Suit targets city and private transit security contractor
The filing and the relief sought
The complaint was filed Friday in Mecklenburg County Superior Court by Frank Scott Haskell, Zarutska’s uncle. It names the city of Charlotte and Professional Security Services, the private company contracted to provide security for the Charlotte Area Transit System. The family is seeking monetary damages and has said it hopes the legal action will lead to security changes across Charlotte’s light rail system.
The lawsuit’s allegations
The suit alleges that both Charlotte and Professional Security Services knew of violent crime occurring on Charlotte’s light rail and failed to implement adequate protections before Zarutska was killed. According to the Charlotte Observer, the complaint contends that simple measures — fare enforcement, turnstiles or adequate security staffing — could have prevented the killing, and that the city had funds available for such measures. “Their failures caused the fatal stabbing,” the suit states, per the Charlotte Observer.
The criminal case
Decarlos Brown Jr was charged in Zarutska’s death. In June, a court ruled Brown incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness, and the criminal case remains in that status as of the lawsuit’s filing.
The state response and broader debate
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 killing was discussed in a broader public debate over violent crime, mental illness and public transit safety. The Trump administration and Republican allies claimed the killing showed that local leaders, judges and policies in Democratic-led cities were failing to protect residents from violent crime.
The family’s account
Zarutska came to the United States after living in a bomb shelter in Ukraine, according to relatives. She had fled the war in hopes of finding safety in the United States, and family members described her as determined to build a safer life.