A Sumter, South Carolina man was arrested after a “racially charged, profanity-laced” disturbance at a grocery store was caught on video, Sumter Police Department officials said Thursday.
John Walter Miles, 27, was charged with aggravated breach of peace and trespassing. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on April 16.
The video in the incident went viral this week, which apparently prompted the police to issue a press release on the incident.
Miles was shopping with his girlfriend at the Food Lion on Wedgefield Road on April 9 when he became irate because the the clerk refused to sell them alcohol, according to a news release issued Thursday by the Sumter Police Department.
Miles refused to leave and called a Food Lion employee a racist slur, according to WBTV. He was then escorted from the store.
A viral video (below) of Miles being escorted from the store has more than 50,000 views on Twitter.
“Guess what? All lives f*cking matter, black lives don’t f*cking matter,” Miles said in the video. “Black lives is the most racist f*cking thing we’ve ever seen.”
In the video, a woman who appears to be Miles girlfriend tries to end his tirade by telling him to leave and pushing him away. Several times, he grabs his girlfriend’s arm aggressively.
“You black f*cks are the most racist motherf*ckers,” he said, apparently yelling at a black person filming. “Guess what? I got a god damn black kid in god damn Georgia. I’m not a racist.”
Miles continued ranting. According to the Sumter Item, police claimed that Miles was drunk in the incident report.
“Fuck black lives. Fuck white lives. Fuck god damn brown lives,” he yelled at the end of the video.
Miles turned himself into police last week.
Judge Gordon set Miles’ bond at $15,465 for the two charges. On April 19, Miles posted bond and was placed on house arrest, according to the Sumter County jail log. His next court date is May 17.
Sumter Police said Thursday they are still investigating the incident.
According to his social media account, Miles was a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army, but the Fort Jackson Commanding General Account confirmed he is no longer in the Army.
This is the second time in two weeks a military member has been accused of racist acts in South Carolina.
Last week, Sgt. Jonathan Pentland, a Fort Jackson soldier, was charged with 3rd-degree assault and battery after he was captured in a viral video harassing a black man in the Summit neighborhood.
Pentland was given a $2,125 bond.
Sumter, South Carolina, located about an hour east of Columbia, has a population of around 40,000.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR..
Mandy Matney is the news director at FITSNews. She’s an investigative journalist from Kansas who has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina before making the switch to FITS. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. Mandy also hosts the Murdaugh Murders podcast. Want to contact Mandy? Send your tips to mandy@fitsnews.com.
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