CHARLOTTE — North Carolina lawmakers laid out potential legislative changes on Thursday in the wake of Charlotte’s deadly light rail stabbing.
“Their (Charlotte’s) crime rate may not be as bad as Chicago, but we don’t want to compare ourselves to Chicago,” said N.C. House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell. “We are dealing with a local government, really Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte, two local governments that in my opinion, have lost institutional control of their areas.”
They pushed for restarting the death penalty, which was paused in 2006 due to legal challenges, ending cashless bail with previous felony convictions, as well as requiring magistrates to consider a person’s homelessness and mental health history when setting bond.
“What I think we need to do is reduce the ability of some magistrates to have that broad discretion that they currently have,” Berger said.
Iryna Zarutska’s killing that happened on Aug. 22 got national attention after Charlotte Area Transit System officials released surveillance video Friday of the slaying.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown, faces federal and state charges. He is accused of stabbing the 23-year-old to death on the Blue Line as it traveled to the East/West Boulevard Station in South End on a Friday night.
His charges include first-degree murder and committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. The last charge means he could face the death penalty.
Brown has been in the Mecklenburg County criminal system for years, and spent five years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon. Brown’s mother told Channel 9 he has schizophrenia.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department encountered Brown three times in 2024 and was referred to resources each time.
Hall wants to learn more about these interactions.
Berger said CATS must follow through with its fare enforcement efforts.
“He would not have been on the light rail if they were enforcing you have to pay the fare,” Berger said.
The top Republicans hope there will be bipartisan.
PAST COVERAGE:
- Jail call provides insight into light rail suspect’s mindset after fatal stabbing
- Local, state and federal leaders vow transit safety changes after light rail killing
- Mecklenburg County DA addresses Charlotte light rail stabbing case
- Councilman Graham addresses transit safety and city development in press conference
- President Trump demands death penalty in light rail stabbing case
- Iryna Zarutska’s family seeks accountability in Charlotte light rail killing
- Man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee on light rail charged with federal crime
- From light rail to courts, Iryna Zarutska’s killing is prompting change
- Charlotte mayor announces security changes after deadly light rail stabbing
- Deadly Charlotte light rail stabbing draws national attention; leaders call for change
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
