Investigation Of Lowcountry Cop Closed Days After It Was Opened

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Agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have closed a criminal investigation into an officer of the scandal-ridden Goose Creek Police Department (GCPD) almost as quickly as it began.

GCPD — already under fire for what fellow officers have described as “retaliatory diversity hires” — appears to have narrowly avoided criminal scrutiny after a short-lived probe launched at the request of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).

According to SLED spokesperson Renée Wunderlich, the investigation was requested last Tuesday (September 2, 2025), following a flurry of news reports which accused GCPD of fabricating complaints against constituents, targeting residents and stalking neighborhood pages under at least one online alias.

Come Thursday, Wunderlich told FITSNews the case was “active and ongoing” and said more information “may be available at a later time as the case continues.” By Friday, however, the investigation was closed — with no indication of the outcome.

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While no specific offenses or names were disclosed, Wunderlich previously indicated the case involved “allegations involving a Goose Creek Police Department employee.”

The short-lived probe adds yet another layer of intrigue to the troubled leadership of GCPD chief Laura “LJ” Roscoe — an embattled officer whose tenure has been defined more by her identity as an openly lesbian police chief than by any meaningful commitment to public safety.

As FITSNews previously reported, Roscoe was selected from a pool of 76 applicants and sworn in as Goose Creek’s chief by Mayor Greg Habib in 2019 — a move local media hailed as a “historic” milestone for women and the LGBTQ+ community.

These same media outlets made no mention, however, that Roscoe was actively appealing her revoked Georgia law enforcement certification — pulled three years earlier amid a criminal investigation into the 2013 death of a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office recruit during a training exercise.

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RELATED | GOOSE CREEK POLICE ACCUSED OF FABRICATING ALLEGATIONS, ONLINE STALKING

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While Roscoe was ultimately ruled to have “lacked standards of duty” by the council that oversees officer conduct, she (and two others) were quietly cleared of criminal penalties tied to the recruit’s death – with prosecutors declining to bring charges in 2018.

As for how Roscoe transitioned so quickly into South Carolina law enforcement, FITSNews has requested her training records from the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy to establish the timeline of her Palmetto State certification.

As for the Roscoe family legacy, she now joins her father – James Roscoe Jr. – in making negative headlines. A former Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputy, he retired in 2010 after becoming the focus of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the department.

The suit was dismissed within the year…

With all this in mind, Roscoe has brazenly operated for the past six years as though immune from accountability — shielded by the very identity local media and city officials continue to prop up and celebrate, despite a documented record that offers little justification.

As our media outlet previously revealed, Roscoe repeatedly lodged complaints against a law enforcement officer within her jurisdiction — criminally accusing the detective of abusing police databases to feed information to his wife’s criticisms of GCPD.

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She also accused the officer of making obscene gestures at a transgender officer, insisting she had unequivocal proof of both allegations. When pressed, however, Roscoe failed to provide any evidence – and ultimately stated she “really didn’t want” an investigation.

Instead, she suggested the detective should tell his wife to stop criticizing GCPD — then veered off topic, telling investigators that residents in her constituency “feel entitled” and that she was “exploring hiring an attorney specifically to address LGBTQ issues.”

The detective — who could have faced criminal charges had Roscoe’s claims been factual — was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing. An agency-wide audit confirmed he had not abused their police database, and he both denied the allegations and passed a polygraph test.

FITSNews has since heard from additional law enforcement officers who claim Roscoe’s pattern of targeting critics has become standard operating procedure under her leadership.

With a “Back the Blue” flag in one hand and a rainbow flag in the other, Roscoe’s department has — as James Bessinger of The Carolina Courier puts it — “perfected a two-fold shield to keep their corruption safe from scrutiny by both the political left and right.”

Bessinger, a Charleston-based Substack publisher, former U.S. Army paralegal and openly gay political commentator, has been reporting for weeks on what he describes as deep dysfunction inside GCPD — with more details surfacing by the day.

His reporting has highlighted allegations against a department chaplain better known for boudoir photo shoots than her ministry — as well as misconduct tied to officers, including transgender patrolman Cole Dreher.

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As FITSNews independently verified, Dreher — who transitioned around 2019 — participated in multiple group chats with like-minded GCPD officers in 2023, where he admitted, gloated about and encouraged the unwarranted targeting of residents.

Dreher quickly emerged as one of the most brash voices in the chats — mocking constituents, bragging about petty citations, and egging on efforts to single out the Carnes Crossroads community and the Hamlets of Crowfield Plantation.

In messages provided by a former officer, Dreher shared a video clip of comedian Dave Chappelle saying, “Why treat the customers this way? Because fuck ’em, that’s why.” He also referred to residents as “cry babies” and inquired about the address of at least one teenager with a sports car.

Literally referring to policing as a game, Dreher invited other officers to “play” in his targeting of residents — even admitting to “chuckle(ing) evilly” when like-minded officers piled on.

“Haha… that’s great,” he wrote after a colleague bragged about pulling over the wife of a SLED agent.

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As of this publication, Dreher remains employed by GCPD.

Against the backdrop of Roscoe’s blatantly false allegations against a constituent — and her officers’ braggadocious targeting of residents — FITSNews was also provided evidence of at least one online alias used to stalk and berate residents in neighborhood Facebook groups.

Dozens of screenshots compiled by a resident documented the four-year evolution of an account known as “Jay Smith.” The alias embedded itself in nearly every neighborhood group in Goose Creek, consistently echoing department talking points and rushing to defend GCPD against criticism.

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Originally bearing a profile photo of five geese on the water, “Jay Smith” went further than cheerleading — disclosing details of Roscoe’s schedule, suggesting residents “make an appointment with the chief,” and scolding citizens for questioning police activity in their neighborhoods.

The alias also operated an Instagram account under the handle @goosecreekpolicesc — first using the same goose photo as its profile picture before later switching to a GCPD badge. The account continued under the screen name “Jay Smith” until it was deactivated this summer.

Despite everything outlined here already being public, neither Mayor Habib nor his council appears to have lifted a finger in response — leaving Goose Creek a community effectively under siege by its own police force, led by a chief whose record offers nothing but scandal and impunity.

Just this past June, Roscoe delivered what was billed as a “Lesson in Resilience” during a South Carolina Women in Law Enforcement training session — sharing what organizers later described as her “powerful and personal story of standing tall through accusation, adversity, and politics.”

This story may be updated.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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