Despite dropped charges, Rock Hill says Black man at fault for arrest caught on video
The city of Rock Hill claims in its response to a federal lawsuit by Travis Price that he was at fault in a controversial arrest where charges against him were later dropped, court documents show.
Lawyers for the city filed a response Thursday in federal court to a lawsuit against the city of Rock Hill and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., over public statements made by both. The city and Norman are named as defendants.
In the arrest, Price, a Black man, was taken to the ground by Rock Hill police officer Jonathan Moreno. The incident was caught on private video, store video, and police bodycam video. A private video was posted on Facebook and led to race-related protests. The case also called into question the Rock Hill Police Department’s use of force.
In court documents filed Thursday, lawyers for the city claimed Price was negligent and caused the situation that led to his June 23 arrest.
“To the extent the complaint purports to allege a claim or claims against this Defendant for negligence, carelessness, gross negligence, recklessness, willfulness or wantonness, any injuries and damages to Plaintiff were proximately and solely caused by Plaintiff’s own negligent, careless, grossly negligent, reckless, willful and wanton conduct, or were contributorily caused by his actions,” the response stated.
Price was at the site of the arrest because his brother, Ricky Price, had been arrested, prosecutors said at a July 8 news conference. Prosecutors and police said Travis Price had been allowed by police officers to go near his brother, Ricky Price, to get jewelry and other personal items. Moreno grabbed Travis Price and took him to the ground , video showed.
Travis Price was then charged with hindering police.
Moreno was fired in early July, then arrested and charged with assault and battery. The hindering police charge against Travis Price was dropped by York County prosecutor Kevin Brackett, who said at the July 8 news conference that Travis Price had done nothing wrong.
Brackett said Moreno broke the law.
At the same news conference, Rock Hill Police Chief Chris Watts said he fired Moreno because Moreno escalated the situation. Rock Hill city prosecutor Chisa Putman apologized to Travis Price and said the charges against him were dropped.
Moreno apologized to Travis Price at the news conference. Moreno then was arrested. Later, he demanded a jury trial on the charge of assault and battery. That trial remains pending.
Price states in his lawsuit that he was defamed by city and Norman statements, and physically hurt by police.
City says it believed statement to be true at the time
The city claims that its public statement regarding the arrest of Travis Price, and made by the police department, came only after a city police officer told the department and the city what happened, documents show.
The city through a written statement issued June 23 told the media and public that Travis Price did not comply with police, bumped police, and hindered police.
That statement said:
“Travis Price arrived on scene and approached Officers. Travis Price attempted to gather the belongings Officers were removing from Ricky’s person and was told to move back. Travis then used his body to bump the Officers backward as he continued trying to get near his brother to reach for the belongings while yelling belligerently. Travis was forced back and told he was under arrest for interfering, and physically contacting officers. Travis shoved Officers, refusing to comply with orders to place his hands behind his back. Officers pushed Travis against a large tank located behind him, telling him to put his hands behind his back. Travis continued his non-compliance and Officers began struggling with Travis. While attempting to gain control of Travis, Officers and Travis went to the ground.”
City prosecutors later said video showed Travis Price did not push or hinder police.
The city claims in its response to the lawsuit that it did not defame Travis Price in the official statement.
“The city believed it to be true at the time,” the lawsuit response said. “The city did not make statements against plaintiff (Travis Price) but instead published what an officer had related to the city believing it to be true.”
The city of Rock Hill is demanding that the lawsuit be dismissed, the response states.
Travis Price’s lawyer responds
Justin Bamberg, Travis Price’s lawyer who filed the lawsuit, said he was extremely disappointed Rock Hill will not agree with prosecutors that Travis Price did nothing wrong.
“Travis Price is innocent -- period,” Bamberg said Friday morning in a phone interview with The Herald. “He did everything right that day in June. He listened to the police. And for that he was choked and beaten. ”
Bamberg said Rock Hill’s lawsuit response shows the city refuses to acknowledge that it and the police department made mistakes with the June 23 statement released to the public, the treatment of Travis Price, and in charging Travis Price with a crime.
“To blame Travis Price is idiotic,” Bamberg said. “The city of Rock Hill refuses to do what we are all taught as children -- that when you are wrong, you take responsibility. Instead, they point the finger at everyone but themselves.”
What happens now?
Bamberg now must file a written response on behalf of Travis Price.
He also must file a response to Norman, who also has asked that the lawsuit be dismissed. The Herald exclusively reported in September that Norman wanted the lawsuit dropped.
The responses by Bamberg are expected to be filed within the next month.
No trial date has been set in the lawsuit.
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This story was originally published October 15, 2021 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Despite dropped charges, Rock Hill says Black man at fault for arrest caught on video."
