GASTONIA, NC (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A petition has been filed by the Gaston County Police Department and the Gaston County DA’s Office to release a bodycam video of Officer Maurice Taylor and Officer Cierra Brooks’ meeting with disabled veteran Joshua Rohrer on October 9 and October 13, 2021 , has been approved.
Gastonia made the recordings of October 9 and 13 officially available to the public.
Gastonia agents arrested Rohrer on October 13, 2021, and charged him with two charges of resisting a public officer, asking for alms and soliciting from the highway.
According to the Gastonia Police Department, a Gaston County grand jury has twice reviewed the charges against Rohrer arising from his October 13 arrest and found a possible cause for those charges.
City Code Gastonia Section 6-228 prohibits soliciting or accepting contributions while in a street or median strip from the occupants of a stopped vehicle.
Gastonia Police
NC General Statute §14-223 makes it a felony to intentionally and unlawfully resist, delay or interfere with an officer from performing or attempting to perform an official duty, GPD said.
On October 9, Officer encountered Taylor Rohrer in the median strip on Gaston Mall Drive off Cox Road. In the recently released body-worn camera video, Officer Taylor Rohrer is warned that he couldn’t stand in the median, but he could stand on the sidewalk.
During a second interaction minutes later after Rohrer moved to the sidewalk, the video shows Officer Taylor speaking to Rohrer about Rohrer’s military service and checking that Rohrer was aware of services available to veterans.
On October 13, Officer Brooks ran into Rohrer, who was standing in the median with his service animal, Sunshine. Brooks asks for identification to write Rohrer a quote for begging. Rohrer can be seen in the video denying that he is begging and refusing to identify himself until Officer Taylor arrives.
In the released video, the conversation between Agent Taylor, Agent Brooks and Rohrer escalates when Rohrer finally hands over his veteran ID and not a state one.
Agent Taylor arrests Rohrer, with the help of Agent Brooks, while Rohrer becomes visibly upset and yells, “Somebody help me!”
An officer is heard to say, “Call off your dog,” as Rohrer’s service dog, Sunshine, got involved. Officers tasered Sunshine as Rohrer yelled, “Don’t shoot my dog!” and “Why are you doing this?”
Rohrer was arrested after meeting officers.
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Court documents show that officers failed to locate the service animal after Rohrer’s arrest, and the animal was hit and killed by a vehicle two days later as it ran loose in the street.
Gastonia police said a settlement had been reached with the prosecution and Rohrer pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of “driving while driver’s license was revoked” on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
Rohrer has been sentenced to 24 months probation on the condition that Rohrer participate in the Catawba County Veterans’ Treatment Court.
In exchange for his pleading guilty and participating in the Veterans’ Treatment Court, the prosecution dismissed the charges of Rohrer’s arrest on October 13, 2021.
The city is pleased that the resolution of Mr. Rohrer includes his participation in the Catawba County Veterans Treatment Room, where he can receive services specifically tailored to his needs.
City of Gastonia