Police body cam video of Rock Hill, SC arrests released as Travis Price charges dropped
York County and Rock Hill prosecutors released Rock Hill police video Thursday and dropped the charge against one of two brothers arrested June 23. The arrests prompted race-related protests and raised issues about the use of police force.
The decision to drop the charges against Travis Price was announced at a news conference where police and prosecutors said the officer who made the arrest, Jonathan Moreno, has been fired and charged with assault and battery.
The dismissal of the charge against Travis Price came after 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett and Rock Hill Solicitor Chisa Putman reviewed the body camera video from Moreno and another officer. The video showed Travis Price did not push, punch, shove or attack Moreno as Rock Hill police had alleged in a written statement June 23 and in arrest warrants.
In the June 23 incident, police had stopped Ricky Price after they said they observed a traffic violation. Travis Price arrived when his brother was already in police custody and went to retrieve his brother’s jewelry. There was a confrontation and both Price brothers were arrested. Travis Price was charged with hindering police activity.
“Travis Price was charged in error and I am dismissing the charges,” Putman said.
Putman apologized to Price.
The body camera video from Moreno and another officer were made public Thursday and showed Travis Price did not hinder police, prosecutors said.
Brackett, York County’s top prosecutor, said Thursday that he told SLED agents to seek an arrest warrant charging Moreno with third-degree assault and battery. Brackett said he agreed with the decision to drop the charges against Travis Price.
“There is no evidence Travis Price did anything,” Brackett said. “Moreno came to him and pushed, him, laid hands on him. He, Moreno, broke the law.”
Rock Hill police chief - policy broken
Rock Hill Police Chief Chris Watts said at the news conference that Moreno violated policy for the department and made the situation worse.
Shaun Watson, the officer who punched Ricky Price and allegedly broke Ricky Price’s nose, did not violate policy, Watts said.
The videos show Ricky Price punching an officer and being taken to the ground, police and prosecutors said. The videos also show Watson punching Ricky Price, and Moreno grabbing Travis Price near the throat and slamming him to the ground.
The charges against Ricky Price, including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of crack cocaine, resisting arrest, and a traffic violation remain pending, Brackett said.
Arrests and protests
Ricky Price was pulled over by Rock Hill police June 23 after he made made an improper lane change, police testified in court during a probable cause hearing. Officers found marijuana, cocaine and a gun in Ricky Price’s car, court testimony from police July 2 showed.
During the incident Ricky Price asked police if he could give jewelry to his brother who had arrived on scene. When handcuffs were taken off Ricky Price, he threatened officers then punched and kicked Investigator Jonathan Soto, according to Soto’s court testimony July 2.
Rock Hill police July 2 identified the officers involved as Watson, Jonathan Moreno, K-9 officer Matthew Palmer, and Soto. Two federal agents also involved have not been identified by Department of Homeland Security agents.
A private video of the June 23 incident was posted on Facebook and went viral with more than 100,000 shares. That resulted in protests June 23, 24 and 25 in downtown Rock Hill. Eleven people were arrested.
Travis Price speaks
Travis Price attended the news conference Thursday with his lawyer, Justin Bamberg. At the news conference, Moreno apologized for his actions before being arrested by SLED agents and booked into the York County jail.
Travis Price did not speak at the news conference but said afterward outside the Moss Justice Center he accepted the apology.
“Everybody makes mistakes, but I will never be the same again,” Travis Price said.
However, he said what happened to him was wrong.
“I was robbed of my dignity, and that is something I will never get back,” he said.
Price said his two sons, ages 6 and 9, now question how police act.
“I just try to give them the best that I can, I don’t got all the answers,” he said.
Bamberg said after the news conference that he appreciated the dismissal of the charge but Travis Price never should have been arrested, and it should not have taken more than two weeks to dismiss the charge.
The city of Rock Hill and the police did not truthfully state what happened in a statement June 23, Bamberg said. He questioned why other police on the scene did not step in and contradict the false statements.
“All it would have taken was for any of these officers that day to say to Travis Price ‘You are free to go,’ ” Bamberg said. “Travis Price complied in every way that day. Why didn’t any of them step up?”
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Police body cam video of Rock Hill, SC arrests released as Travis Price charges dropped."
