More charges for SC councilman who shoved, cursed at cop who stopped wife, police say
UPDATE: Ralph A. Martino, was charged with misconduct in office Oct. 29 because the Town of St. George Councilman used his position as to harass and intimidate a St. George Police Officer during a traffic stop in June, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said. Martino was charged at the Dorchester County Detention Center.
Original Story
A councilman of a South Carolina town was arrested Saturday after he assaulted a police officer who pulled over the politician’s wife following an altercation at a McDonald’s, the St. George Police Department said.
Just after 7 p.m., an officer stopped a car driven by the wife of St. George Town Councilman Ralph A. Martino, police said in a news release. Police said a call had been issued to stop the vehicle after Martino’s wife was “involved in an altercation at McDonald’s” with an employee and drove away.
Martino, 66, was not in the car with his wife but soon arrived at the scene and began questioning the officer, who was waiting for information from another police officer questioning witnesses at the McDonald’s, according to the news release.
Frustrated by the delay, Martino approached the patrol car four times, aggressively knocking on the driver’s side window on his last trip, police said.
After being asked to back up by the exiting officer, Martino yelled, “Are you going to shoot me, mother------?” and shoved the officer in the chest, causing him to lose his balance as he tried to detain the councilman, according to the news release.
Police said Martino and the officer grappled before the councilman was arrested. Martino used his position as a town councilman to try and intimidate police officers, according to the news release.
Martino was taken to the Dorchester County Detention Center, where he was charged with third-degree assault and battery, police said.
He remained behind bars overnight until his bond was set on Sunday, St. George Police Chief Brett Camp said in an interview with The State.
Although his wife was not incarcerated, Camp said she was also issued a citation for third-degree assault and battery because of her actions at the McDonald’s.
While waiting for her food at the McDonald’s, the councilman’s wife got impatient after her order was given to a customer behind her in line, Camp said.
After having “words” with a female employee, Camp said Martino’s wife reached across the counter and pointed her index finger in the employee’s face before putting the finger on the worker’s nose and pushing her away.
At that point, the councilman’s wife left the McDonald’s, while the restaurant manager called 911.
Martino’s wife was also given a traffic citation for driving a car with tags that had been expired for about six months, Camp said.
This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 4:57 PM.
