Spike at Gastonia City Council - Justice for Joshua and Sunshine

In front of the Gaston County courthouse, there is a monument that says “In Honor Of All Veterans”, but at least one Gastonia veteran has been seriously dishonored by his local government.

You may have already heard the story: Joshua Rohrer is a homeless army veteran who served from 2002 to 2008 and did one tour overseas. He suffers from PTSD, which he is actively getting help from the VA, but still requires a service dog to function in society. By all accounts, Joshua is a nice and friendly man, and hasn't bothered anyone.

Back in October, a woman called 911 to report that Joshua was "using his dog to get money...to make people feel sorry for them." Joshua said later that he never begs for food or money, that he only walks down the walkways with his service dog, Sunshine, and talks with folks as they pass by.

This is, of course, perfectly legal, and he has every right to walk on public property with his dog. When a Gastonia Police officer arrived, Joshua was told that he was breaking the law, which he denied. The officer requested backup and insisted that Joshua show a state ID. Joshua doesn't have one, but as he was pulling out his VA card, the officer slammed him up against the police cruiser, cuffed him, and arrested him for solicitation and resisting arrest. The officer then shot Sunshine, the service dog, with a taser, as bystanders yelled for the officer to leave her alone. Sunshine ran to a nearby store with one of the taser prongs still attached to her. Joshua asked someone to please retrieve Sunshine, and Gastonia officers responded by laughing at him and shoving him into the cruiser.

While Joshua was in police custody, Sunshine was retrieved and released to one of Joshua's friends, where she ended up running away and was hit by a car, where she died. Joshua believes she was scared and looking for him.

Officers claim that Joshua resisted arrest and Sunshine bit the officer who tased her. Joshua, and at least 4 eyewitnesses, says that he didn't resist and Sunshine was several feet away and facing away from the officer when she was tased.

There is a very simple way to solve this case of conflicting stories: release the body cam footage. And Gastonia Police are refusing to do that. Joshua has seen the nearly 2 hours of footage himself, and he says it shows that neither he nor Sunshine did anything wrong, and that the officer brutalized both of them. Joshua and local media have even petitioned for the footage to be released to the public, but that request was denied by a judge.

For those who are all too acutely aware of how the Gastonia City government and Gastonia Police treat the city's homeless, there was nothing surprising about any of this. Just ask Pastor Moses Colbert. He's been operating the Faith, Hope, and Love Enrichment Community Center since 2019.

Up until last month, Pastor Moses has provided meals, showers, and shelter to those in need. He'd serve around 40 people each night, folks from all walks of life, which was a tremendous help because there are no other shelters in Gastonia. But in January, the Gastonia City government forced the Pastor to shut down his Center and stop helping the poor.

In their statement, they said that “the church was built as a church and can only be used for that purpose, which does not include overnight housing,” and “Due to city zoning regulations, shelters are not permitted by right in the city.” The city also stated, “The City of Gastonia is aware of the issues related to homelessness. We are working diligently with our faith-based communities, non-profit organizations, and Gaston County and other municipalities to reduce and ultimately end homelessness.

This will take everyone working together to find solutions.” Apparently, their idea of "working diligently" to "find solutions" means shutting down the only homeless shelter in the city.

Source: https://www.cityofgastonia.com/now-streaming-city-council-meetings.html

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