WARNING: The video is edited to avoid showing the actual stabbing.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — The Charlotte Area Transit System, CATS, has released video of a deadly stabbing two weeks ago on the light rail.
Because the video is so disturbing and violent, Nexstar’s WJZY is not showing it in its entirety, but rather parts of it.
The video shows the suspect, DeCarlos Brown, already on the light rail when the victim, Iryna Zarutska, gets on and sits in front of him on Aug. 22, right around 10 p.m.
Brown sits for about four and a half minutes and seems to be fidgety off and on during that time. He doesn’t seem to look in Zarutska’s direction at all and doesn’t even seem to notice she’s there until suddenly, he pulls out a knife.
The suspect appears to quickly stab Zarutska three times and walk off as if nothing happened, leaving her to die.
Brown is seen moving to another part of the light rail car and apparently changes clothes. He is then seen running off the light rail with his hand wrapped in his sweatshirt at the next stop.
Since the stabbing, city leaders have called for extra security on the light rail.
In a statement posted Saturday morning, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said: “The video of the heartbreaking attack that took Iryna Zarutska’s life is now public. I want to thank our media partners and community members who have chosen not to repost or share the footage out of respect for Iryna’s family.
“This was a senseless and tragic loss. My prayers remain with her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an unimaginable time.
“Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken — and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city. I remain committed to doing all we can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone feels safe.”
Riders have responded with trepidation after the incident.
“When it happened, of course, I was very disturbed, and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to take the light rail,” said one rider who didn’t want her name used.
However, riders have mixed opinions on whether they’ve noticed more security officers on the light rail since the stabbing.
“I have not noticed a change in security either. In fact, I’ve seen more absent,” said Allison Laforgia.
Another rider, Niharika Chandakr, said: “I feel like I have noticed an increase in security but only at specific times, like more so during the morning when I’m commuting to work.”
WJZY personnel rode the light rail on Friday from about 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., starting at the East-West station in South End near where the stabbing happened. During a round-trip for about 20 stops total, no security officers were seen.
“I do think they need to step up some more measures, I don’t know what that looks like,” said the rider who did not want to be identified.
CATS said it is 35 officers short and is working to hire the full 219 they have allotted through their contract with a private security firm.
The agency told city leaders this week that it is also focused on fare enforcement. The agency does not believe the suspect had a ticket.
Rider Marwa Daud believes it makes a difference when riders know that security is checking to see if people paid because it gets people off the light rail who mean to cause problems and keeps others who need it on.
“I feel like they’re not there just to create chaos, they’re there to go from point A to point B,” said Daud.
Laforgia was asked if she’s worried about security.
“Very much so,” said Laforgia. “It makes me hesitant to take the light rail at certain times. I know that my friends and I have pretty firm ideas about when we will and won’t take it.”
When asked about the lack of security officers at times, CATS said its security is spread out across the transit system, and they are not stationed at every light rail train, station, or on board every bus.
