ROCK HILL, S.C. — Former Rock Hill police officer Jonathan Moreno officially filed to run for York County Council on Tuesday. He'll be running for the District 4 seat currently held by Bump Roddey.
Moreno was originally fired by the Rock Hill Police Department after the wrongful arrest of Travis Price in June 2021. Price was arrested and charged, but charges were eventually dropped.
After body camera footage was released by the solicitor's office in July 2021, the police department fired Moreno, and he was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. A jury found Moreno not guilty in January 2022.
The arrest of Travis Price sparked a lawsuit against the City of Rock Hill, protests, and demands for use of force legislation in South Carolina. Price's lawsuit is still pending.
PREVIOUSLY: Despite publicly apologizing for his wrongful arrest, City of Rock Hill says Travis Price was 'negligent'
Last June, Moreno was among four officers who were identified for their parts in the arrest of Price and his brother, Ricky.
Ricky Price was driving when he was stopped by Rock Hill police officers for allegedly making an illegal turn. Police said he had drugs in the car, along with a firearm he was legally barred from owning. His brother, Travis, stepped forward to gather belongings from Ricky. Bodycam video released by Rock Hill investigators showed Moreno, seemingly unaware that Travis Price was standing where he'd been told to by other officers, confronting Price and pushing him to the ground before placing him under arrest.
The incident sparked several nights of protests in Rock Hill with groups demanding accountability for the violent arrest.
Groups such as the NAACP demanded the release of police body camera footage showing the arrest of the two men.
Speaking exclusively to WCNC Charlotte reporter Indira Eskieva, Moreno said he didn't want the focus to be on what happened, but rather on what he still brings to the table.
“What I want people to know what you see on the internet is not always necessarily the character and person that you know. The people that know me, know my family, know that I always stood tall for the youth. They know I’ve always gone the extra mile as a police officer," he said. “I’m a stepfather, I’m a father, I’m a husband, I’m a human – and I don’t want my history to impact what I can do in the future. I really have great things I can bring to the table and I hope I have the opportunity to do so.”
Moreno admits running for office is new to him, but he's willing to learn and listen from the people he could represent.
"I’ve got to talk to one person at a time. I definitely want to go to as many meetings as I can. I don’t believe I’m an expert. I’m going to be learning through the process. I’m going to be listening. I’m open to many, many conversations," he said.
Moreno said of Roddey, the incumbent opponent, that he hasn't seen much difference during Roddey's time in office. Moreno said a new face with new perspective is needed.
“My opponent and I have things that we agree on and we have things that we disagree on. I really feel that after his term – he’s been in office for about 12 years – I haven’t really seen the results," Moreno said. "I’ve worked in Rock Hill, I’ve served our community as a law enforcement officer, my wife works locally, and my family goes to their local Rock Hill school district, and I really haven’t seen the accomplishments to the degree that I could bring to the table.”
In response to the filing, the York County Democratic Party released the following statement:
"After getting fired from the Rock Hill Police Department in July 2021, Jonathan Moreno was charged with assault and stood before the people of York County to say “I’m here to be held accountable for my actions.” Now South Carolina Republicans are pushing him for public office. The fact that his sole claim to fame is videotaped violence against an innocent Black man suggests that his reprehensible actions while working in the public trust are his primary qualification as a candidate. Running a man like Moreno up against a Black public servant in a district that is 48% African-American is a clown show, not a concerted effort to improve the quality of life in York County. If the York County GOP’s goal was to win the seat, they wouldn’t run someone as infamous as Jonathan Moreno. If their goal isn’t to win, we must ask: what is it?"
Bump Roddey replied to a request for comment from WCNC Charlotte, saying he believes his own record will keep him elected.
"I'm fully up to the challenge of putting my 12-year tenure and my passion for this community, as well as my voting record, up against anyone who wishes to run for the District 4 seat," he said. "I'm respected among my colleagues for my leadership. I know this community will be ready to turn out at the polls for Bump Roddey again for County Council in 2022."
Moreno said he acknowledges the need for unity in the community and said his work in the field is a way he was able to bring people together. He also acknowledged his family would be re-entering the public spotlight again, but said they're ready.
“Our community has suffered a lot of division and I feel that throughout my law enforcement career I was able to bridge the gap between Fort Mill and Rock Hill when it came to athletics, I was able to mentor many families, I was able to impact a lot of lives as a school resource officer," Moreno said. “I believe that my family is built tough, so I’m not worried about that aspect of the job.”
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.