Two North Carolina state troopers who authorities say lied and mishandled an investigation into a deadly crash that killed a Black driver have been fired from their jobs.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) terminated Sgt. Matthew Morrison and Trooper Garrett Macario from their positions on June 16, according to local news outlets.
They had been on administrative leave since January after authorities started looking into discrepancies that surfaced in an investigation into the death of 31-year-old Tyrone Mason.
Mason died on Oct. 7, 2024, after his 2018 Chevrolet Malibu slammed into a concrete barrier.
Macario was the officer who called in the crash to local law enforcement. However, he never disclosed to responding officers that he had chased Mason just before he crashed into the barrier.
He initially only told his supervisor, Sgt. Morrison.
According to a North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) report cited by WTVD, he gave up the pursuit shortly before Mason lost control of the car and crashed. Morrison then advised Macario to deny any involvement and instead say that he had “rolled up on” the wreck.
Wake County District Lorrin Attorney Freeman began looking into the matter in December 2024. After reviewing dashcam and bodycam footage, she determined the troopers had lied to local police, violated NCSHP standards, and dropped charges in 180 pending DWI cases in which either Macario or Morrison was the arresting officer, citing issues with their “credibility.”
However, she didn’t go so far as to criminally charge the officers, stating that the evidence presented so far would not result in a successful prosecution, WRAL reported.
In response to news that both officers were fired from their jobs, Freeman released this statement:
“In dismissing Trooper Macario and Sgt. Morrison from the agency, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has taken an important step in rebuilding trust with the community. The reputation of the State Highway Patrol for truth and integrity can only be preserved when dishonesty by law enforcement is not tolerated. I am grateful for the many members of the Patrol and its leadership which work daily with honor to protect all of us.”
Attorneys for Mason’s family members stated that while the troopers’ firings are a “clear step in the right direction,” it is also “only one step in a long journey towards justice for Ms. Mason, the rest of Tyrone’s family and the people of North Carolina.”
“Let’s understand that Trooper Macario not only initiated the unsafe chase that led to Tyrone Mason’s death, but that he also failed to render any aid leaving an honest man to die on the side of the road and then lied to try and cover it up,” the statement continued. “Let’s remember that the Raleigh Police Department participated in that lie telling a grieving mother that there was no pursuit even though they allegedly knew the truth. This is one step in our journey towards justice.”
