carry your ass out of here,” as Blavity previously reported.
Walking while black.
The kind of hate that our black skin attracts is absolutely ridiculous. There are so many #jonathanpentland’s in positions of power who abuse their authority and engage in white supremacy activities, just like this.
— Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) April 14, 2021
As a result of the conviction, Pentland has been ordered to pay a $1,087 fine or spend 30 days in jail for the misdemeanor charge. Benjamin Stitely, Pentland’s attorney, said he plans on challenging his client’s conviction.
It's not even Friday.
Derek Chauvin Trial. #DaunteWright.
Lt. Caron Nazario.
The Jonathan Pentland incident. #AdamToledo.Lord have mercy…. pic.twitter.com/hmxvyAJQdm
— Tony Atkins (@TonyAtkinsTV) April 15, 2021
"We are of course disappointed with the judge's decision and are looking into further pursuing legal remedies to challenge the decision," Stitely said in a statement.
"As quoted in several of the local media outlets, Mr. Pentland stands by his right to defend his family and home from a genuine threat (sic) and is deeply hurt by the situation," he continued.
Stitely also said there was a "lack of investigation into the background factors regarding Mr. Williams' actions leading up to the small portion of the encounter captured in the viral video.”
According to Pentland’s testimony, a neighbor banged on his door, asking for assistance because Jackson was bothering her grandchildren, WIS 10 reports. When Pentland approached Jackson he reportedly said, “he was minding his own business" then an altercation ensued.
As far as military discipline, Maj. Gen. Milford Beagle decided back in April that he would not pursue further action beyond suspending Pentland, the Army Times reported.
“While I have the authority to take action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or take other administrative actions, I have the utmost confidence in our civilian criminal system and trust that it will reach a fair and just resolution of this case,” Beagle said in a statement. “I do not want to take any actions now that could interfere with the fair resolution of civilian criminal charges.”
Beagle also stated that the military does not condone Pentland’s actions or any racist behavior.
“I want to reiterate that the command in no way condones the behaviors and actions depicted,” he continued. “Those behaviors are absolutely counter to the Army Values and professionalism expected of soldiers, both on and off duty. 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.”
Fort Jackson released a statement regarding Pentland’s conviction.
“Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis is reviewing his options in the matter of Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Pentland, the statement read. “We will provide more information when a decision about how to proceed is made.”
