Two North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers under investigation for their handling of a fatal crash in Raleigh will not face charges.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced that Trooper Garrett Macario and Sgt. Matthew Morrison could not reasonably be charged after a lengthy review of the events around the wreck that killed Tyrone Mason in October 2024. 

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Freeman said that the evidence presented in the case would not support a successful prosecution, though their behavior was not consistent with NCSHP standards.

"While Trooper Macario's initial false statements to the officers who arrived on scene to investigate this wreck are inexcusable and create significant concerns ... his subsequent truthful statements within the relevant time frame prevent the state from being able to move forward with a successful prosecution," Freeman wrote.

"While their dishonesty violates the standards to which law enforcement officers must adhere, the district attorney is not pursuing criminal charges as the evidence would not support a successful prosecution."

Freeman said she had shared her concerns about the conduct of Macario and Morrison with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, which has the authority to decide whether they will remain employed. 

"What I would hope that the public would understand is that bad conduct is not always criminal conduct," Freeman said.

Freeman has already dropped charges in almost 200 cases in which either Macario or Morrison was making an arrest.

Mason's family and their legal team met with Freeman at the district attorney's office Wednesday when she explained to them that she would not charge the troopers. Attorney Bakari Sellers said he could not share details of the video because of a confidentiality order from the judge. 

WRAL was part of a media coalition that fought for the footage to become public. Part of the footage is expected to become available at some point soon.

Sellers expressed disappointment at the decision.

"I will just say it is giving us more questions than answers," Sellers said. "We believe that the officers that night not only frustrated due process but committed obstruction of justice. I think the disappointment is that, I would argue the Wake County District Attorney is treating those officers differently than any average citizen in giving them the benefit of the doubt that they otherwise would not get."

Family members were visibly upset leaving a meeting at the Wake County courthouse on Wednesday. They declined to speak with WRAL News.

"I believe that the public is going to have a lack of trust not only for the state patrol but the Raleigh Police Department as this process unfolds," Sellers added.

Macario and Sgt. Morrison were suspended in January amid an investigation into their credibility over their handling of the situation.

In January, Freeman said she saw evidence from that fatal crash that raised questions about Macario's credibility and truthfulness. Freeman's viewing of the footage from the crash launched a deeper investigation. 

WRAL News reached out to the NCSHP to inquire about the employment status of Macario and Morrison. The two remain on administrative leave, according to a statement.

"We do recognize and take ownership that words spoken and captured by video in the moments after the collision’s occurrence do not reflect the high standards we place upon our members nor the lifesaving work that we see them carry out daily," said Sgt. Chris Knox. "We do believe, however, that this collision was a result of Mr. Mason’s actions alone and that is reflected in the unbiased collision report completed by the Raleigh Police Department."

A spokesperson for Raleigh Police Department said in a statement to WRAL News that it was part of the petition to release body camera footage from the night of the accident, adding that it is continuing to investigate the crash.

"We are committed to updating our procedures and instituting more levels of review to ensure more timely and effective communication both inside, and outside, the organization," the spokesperson said. "Transparency is important for trust with our community, and it is essential when families have lost a loved one."

The NCSHP is still conducting an internal review of the matter.