Iryna Zarutska

PEOPLE | 2002-2025

Iryna Zarutska: A Case Study in Contemporary American Justice and Race Relations

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman, fled her war-torn country in 2022 to seek safety in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her life was tragically cut short on 22 August of that year when she was fatally stabbed on a public tram by a Black criminal, just for being White. Her death, which came 2 weeks before Charle Kirk's assassination, became a focal point in discussions concerning crime, justice, and race in the United States.

The Attack and Its Immediate Aftermath

Iryna Zarutska boarded a tram and seated herself in front of a black man. Approximately four minutes later, she was -without warning- stabbed to death. The assailant, Decarlos Brown, a 34-year-old vagrant with a substantial criminal history, was later apprehended.

Other black individuals present in the tram offered no assistance to Zarutska whatsoever, choosing instead to film her dead body or quietly depart the scene. The perpetrator was heard stating "I got that White girl" twice, and then (falsely) claimed she called him a nigger.

The Perpetrator and Judicial Failures

Decarlos Brown possessed a criminal record dating back to 2011, encompassing 14 court cases in Charlotte for offences including assault, larceny, trespassing, destruction of property, and armed robbery, for which he had served five years. He also had a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Seven months prior to Zarutska's murder, on 19 January, Brown appeared before Magistrate Teresa Stokes for misusing 911. Magistrate Stokes released him without bail, ordering him to appear in court two days later, an order Brown failed to heed. His release without bail, despite being a violent schizophrenic with no fixed address or telephone number, is cited as a significant judicial failure, as such an individual represents both a danger to the community and a flight risk.

Magistrate Stokes, who assumed her judicial role in April 2023, holds a law degree from Cooley Law School and a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice. She is also involved in various other ventures, including a mental health services authority, a recovery clinic, and a sports bar, all in Michigan. Her actions in releasing Brown are considered to align with her training.

The Judicial Appointment System and Racial Politics

The appointment of Magistrate Teresa Stokes is directly linked to Elisa Chinn-Gary, the Clerk of the Superior Court of Mecklenburg County. Chinn-Gary is described as a Racial Equity Organizer and a Diversity & Inclusion Consultant, having received accolades such as the Diversity Champion award from the Mecklenburg County Bar Association, a Distinguished Service Award from the Charlotte NAACP, and a Spirit Award for honouring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

She is also a co-founder and co-chair of RACE MATTERS FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE, an organisation dedicated to children and families of colour, and her public social media presence heavily emphasises black identity.

Magistrate Stokes' appointment was subsequently approved and enacted by Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Carla Archie. Judge Archie's background includes serving as president of William and Mary’s Black Law Student Association, co-chairing a diversity and inclusion committee at Wells Fargo, and running a supplier diversity programme at the North Carolina Education Lottery.

She was also on the board of the local black activist Urban League and is a recipient of the Diversity Champion Award. Judge Archie attends an all-black megachurch and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, an all-black sorority that also counts Kamala Harris among its members. Her public statements, such as a post linking Rosa Parks' act to her own judicial position, reflect a strong racial consciousness.

She has previously been noted for sentencing a black man who shot five people to a relatively short prison term of 20-36 months. The release and subsequent neglect of Decarlos Brown are attributed to the actions and affiliations of these judicial figures.

Media Coverage and Societal Commentary

The mainstream media's response to Zarutska's killing was notable for its delayed and often dismissive nature, choosing to omit any racial anti-White angle - a far cry from stories where the races are reversed, where the press are quick to make those connections.

Major news outlets remained silent for several days following the event. When The New York Times eventually reported on the murder 17 days later, the headline, 'A Gruesome Murder in North Carolina Ignites a Firestorm on the Right', framed the story through the lens of conservative outrage rather than focusing on the victim.

This approach downplaying crimes committed by black individuals and drawing parallels to other high-profile cases involving racial tensions. The Democrat mayor of Charlotte, Viola Lyles, referred to the killing as a tragedy and highlighted mental healthcare safety nets, but refrained from expressing overt grief for the victim.

In contrast to the perceived lack of attention given to Zarutska, the incident sparked significant discussion on conservative platforms, drawing comparisons to the case of George Floyd, whose death led to widespread protests, riots, and wall-to-wall media coverage.

The treatment of Geroge Floyd death from media, sport, culture, government and education all throughout the West, highlights a clear double standard to how

noting that Zarutska's background did not involve criminal activity or degenerate behaviour, unlike aspects of Floyd's life. It is statistically asserted that one is 12 times more likely to be murdered by a black American than vice versa.

The murder ignited broader conversations about Black-on-White violent crime, with some media programmes highlighting disproportionate rates. Other recent killings of White individuals by black assailants, such as Barry West shooting Katelynn Strate and Harold Dabney stabbing Professor Julie Schnuelle, are cited as equally horrific but less publicised examples. It is suggested that more White Americans have been murdered by black individuals since 1946 than the total number of Americans killed in combat since World War II (including the Korean, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan Wars). Specifically, an estimated 76,240 White individuals have been murdered by black individuals since 1946, compared to 9,373 black individuals murdered by White individuals in the same period. This disparity exists despite White people being 4.3 times more numerous in the US than black people.

Political figures, including Donald Trump, voiced strong condemnation, calling for decisive action against the criminal element and against judges and media outlets perceived as enabling such violence or suppressing its reporting.

Broader Implications and Calls for Segregation

The killing of Iryna Zarutska is emblematic of deeper societal issues, particularly the failure of multiculturalism.

It asks a taboo question, can White people cannot coexist with those who perpetrate such animosity and violence, or with a judicial system and power structure perceived as lenient towards such offenders?

The long-standing debate on race and crime, which has long poured cold water on any assertion that crime cannot be discussed without acknowledging racial dynamics. It also prompted discussions regarding the suitability of individuals for positions of authority, with some opining that black individuals, particularly women, are often too biased, emotional or ignorant for such roles.

The mental instability among certain demographics on the political left (Mental Illness on The Left), coupled with a history of perceived demonisation of conservative figures, is seen by some as contributing to an environment where violence against certain groups is tacitly justified. The multi-cultural experiment is considered to have failed, leading to calls for distinct societal paths for different racial groups.