Fired officer who apologized for assault seeking acquittal
By MICHELLE LIU
Associated Press/Report for America
ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) — A former South Carolina police officer who apologized after attacking a Black man without provocation at a traffic stop last year is seeking for a jury to acquit him of a misdemeanor charge stemming from the incident. A jury heard opening statements Monday on whether former Rock Hill police investigator Jonathan Moreno committed assault and battery against Travis Price at a June 2021 traffic stop. Bystander video on Facebook showing officers wrestling with Price and his brother and forcing them to the ground. The incident prompted several days of protests last summer. Moreno’s attorneys argued he was trying to secure the scene based off limited information.