Two members of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol are on administrative leave and 180 cases have been dismissed as the patrol looks into the troopers' credibility.
The investigation stems from how trooper Garrett Macario and his supervisor, Sgt. Matthew Morrison, handled a chase and crash on Raleigh's Capital Boulevard in October 2024.
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Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said she saw evidence from that fatal crash that raised questions about Macario's credibility and truthfulness.
"In December, I received a call from someone with the SBI who had someone come forward to them raising questions about an incident on Oct. 7 in which a young man was killed on Capital," Freeman said. "Part of that raised questions about troopers' involvement in that wreck."
Freeman said what she saw on dash and body camera video from the scene led to a further investigation.
As a result, Wake County dismissed charges in 180 DWI cases -- some dating back to 2021 -- where Macario was the arresting officer and asked the State Bureau of Investigation to investigate. Freeman said she expected to dismiss some of Morrison's cases as the investigation continues.
Records show Macario, 26, has been with the Highway Patrol since February 2019. Morrison, 40, was hired in July 2012.
"This is concerning to us, and it's disturbing, but we are committed to doing things the right way," Freeman said, adding, "We believe credibility among law enforcement officers is essential to the work that we do. We need and have to trust officers. Frankly, when we can't, it's disgusting."