Nearly two years after the arrest of an army veteran, a complaint has been filed against Gastonia police.
Gastonia resident and veteran Joshua Rohrer said officers used a stun gun to shock his dog when he was arrested in October 2021. His dog, Sunshine, died after being hit by a car days later.
Channel 9 has followed the story from the start, including the July 2022 broadcast of body camera footage of the arrest and just a month later when the Gaston County Prosecutor’s Office said officers would not would not be charged.
ALSO READ: Veteran Urges Gastonia Police To Release Video Of His Arrest, Dog Tasting
Now Rohrer is seeking legal action against the city of Gastonia and the officers who arrested him.
The lawsuit claims that Rohrer was the victim of a relentless campaign of harassment, abuse and defamation. His attorneys say the lawsuit involves hundreds of false and snide comments that were posted by the City of Gastonia on the police department’s official Facebook page.
Rohrer’s lawsuit says he still suffers psychological harm and damage to his reputation from the comments.
“The city and the individual defendants are liable for the violation of Mr. Rohrer’s rights under federal and state law, and this complaint seeks damages and declaratory relief to remedy the harm they caused him.”
This is a developing story; come back to www.wsoctv.com for updates.
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