Gastonia Police officers who arrested Joshua Rohrer won't be charged
The officers who arrested a then-homeless veteran in October in an incident that unleashed a firestorm of criticism of the Gastonia Police Department will not be charged, the Gaston County district attorney said.
District Attorney Travis Page said that in the Oct. 13 arrest of Joshua Rohrer, Officer Cierra Brooks and former Officer Maurice Taylor did nothing illegal.
Rohrer, 38, who served in the Army National Guard and spent time in Iraq, has maintained for months that Brooks and Taylor were rough with him. Further adding fuel to the fire was the fact that Taylor fired a taser at Rohrer's service dog, Sunshine Rae, who was later hit by a car and killed in Cleveland County while Rohrer was in jail.
A loyal group of Rohrer's supporters campaigned publicly for the release of the body camera footage of Rohrer's arrest, and that footage was released in July.
Page said that he first reviewed the footage in 2021 and consulted with the State Bureau of Investigation.
"I was of the opinion then, and remain of the opinion, that Officers Brooks and Taylor committed no acts of criminal wrongdoing," Page said. "I believe then, as I believe now, that the only criminal acts depicted in the body cam footage of Oct. 13, 2021, were committed by Joshua Rohrer, who resisted, delayed and obstructed the actions of Officers Brooks and Taylor. On two occasions, a grand jury found probable cause to support those allegations."
Rohrer later pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of driving while license revoked, and the charges of panhandling and resisting arrest were dismissed.
Page said, however, that his office's dismissal of the charges from the Oct. 13 arrest as part of a plea agreement was "in no way a repudiation or negative reflection of the actions of the officers involved."
"In fact, it was an act of mercy given to a veteran with a very concerning criminal history in hopes that he would receive the assistance he dearly needs," Page wrote.
Rohrer responded with a lengthy statement of his own, saying that he did not commit a crime and that he wants Brooks and Taylor to be charged.
"I will continue to work towards getting justice for Sunshine and educating the public and law enforcement on service animal laws and access rights," he said. "I will not stop fighting for my righ
Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 704-869-1850 or at kfohner@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing here.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia Police Officers who arrested homeless veteran won't be charged
