Body Cam Reveals Decarlos Brown Mental Health Plea Before Ukrainian Refugee Murder on Charlotte Train

In a harrowing body cam video released on 25 November 2025, Decarlos Brown, plagued by schizophrenia, begged Charlotte police for help during a mental health crisis on 19 January 2025, claiming 'man-made material' controlled his body and voices dictated his actions.

This footage, captured eight months before Brown allegedly murdered 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in a brutal stabbing attack on a packed Lynx Blue Line train, highlights missed opportunities in addressing his criminal history and severe mental illness.

As demands for the death penalty intensify, including from Donald Trump, the case exposes vulnerabilities in refugee safety, public transport security, and North Carolina's mental health system.

The January Police Encounter

On 19 January 2025, body cam footage shows Decarlos Brown, then 34, pacing anxiously along a Hawthorne Lane sidewalk in Charlotte, North Carolina, as he reported to officers that 'someone has exposed me to man-made material; there are voices in my head controlling me.'

Police advised him to seek hospital treatment, but Brown insisted on an MRI to investigate the 'material,' growing upset when dismissed. He called 911 again, leading to his arrest for misuse of the system and release without bail. Brown's mother had previously disclosed to WSOC that he suffered from schizophrenia, diagnosed after a 2020 prison release for armed robbery, and had over a dozen arrests.

This interaction, one of many with law enforcement, underscores North Carolina's limited psychiatric resources, ranking 36th nationally in beds per capita, potentially contributing to unchecked escalation. Experts note such pleas often signal untreated psychosis, yet systemic gaps left Brown untreated and free.

The Tragic Stabbing of Iryna Zarutska

On 22 August 2025, Decarlos Brown, now 35 and homeless, boarded a crowded Lynx Blue Line train in Charlotte and repeatedly stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska from behind with a pocket knife, killing her in an unprovoked attack captured on surveillance. Zarutska, who fled Ukraine's war in 2022 seeking safety in the US, died at the scene, her death sparking outrage over random violence on public transport on X.

Brown's jail call to his sister revealed confusion: 'I don't even know the lady... why would somebody just stab somebody for no reason?' His extensive criminal history, including a 2015 robbery conviction, amplified calls for accountability.

As noted in a X post by The Kyiv Independent, the incident highlights risks to refugees amid America's mental health and crime challenges. Community vigils mourned Zarutska, emphasising her as a symbol of failed protections.

Legal Aftermath and Iryna's Law

Brown faced state first-degree murder charges after the 22 August 2025 stabbing, followed by a federal indictment on 22 October 2025 for violence against a mass transportation system resulting in death, eligible for the death penalty due to his prior convictions.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed 'Iryna's Law' on 3 October 2025, reinstating capital punishment options, ending cashless bail, and expediting death penalty cases. Donald Trump publicly demanded the death penalty, stating the suspect should be 'awarded THE DEATH PENALTY' to deter such crimes.

As of 28 November 2025, no trial date is set, but the case prompts debates on balancing mental health treatment with justice. Brown's competency evaluation remains pending, reflecting broader systemic failures in addressing severe mental illness among repeat offenders.