Dem mayor getting ripped after demanding ‘compassion’ for madman accused of slaughtering Ukrainian refugee
In her statement, Lyles demanded the same “compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer and heart disease” for Brown, who knifed the innocent victim to death. Angela Wilhelm / USA TODAY NETWORK
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles is facing criticism after comments she made in response to the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a city train last month.
The incident, which took place on the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), involved the alleged unprovoked attack on Iryna Zarutska as she was commuting home from work. The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., has been charged in connection with the killing. Brown reportedly has a history of criminal behavior and may have been experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.
In a statement to WSOC-TV reporter Joe Bruno, Mayor Lyles described the tragedy as a reflection of broader systemic issues. “This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society safety nets related to mental healthcare and the systems that should be in place,” she said.
Lyles, a Democrat, noted that the suspect “appears to have suffered a crisis,” and emphasized that CATS is “by and large a safe transit system.” She also argued that public safety challenges related to homelessness and mental illness cannot be solved solely through arrests. “We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health,” she stated.
Notably, Lyles did not mention Brown’s criminal record in her statement, instead urging the community to “do better for those members of our community who need help and have no place to go.”
The mayor’s remarks sparked a strong reaction on social media, where many users accused her of showing more sympathy for the suspect than for the victim. “The Charlotte Mayor should resign. Her number one role is to keep her people safe,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another commented, “This is insanity. Violent, mentally ill people should be off the streets—in jail or in a mental health facility. They should not be free to stab innocent people to death on public transportation.”
Despite the public outcry, Mayor Lyles has not issued a follow-up statement and did not respond to a request for comment from The Post.
About Post Author
