COLUMBIA, S.C. — Peaceful protests in the Summit neighborhood have turned "disruptive, according to Richland County deputies, who say they have extracted a family from their home.
The latest events follow the arrest and charging of a Fort Jackson soldier captured on video in a hostile exchange with a young man that went viral on social media.
Deputies say they were called to the soldier's home in the Summit around 8:20 p.m. after unknown protesters vandalized the home. Objects were thrown at the home and one went through an upstairs window, and a light fixture attached to the home was also broken, according to deputies.
The family was extracted from the home by deputies and transported to another location.
Due to the activity, deputies say they have closed access to Barony Place and surrounding streets except to residents, and they are asking the public to stay away from the location.
The Fort Jackson soldier, Jonathan Eugene Pentland, faces a misdemeanor charge of third degree assault and battery third degree following the incident captured on video. That charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.
On Wednesday, a group of about two dozen protestors showed up in the neighborhood where the incident happened, chanting and holding signs calling for justice and accountability.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said he met with with elected officials and representatives of various organizations about the incident Wednesday afternoon before announcing the charges.