A New Orleans jury convicted former New Orleans 911 director Tyrell Morris on all counts stemming from a 2023 car crash involving his agency-owned vehicle, including malfeasance in office, impersonating an officer, injuring public records, and insurance fraud.
WWL-TV reports it took jurors less than an hour to return that verdict.
The crash happened in May 2023. Prosecutors said Morris used flashing red and blue lights in the city-owned vehicle to impersonate a peace officer, and also failed to comply with standard operating procedures requiring him to undergo drug and alcohol testing.
The jury also found that Morris retroactively changed department on car crashes in city-owned vehicles.
The Orleans Parish Communications District rules, as provided to WWL-TV as investigated the crash, state "If injuries are reported, the operator of the OPCD vehicle(s) must take a drug and alcohol test as soon as possible. The Director of Human Resources should be contacted for the name and location of the testing facility."
The policy is dated May 14, 2019 -- seven days after Morris was involved in his crash. It is signed by Morris himself.
But the TV station reports it appears this policy was altered. It has a version that reads "The operator of the OPCD vehicle(s) must take a drug and alcohol test as soon as possible. The Director of Human Resources should be contacted for the name and location of the testing facility." The words "If injuries are reported" do not appear.
After the guilty verdict, Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Simone Levine ordered Morris to be held in jail until his sentencing date October 1.
Meanwhile, the OPCD's current executive director, Karl Fasold, says the agency just wants to move on.
"The jury has spoken," Fasold said. "This chapter of OPCD’s history is now closed, and we will continue to focus on our daily service to the residents, visitors, and our public safety partners in the great City of New Orleans."
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