One year after 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally attacked aboard a Charlotte light-rail train, her family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit accusing the city and its private transit-security contractor of failing to provide adequate protection for passengers.

The lawsuit, filed in Mecklenburg County Superior Court on August 21, names the City of Charlotte and Professional Security Services Inc. (PSS), the private company providing security for the Charlotte Area Transit System, or CATS.

The complaint argues that Zarutska’s death was preventable and alleges that security staffing, fare enforcement and other safety measures were inadequate when she was attacked aboard the LYNX Blue Line on August 22, 2025.

The allegations contained in the lawsuit have not been adjudicated in court.

FAMILY SAYS SECURITY WAS MISSING FROM THE TRAIN
One of the lawsuit’s central allegations is that no security guard was aboard the train when Zarutska was attacked.

According to the complaint, Charlotte’s amended agreement with PSS provided funding for up to 219 security positions during fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

The lawsuit alleges that PSS had filled only 183 positions at the time of Zarutska’s death.

It further claims that the company had only 11 armed security guards, despite the contract allowing for as many as 39.

The family’s attorney, Lauren Newton, told WBTV that the staffing shortage was one of the reasons the family believes the attack could have been prevented.

That assertion remains a claim made by the family’s legal team and has not been established as a fact by a court.

WHAT HAPPENED ABOARD THE BLUE LINE?
Zarutska was riding the LYNX Blue Line after finishing work when she encountered Decarlos Brown Jr.

According to federal prosecutors, surveillance video showed Brown already aboard the train before Zarutska entered the rail car.

Zarutska sat in the row directly in front of him.

Federal authorities allege that Brown subsequently attacked her with a knife.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department identified Brown as the suspect the following day and charged him with first-degree murder. The U.S. Department of Justice later brought a federal charge alleging an act of violence causing death on a railroad carrier and mass transportation system.

The attack was captured by CATS surveillance cameras and later became central to the investigation.

LAWSUIT ALSO TARGETS FARE ENFORCEMENT
The family’s lawsuit does not focus solely on the absence of a security guard.

It also alleges that fare enforcement was inadequate, allowing people to enter the transit system without paying or being stopped.

The complaint alleges Brown was able to use CATS transportation without paying a fare before the attack.

WBTV previously reported that surveillance footage showed Brown boarding a CATS bus before traveling to the transit center and later taking the light rail.

The lawsuit argues that the system lacked physical barriers such as gates or turnstiles that could have restricted access to people without valid fares.

The complaint further alleges that CATS personnel had previously been instructed not to confront passengers over unpaid fares.

These allegations are now part of the civil litigation and remain subject to the court process.

FAMILY POINTS TO HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
The lawsuit argues that the city and security contractor should have been aware of safety risks associated with the Blue Line.

According to the complaint, violent incidents had occurred at or near CATS stations before Zarutska’s attack.

The family argues that those incidents made the possibility of serious violence foreseeable and that additional protective measures should have been implemented.

The lawsuit cites previous homicides and assaults near Blue Line stops as part of its argument that the defendants had notice of potential risks.

The family’s attorney described the case as an effort to address what she characterized as longstanding problems within the CATS system.

STATE AUDIT ALSO EXAMINED CATS SECURITY
The lawsuit comes shortly after a state audit examined Charlotte’s public-transit security and safety practices.

The family’s legal team has pointed to findings from that audit as additional context for its allegations.

WBTV reported that the audit examined issues including security spending, fare enforcement and the system’s approach to passenger safety.

The lawsuit argues that the city’s own knowledge of security concerns, combined with staffing and enforcement issues, should have prompted additional precautions.

However, the audit and the lawsuit are separate matters, and the allegations in the civil complaint still have to be evaluated through litigation.

CHARLOTTE DECLINES TO COMMENT
The City of Charlotte has declined to comment on the lawsuit because the matter is now active litigation.

PSS also had not provided a response at the time of the reports cited in this article.

That means the allegations made by Zarutska’s estate have not yet been tested through a trial or resolved by a judge.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages related to Zarutska’s death and additional damages from PSS.

The family is also asking the court to hold the defendants responsible for alleged negligence and inadequate security practices.

THE CASE INVOLVING DECarlos BROWN
The civil lawsuit comes as the criminal case involving Brown continues separately.

Brown was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after authorities identified him as the suspect in Zarutska’s death.

Federal prosecutors later charged him with a federal offense related to violence on a mass-transit system.

In June 2026, a federal judge ruled Brown incompetent to stand trial, meaning the criminal proceedings faced a separate legal issue concerning his ability to participate in the case.

The civil lawsuit against Charlotte and PSS does not determine Brown’s criminal responsibility.

Likewise, the outcome of Brown’s criminal case would not automatically resolve the family’s allegations against the city or security contractor.

The two legal proceedings involve different defendants and different questions.

FAMILY WANTS CHANGES TO CHARLOTTE TRANSIT
For Zarutska’s relatives, the lawsuit is about more than financial compensation.

Their attorney has said the family wants changes to the way Charlotte’s public transportation system handles security.

The complaint argues that passengers should have greater protection from foreseeable risks and that basic measures such as adequate staffing and fare enforcement could improve safety.

The family also hopes the case will prevent another passenger from experiencing a similar attack.

One year after Zarutska’s death, the lawsuit has therefore shifted part of the focus from the individual criminal case to the broader question of how Charlotte’s transit system was being secured when the attack occurred.

Those questions will now be examined through the civil court process.

For the moment, the most significant claims — including the allegation that no security guard was aboard the train and that inadequate staffing contributed to Zarutska’s death — remain allegations made by her family and estate, not findings that have been established in court.

SOURCES
FOX News — Iryna Zarutska family files wrongful death lawsuit