Investigation finds Highway Patrol troopers lied about circumstances behind fatal crash

Two Highway Patrol troopers at the center of a months-long SBI investigation will not face charges. The decision comes after a lengthy review of the crash that killed Tyrone Mason in October 2024 in Raleigh.
Posted 5/21/2025, 8:15:00 PM Updated 5/22/2025, 12:58:06 AM

COVERAGE. YOU CAN COUNT ON.

>> RIGHT NOW AT 6, WE BEGIN

WITH BREAKING NEWS. NO CHARGES

FOR 2 TROOPERS AT THE CENTER

OF A MONTHS LONG. FBI

INVESTIGATION. THEY'RE ACCUSED

OF LYING ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT

LED UP TO A DEADLY CRASH IN

RALEIGH. TYRONE MASON WAS

KILLED IN THAT CRASH FOLLOWING

A CHASE. THEIR CREDIBILITY

ISSUES BEND LED THE WAKE COUNTY

DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO DISMISS

NEARLY 200 CASES. THEY WERE

INVOLVED IN. THANKS SO MUCH FOR

JOINING US. I'M DEBRA MORGAN

AND I'M GERALD OWENS. WRAL WAS

THE ONLY TV STATION. THERE IS

THE FAMILY OF THE MAN WHO DIED

LEFT THEIR MEETING AT THE

COURTHOUSE.

>> THE INVESTIGATOR, SARAH

KRUEGER SPOKE WITH THEIR

ATTORNEY AND THE DA AND SHE IS

LIVE OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE

>> GERALD, THIS ALL COMES AS WE

ARE EXPECTING ANY DAY NOW FOR

THE DASH CAM VIDEO IN THIS CASE

TO BE RELEASED, GIVING THE

PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE

FIRST TIME TO SEE WHAT

HAPPENED. TODAY'S OUTCOME,

THOUGH, ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING

TO TYRONE MASON'S FAMILY.

>> AND THE MOM OF TYRONE MASON

COULDN'T BEAR IT AND WALKED OUT

OF THE MEETING WITH THE DA

HER ATTORNEY, BAKARI SELLERS

EXPRESSING THEIR FRUSTRATION

WITH THE OUTCOME. WE BELIEVE

THAT.

>> IS THAT THE OFFICERS THAT

NIGHT NOT ONLY FRUSTRATED DUE

PROCESS, BUT COMMITTED

OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. WHAT I

WOULD HOPE THAT THE PUBLIC.

>> WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT

TINA BAD COM DOT IS NOT ALWAYS

CRIMINAL CONDUCT. THE VIDEO,

ACCORDING TO DA LAUREN FREEMAN

SHOWS THE TROOPER WAS CHASING

MASON BEFORE THE CRASH YET AT

THE DIRECTION OF HIS

SUPERVISOR. SERGEANT MORRISON,

HE INITIALLY LIED TO RALEIGH

POLICE AND SAID HE WASN'T DOING

IS ALL A CHILLING EXPERIENCE

TO WATCH. FREEMAN SAYS THERE

WERE 2 REASON SHE DID NOT FILE

CHARGES ONE BECAUSE TROOPER

WITHIN MINUTES TOLD THE TRUTH

TO RPD AND SHE SAYS SHE

CONSIDERED WHY THEY LIED AND

WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT IS THIS

BEING RALEIGH'S PROBLEM.

IT THEY'RE THE ONES ARE GOING

TO HAVE TO INVESTIGATE IT.

>> I THINK THEY MADE AMENDMENT

VERY POOR JUDGMENT CALL

>> THE FIGHT FOR MASON'S FAMILY

ISN'T OVER. WHAT'S NEXT FOR

YOU? ALL. YOU'LL SEE SHORTLY.

AND BOTH TROOPERS ARE STILL

WITH THE HIGHWAY PATROL.

THEY ARE ON DESK DUTY.

>> DA LAUREN FREEMAN TOLD ME

TODAY THAT SHE HAS INFORMED THE

HIGHWAY PATROL THAT THOSE 2

TROOPERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO

BRING CASES HERE IN THIS

COURTHOUSE. THAT MEANS IF THEY

ARE GOING TO CONTINUE ON IN

LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY'LL HAVE

TO WORK IN ANOTHER COUNTY.