Of all the Democrats in North Carolina to face heat in the aftermath of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska's murder on Charlotte's light rail system, the city's mayor, Vi Lyles, has taken the most, with the statement she issued four days after the August 22nd attack outraging locals with its sympathetic focus on the suspect in the case.
In it, Lyles spared one sentence for the victim, while writing several paragraphs on how we shouldn't stigmatize people with mental health issues and how the homeless were allegedly more often the victims of crime than they were the perpetrators of it.
"We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health," Lyles wrote at the time, while also throwing in for good measure that "I want to be clear that I am not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or those who are unhoused."
After the horrific video of the crime was released, her reaction, while it focused more on the crime aspect, wasn't much better, with Lyles thanking the few media outlets that chose not to share the video of Zarutska's last moments, because, according to Lyles, the family should be respected. It was a fascinating choice of words considering how little respect she showed the family with her initial statement.
And now, with the unflattering national spotlight on Charlotte and with members of the Trump administration, including President Trump himself, also condemning the failures of the system to protect Zarutska by not keeping 34-year-old repeat offender Decarlos Brown Jr., the suspect, behind bars, Lyles is pointing the finger directly at the court system and calling for reform:
In a letter to the Charlotte community posted on X, Lyles called Zarutska’s killing “a horrific and senseless loss” and extended condolences to the victim’s family. She also described the attack as a “tragic failure by the courts and magistrates,” arguing repeat offenders who don’t face consequences or receive treatment for mental illness remain a threat when released back onto the streets.
“Our police officers arrest people only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety,” Lyles wrote, urging bipartisan solutions and renewed cooperation on state legislation like North Carolina’s pre-trial integrity act.
#NEW: Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles puts out a statement, pointing the finger at the courts and magistrates - saying the city is ready to work toward reform there.
— Hunter Sáenz (@Hunt_Saenz) September 8, 2025
She then talks about immediate actions being taken by CATS to increase security on light rail. https://t.co/loWIPmiXda
Though a lot of that sounded good, Lyles omitted the fact that she and other Democrat leaders at the city and state levels have been part of the problem all along, something evident when one learns about "The Mayor's Equity Initiative," established in 2021, which emphasizes standards to achieve "racial equity and social justice" among other initiatives:
Mayor Vi Lyles has a bold vision:
For Charlotte to set the standard as an American city for achieving racial equity, social justice, economic opportunity, and upward mobility through transformational public-private partnerships. The initiative strives to provide solutions-driven, measurable strategies that produce equitable access, opportunities, treatment and outcomes for Charlotte’s communities of color.
Further, people have been complaining about repeat offenders in this city for years, yet this is the first time I've seen an elected Democrat in a strong position of leadership make a forceful statement on the issue - and it came only after significant pushback to her initial statements, something the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police noted in a scorching statement:
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police has put out another blistering statement regarding what they deem to be massive failures of Mayor Vi Lyles. pic.twitter.com/8FrHwo2rGD
— Brett Jensen WBT News (@Brett_Jensen) September 8, 2025
Lyles is up for reelection in November, as are several members of the Democrat-controlled City Council, nearly all of whom have included equity, social justice, and affordable housing in their platforms (this includes the platforms of their Democrat primary opponents as well). Though in fairness, some of them have talked about crime, the woke priorities still take precedence for them.
SEE ALSO: NC Democrat 'Leaders' Belatedly Weigh in on Fatal Stabbing, Instantly Make Everything Worse
When you live in a blue city, you have to work with the hand you're dealt as far as elected officials go, and while I pray that the issue of repeat offenders finally gets addressed in a meaningful way in the aftermath of this tragedy, I'm not optimistic, because people will say a lot of things when they want your vote, yet when it comes time to do the actual work, they revert right back to business as usual. That has been especially true in Charlotte.
But that simply shouldn't be acceptable here anymore, and regardless of how the November election plays out, voters should keep the pressure on elected officials going forward to do the right thing and make Charlotte safe again.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Please support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member