The family of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, has filed a lawsuit against the city and a security company, alleging her death was preventable and that officials failed to address known violent crime issues on the transit system.
The lawsuit, filed on Friday in Mecklenburg County Superior Court, claims the city and Professional Security Services, the company providing security for the Charlotte Area Transit System, did not implement adequate protections despite being aware of violent crime on and around the light rail line. Frank Scott Haskell, Zarutska's uncle, filed the suit on behalf of her family.
Allegations of Negligence and Preventable Death
According to the Charlotte Observer, the lawsuit states that the city and Professional Security Services “were responsible for protecting lawful passengers from known and foreseeable danger” and that “their failures caused the fatal stabbing.” The family is seeking monetary damages and hopes the legal action will prompt security improvements across Charlotte's light rail system.
The lawsuit points to inadequate fare enforcement and security staffing as key failures. It contends that simple measures—such as fare enforcement, turnstiles, or proper security staffing—which the city reportedly had the funding for, could have prevented Zarutska's death.
Background of the Attack and Legal Proceedings
The lawsuit was filed exactly one year after Zarutska was killed while riding a light rail train home from work in Charlotte. Decarlos Brown Jr was charged in her death. In June, a judge ruled Brown incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness.
Zarutska had fled the war in Ukraine after living in a bomb shelter, hoping to find safety in the US. Family members described her as determined to build a safer life, according to relatives.
Broader Debate and Legislative Response
Zarutska's killing became a flashpoint in a broader public debate over violent crime, mental illness, and public transit safety, raising questions about whether cities like Charlotte are doing enough to address these issues. The Trump administration and its Republican allies seized on the case, claiming it demonstrated how local leaders, judges, and policies in Democratic-led cities were failing to protect residents from violent crime.
In September, North Carolina passed Iryna's Law, which redefined certain violent offenses, imposed bail limits for people charged with violent offenses, and ended cashless bond releases in certain circumstances. The law was a direct response to Zarutska's death and the public outcry it generated.
