The family of Tyrone Mason, a 31-year-old Black man who died during a North Carolina Highway Patrol pursuit in Raleigh on October 7, 2024, is demanding justice after prosecutors declined to charge the trooper involved.
Their call for accountability comes after body camera footage of the incident was released last week by court order. The footage has raised new questions about the actions of the trooper who pursued Mason — and what happened in the critical seconds after the crash.
At a press conference, Henrietta Mason, Tyrone’s mother, shared what a witness told her: that they heard the sound of a high-speed chase followed by a loud crash as Mason’s car collided with a concrete bridge support.
“When my son hit that bridge, [the witness] said it sounded like a house blowing up,” Henrietta recalled. “Then the lights and sirens went off. That trooper turned his back and went home to his family. My baby didn’t.”
Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove also spoke at the press conference, sharply criticizing Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman for her refusal to bring charges against the trooper.
“In choosing not to prosecute, Freeman swept a miscarriage of justice under the rug,” Blagrove said. “Tyrone Mason might still be alive. We’ll never know — because the trooper who chased him into that bridge rendered no aid in the most crucial moments. And now he faces no consequences.”
This case is yet another example of how police violence escapes accountability, even when the results are fatal. The Mason family, supported by advocates and community members, continues to demand truth, justice, and systemic change.
Read more at the following:
Tyrone Mason’s Family, Lawyers and Local Activists Speak Out Against Wake DA’s Decision Not to Charge Troopers Who Lied About Fatal Crash→
Family slams prosecutor for not charging trooper who allegedly provided false info on fatal crash→
Recordings Show NC Trooper, Supervisor Lied to Raleigh PD About Tyrone Mason Crash→
Attorneys for Tyrone Mason’s family call for immediate firing of troopers, Wake DA responds→
Family of Tyrone Mason holds rally after filing lawsuit against NC State Highway Patrol trooper→