Morgan City Police have released a statement responding to a video circulating on social media that shows a traffic stop and vehicle search on U.S. Highway 90.
The department says a K-9 officer stopped a 2025 Toyota RAV4 traveling east through Morgan City on September 28. During the stop, police say a K-9 alerted to the vehicle, and officers searched it along the highway. Officers reported finding several interior panels that were loose, damaged or unsecured.
According to the department, the driver told officers that another law enforcement agency had searched the vehicle in South Texas about two months earlier and that some panels had been damaged during that search. Police say officers later obtained a warrant from the 16th Judicial District Court so they could conduct a more thorough search away from the highway.
The department says the driver was told she was free to leave but chose to go to the police station and wait in the lobby while officers searched the vehicle. Police say she was not arrested or confined. The vehicle was returned after the search.
In addressing the condition of the vehicle, Morgan City Police say their officers did not cause the damage they observed. The department acknowledged, however, that several small trim pieces were not fully secured when the vehicle was returned. Police say a miscommunication among officers led to that issue and that it should have been explained more clearly to the driver.
The department’s statement did not report that narcotics were found or that charges were filed. It presents the police account of the encounter; the driver’s account was not included in the release.
