SHOW YOU ALL THE LOCATIONS YOU GOT HOPEWELL MYERS PARK, MALLARD CREEK AND 6 HAVE BEEN
FOUND ALREADY ON WEST
CHARLOTTE'S CAMPUS.
>> DO YOU REALLY REGRET YOUR
BEHAVIOR. THAT WAS CAPTURED ON
VIDEO. DO YOU THINK YOU DID
ANYTHING WRONG. WELL, THE WAY
IT'S PERCEIVED ON CAMERA.
I WOULD DEFINITELY CHANGE.
DECISIONS. I MADE.
>> TONIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME
CHANNEL. 9 IS QUESTIONING THE
OFFICER AT THE CENTER OF THIS
CONTROVERSIAL ARREST THAT
SPARKED DAYS OF PROTESTS IN
ROCK HILL BACK IN JUNE.
JONATHAN MORENO WAS FIRED AND
NOW FACES A CRIMINAL CHARGE
OVER HIS ACTIONS THAT WERE
CAPTURED ON CELL PHONES AND
BODY CAMERA VIDEO AND NOW HE IS
SITTING DOWN ONLY WITH OUR
ALLISON LATOS.
>> TO TALK ABOUT THAT DAY ABOUT
BEING FIRED AND WHAT WILL
HAPPEN NEXT ALLISON SCOTT
AMERICA. JONATHAN MARINO TOLD
ME THAT INCIDENT LED PEOPLE
TO DRAW A VERY STRONG
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HIM AND HE
WANTED THE CHANCE.
>> TO TALK ABOUT THE 10 YEARS
HE SPENT SERVING
ROCK HILL. BUT I WAS ALSO UP
FRONT WITH HIM THAT OUR
INTERVIEW WOULD INCLUDE DIRECT
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE ALL SAW
UNFOLD ON CAMERA.
>> IS I WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW
THAT I'M NOT HIDING JONATHAN
MARINO IS NO LONGER A ROCK HILL
POLICE OFFICER.
>> HIS CAREER ENDED IN
AFTER VIDEO OF THIS JUNE 23RD
ARREST
WENT VIRAL. MARINO FACE THE
COMMUNITY ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER
TO APOLOGIZE IN A PUBLIC NEWS
CONFERENCE BEFORE HIS OWN
ARREST. NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME
SINCE MARINO IS SPEAKING
PUBLICLY ABOUT HIS WORK AS A
ROCK HILL OFFICER. MORE THAN A
DECADE OF IT.
>> AND THE TACTICS OF OFFICERS
THAT AFTERNOON. HE SAYS POLICE
WERE NOT LOOKING SPECIFICALLY
FOR RICKY PRICE.
>> MY ROLE WAS TO TAKE DOWN
ANY VEHICLE. THAT OUR
SURVEILLANCE VEHICLES WOULD
IDENTIFY THE CRITERIA IS GUNS.
GANG MEMBER OR DRUG DEALER.
BUT WHEN PRICE MADE AN ILLEGAL
TURN OFFICER SAID THEY STOPPED
HIM AT THIS GAS STATION.
>> AND FOUND A LOADED GUN CRACK
COCAINE AND MARIJUANA IN HIS
CAR. THE SITUATION TOOK A SHARP
TURN WHEN RICKY PRICES BROTHER
TRAVIS ARRIVED MARINO DIDN'T
KNOW TRAVIS HAD PERMISSION FROM
OTHER OFFICERS TO COLLECT HIS
BROTHER'S JEWELRY. SOMEONE
NEARBY CAPTURED WHAT HAPPENED
NEXT ON FACEBOOK LIVE.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS REACTED WITH
OUTRAGE.
>> PROTESTING FOR DAYS OUTSIDE
THE ROCK HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT
EVEN SETTING FIRES WHEN POLICE
RELEASED BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF
THE
IT SPARKED ANGER FROM SOME
LEADERS.
>> LIKE ROCK HILL NAACP
PRESIDENT DOCTOR NORMAN GRAY
OFFICER MARINA.
I AM.
>> TREMENDOUSLY DISAPPOINTED IN
YOU CALM AVOID LAKE. THAT'S
UNNECESSARY GRAY SAYS THE
LANGUAGE AND AGGRESSION CAUGHT
ON THIS VIDEO. SHE SEEN TOO
MANY TIMES BEFORE OF THE
CULTURE OF MANY POLICE OFFICERS
IN AMERICA. THE TREE AFRICAN
AMERICAN MEN, ALL THE SAME.
YOU'RE ALL CRIMINALS. CAN YOU
TAKE ME BACK TO THAT DAY AND
AND WHAT YOU DO AT THE TIME
WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS HAPPENING
UNFORTUNATELY AT THIS TIME I
CAN.
>> AND THE REASON BEING IS
BECAUSE I'M STILL PENDING
TRIAL. DO YOU THINK YOU DID
ANYTHING WRONG.
>> WELL, THE WAY IT'S PERCEIVED
ON CAMERA.
I WOULD DEFINITELY CHANGE.
DECISIONS. I MADE.
>> HE WAS FIRED AND CHARGED
WITH 3RD DEGREE ASSAULT AND
BATTERY OVER HIS INTERACTION
WITH TRAVIS PRICE AND LANE
THERE. MY CELL I WAS JUST LIKE,
IS THIS A DREAM. MY IS LIKE
THIS. THIS HAS TO BE A NIGHT
I WAS A COACH, A MENTOR SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICER THAT
TRANSFERRED INTO A VIOLENT
CRIMES UNIT THAT'S UNHEARD OF.
>> IT'S VERY RARE. YOU'RE GOING
TO FIND A GUY THAT IS
AN INSTRUCTOR IS A SWAT MEMBER
CANINE MEMBER. FORMER K 9
HANDLER AND INVESTIGATOR.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
HOW WE COULDN'T RESOLVE THIS.
A BETTER WAY. WHAT DO YOU THINK
SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
>> TO REMEDY THAT IN A
DIFFERENT WAY. I UNDERSTAND.
THE POLICE IN GENERAL ACROSS
THE NATION. DEFINITELY NEEDS
CHANGE. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH
THAT
AT ALL AS A FIRST GENERATION.
AMERICAN AND HISPANIC YOUNG
MALE. I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE A
SPANISH KID ON THE BLOCK.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY AT THE
SAME TIME AS POLICE OFFICERS
NEED SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY THAT
STANDS UP FOR US. SO WE'RE
BASICALLY LEAVING OUR CAREERS.
>> UP TO CITY HALL CHARGES
AGAINST TRAVIS PRICE HAVE BEEN
DROPPED. BUT HE'S NOW SUING
ROCK HILL IN A DEFAMATION
LAWSUIT.
>> THE CITY'S DEFENSE ARGUES
PRICE IS AT FAULT FOR HIS
ARREST CLAIMING HE WAS
NEGLIGENT AND CAUSED
THE SITUATION. THE LEGAL
BATTLES OVER WHAT HAPPENED TO
THAT JUNE AFTERNOON ARE FAR
FROM OVER. THE TRUST OF SOME IN
THE COMMUNITY FAR FROM FULLY
REPAIRED. YOU ARE HIRED BY THE
CITY OF ROCK HILL. TO PROTECT
ALL OF
US CITIZENS.
>> MARINO'S FUTURE AND WHETHER
IT WILL INCLUDE A CAREER IN
LAW ENFORCEMENT IS UNCERTAIN
TOO. DO YOU WANT TO BE A POLICE
OFFICER AGAIN.
>> I DON'T KNOW. I REALLY DON'T
KNOW. I'VE I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT
BEING A POLITICIAN.
>> AND JONATHAN MERINO SAYS
AFTER HIS CASE IS OVER, HE WILL
MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER TO
PURSUE PUBLIC OFFICE. HIS TRIAL
IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR
NEXT YEAR.
>> SO ALLISON AND IN LIGHT OF
ALL THIS HAVE ROCK HILL.
POLICE MADE ANY
CHANGES AND AND THEY'RE
TRAINING OR ANYTHING ELSE.
WELL, THEY TOLD ME THAT EVERY
YEAR OFFICERS UNDERGO
DE-ESCALATION TRAINING SINCE
THIS INCIDENT. THEY ARE
RESEARCHING NEW