High Point Detective David Rosser, Bagpipe-Playing Officer, Dies at 42

Detective David Rosser, a 42-year-old veteran of the High Point Police Department, died unexpectedly earlier this week from a medical emergency. His death leaves a void in a department he served for nearly two decades and silences a set of bagpipes that had become one of the most recognized sounds at law enforcement memorials across North Carolina.

Rosser joined the High Point Police Department in 2008 after starting his law enforcement career in Durham. He was most recently assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit and, over the course of his career, also served as a firearms instructor, crisis negotiator, and a member of the Civil Emergency Unit.

He was also known for his role in the department's Honor Guard, where he played bagpipes. For more than a decade, he played at law enforcement memorial services and funerals across the Triad and North Carolina, and he was one of only a few police officers in this part of the country who played the bagpipes. The Rhino Times recorded his performance of "Amazing Grace" at a Guilford County memorial in 2019, and a 2016 memorial program likewise lists him among the event's performers.

In a 2024 interview, Rosser reflected on what the role meant to him: "Knowing that doing this service helps them with the funeral process and with the grieving process... It's meaningful to me to be able to provide that." He said that when he played, he thought not just about the officer who died but also their family and friends.

The Guilford County Sheriff's Office joined High Point in mourning. "We join the High Point Police Department in mourning the loss of Detective David Rosser," the Sheriff's Office wrote, calling him "a respected and talented law enforcement officer whose service and presence left a lasting impression on those around him."

The department asked the public to keep Rosser's wife and family in their thoughts and said it wants to ensure his family receives support and appropriate privacy as they grieve. The department did not specify the date or nature of the medical emergency, and information on funeral services was not immediately available.

For years, Rosser showed up to carry fallen officers out of this world with the sound of pipes. Now the officers he once honored will carry him.