The family of Iryna Zarutska has initiated legal proceedings against the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, and its contracted transit security provider, Professional Police Services Inc. (PSS), operating as Professional Security Services. The lawsuit comes approximately one year after Zarutska's death on the city's light-rail system, an event that garnered national attention. The complaint alleges "systemic failures" rendered the public transit network dangerously susceptible to crime.
Filed as a wrongful death complaint, the legal action asserts that Zarutska's death was "preventable." The allegations outlined in the complaint have not yet undergone judicial review.
"What it shows is the systemic failures that have been within the CATS system for years that the city has been aware of," stated Lauren Newton, an attorney representing Zarutska's family and estate, in a prior interview.
Allegations of Understaffing and Negligence
The lawsuit specifically claims that no security personnel were present on the Lynx Blue Line train when Zarutska was fatally stabbed on August 22, 2025. PSS is accused of not adequately staffing and deploying both armed and unarmed security guards across the transit system.
According to the complaint, Charlotte's revised contract with PSS allocated funding for 219 security personnel for the fiscal years 2025 and 2026. However, the lawsuit alleges that PSS had only hired 183 individuals at the time of Zarutska's killing. Furthermore, the complaint states that PSS employed merely 11 armed guards, despite the contract allowing for a force of up to 39 armed personnel.
"They weren’t fully staffed," Newton remarked. "If there had been a security guard on that train, Iryna Zarutska would be here." The assertion that a security guard would have prevented Zarutska's death remains to be established in court.
Concerns Over Fare Enforcement and Prior Crime
Beyond staffing issues, the lawsuit also scrutinizes the enforcement of fares on the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). It claims that Decarlos Brown Jr., the individual accused in Zarutska's death, had accessed CATS transportation without purchasing a ticket before the incident. The complaint further alleges an absence of physical barriers designed to prevent non-ticketed passengers from boarding the light rail.
"There’s been literally no fare enforcement and those things, at a basic level, are what’s necessary for safety. And there’s been none of that," Newton explained.
The legal filing asserts that both the City of Charlotte and PSS were, or should have been, aware that the Lynx Blue Line and its various stops had been locations for criminal activity on multiple occasions preceding Zarutska's death.
"Violent crime was absolutely foreseeable," Newton stated.
Legal Claims and Damages Sought
Zarutska's estate is pursuing claims including wrongful death, citing allegedly negligent and inadequate security measures, as well as gross negligence. The family is seeking damages exceeding $25,000 and punitive damages specifically against PSS. The lawsuit does not seek damages from the City of Charlotte.
"The family doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else’s loved one," Newton previously commented.