GASTONIA, N.C. — For the first time, the Gastonia homeless Army veteran whose service dog was shot with a police stun gun while he was arrested, got to view body camera video of his arrest.
Joshua Rohrer was arrested on charges of panhandling and resisting arrest in October.
According to Rohrer, after his service dog Sunshine Rae was shot with a stun gun, she ran away and later died after being struck by a car.
Since his arrest, Rohrer’s story has garnered national attention.
Only Rohrer, his attorney, and a few of his loved ones were allowed to view the body camera video in the District Attorney's office Thursday morning.
"I'm just at a loss for words right now, I really don't know what to say," Rohrer told WCNC Charlotte after viewing the video. "They lied! They lied!"
Rohrer said what stood out was when a Gastonia police officer used his stun gun on Sunshine Rae after he claimed she bit his boot.
"He said, 'Oh she bit me! She bit me!' and she was six feet away from him, and he proceeded to tase her from behind [as she was] walking away," Rohrer said.
Earlier this month, WCNC Charlotte petitioned a judge to order Gastonia Police to release all body camera videos of this arrest, but the judge denied the petition.
Gastonia Police told WCNC Charlotte an internal investigation is still underway on the two officers involved in Rohrer's arrest.
Rohrer's next court date is April 21, 2022.
Contact Brandon Golder at bgoldner@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.