Bond hearing for men involved in Rock Hill arrest that led to protest gets contentious
Bond was denied for Rickey Roderick Price Thursday morning in court after a contentious hearing where Price claimed he had been improperly stopped a day earlier by police. Price is one of two subjects charged by Rock Hill police in connection with an incident where the arrest was captured on video, went viral on Facebook, and sparked protests.
The video posted online prompted hundreds to pack Rock Hill streets near the police station Wednesday night into Thursday morning. A statement from police says Rickey Price punched officers and tried to flee after a traffic stop, but the video does not show that part of what police said happened.
The video shows Price and his brother, Travis, being detained by police who used force to subdue them.
Protesters, family members, the Price’s lawyer and others say police officers’ use of force was excessive.
The charges
Rickey Price is charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, illegal possession of a gun, illegal possession of a gun by a person convicted of a violent crime, and assault on a police officer. Price was pulled over on Willowbrook Avenue in Rock Hill around 2 p.m. Wednesday for what police said was an illegal lane change.
Police said in their statement that marijuana, crack cocaine and a gun were found in the car. Police also said a drug dog was used because Price was known to authorities from previous encounters.
Police said Travis Price pushed and hit an officer and is charged with hindering police. Travis Price, 33, said in court he has no previous criminal record. Bond was set at $1,087 for him and he was expected to be released later Thursday.
The court hearing was held at the Moss Justice Center in York where Rickey Price is being held. A Rock Hill municipal court judge, Nadine Agurs, presided over the hearing via Zoom teleconference.
Rickey Price says he’s disabled
Rickey Price denied in court Thursday that he had crack cocaine.
“I didn’t have no crack,” Price said.
Police said in their statement that crack cocaine was found in a Crown Royal bag in the car.
Price appeared in court in a wheelchair. And his nose was broken when punched, according to his lawyer, Justin Bamberg.
Police said an officer punched Rickey Price in the face, but that was done to make him comply after previous attempts to subdue him -- through leg punches and other methods -- had failed.
Rickey Price said in court he did what officers told him during the traffic stop.
“I complied with everything they asked me to do,” Rickey Price said.
Price also said he is undergoing mental health treatment and is on disability.
Hearing gets testy
Sixteenth Circuit Assistant Solicitor Josh Thomas told Agurs that Rickey Price was free on bond from 2020 arrests at the time of Wednesday’s incident. He faced five felony charges including three counts of distribution of crack and two weapons charges. That bond had been set at $94,000 bond, Thomas said.
Thomas also said in court that Price, 35, has a criminal record dating back almost 15 years and includes convictions for distribution of crack cocaine, weapons, and other charges. Thomas told Agurs that in the coming days York County prosecutors would seek to revoke Rickey Price’s bond from the 2020 charges.
Price then interrupted in the hearing.
“What was the probable cause to stop me?” he asked.
Rock Hill police Detective Robert Smith said in court that Price is “well-known” to Rock Hill police, and the officers who detained him were well-trained.
Price then spoke up again, saying “Why’d he jump on me? I’m on medication, and he still beat me...I don’t know why they blame me. I complied. I know I complied.”
Smith said in court that Price punched the officer after the handcuffs were taken off -- at Rickey Price’s request.
“When the handcuffs were removed he took the opportunity to strike the officer,” Smith said.
Price then spoke up again, crying. He said “He beat me while I was already down.”
Agurs warned Price several times not to interrupt. She said Price would have every opportunity to address the police charges.
Agurs said she denied bond to Rickey Price because of the previous charges, coupled with the pending charges. Agurs said he will have a chance to seek bond later in front of a Circuit Court judge.
Use of force questioned
The lawyer for both Price brothers, Justin Bamberg, is a Democrat S.C. House of Representatives member from the Lowcountry whose father is a sheriff.
Bamberg was not in court with the Price brothers during the hearing but met with the family soon afterward.
Bamberg spoke in an impromptu news conference where he said he will seek to have the bond decision revisited by a circuit judge.
“I don’t envision Mr. Price wanting to be anywhere but at home,” Bamberg said.
Price needs medical care and medications and Bamberg said he has concerns that Price can receive proper care while jailed.
“I will be watching,” Bamberg said.
Bamberg said he has seen the video and has concerns not just about the use of force, but the traffic stop and subsequent search.
“From what I have read that the police have released, it looks like they saw Mr. Price and looked for a reason to pull him over,” Bamberg said. “We are going to be looking at every angle of this.”
This story was originally published June 24, 2021 at 10:37 AM.
