CHARLOTTE — Charlotte leaders now have more time before they’re grilled by state lawmakers about public safety. They’ll be called to Raleigh next month instead of attending a hearing this week.
Channel 9 Government Reporter Joe Bruno learned it all has to do with a federal judge’s ruling that prevents state lawmakers from releasing the investigative file of Decarlos Brown. He’s the man police charged with stabbing Iryna Zarutska to death on Charlotte’s light rail.
State lawmakers are probing public safety in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
Seven leaders, including Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, CMPD Chief Estella Patterson, and Mayor Vi Lyles, will testify to the House Oversight Committee about what they are doing to keep this area safe.
The hearing was supposed to be Thursday, but state lawmakers canceled it and rescheduled it for February 9.
One of the things lawmakers are investigating is Zarutska’s killing on a CATS light rail train. Brown is facing federal and state murder charges. Lawmakers asked for all documents, reports and memos tied to this case.
[ SPECIAL SECTION >> 9 Investigates: The Killing of Iryna Zarutska ]
Brown’s attorney objected, and U.S. Magistrate Judge David Kessler put a stop to this.
His preliminary protective order says CMPD is ordered to not disclose the CMPD and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s criminal investigative files related to the August 22, 2025 events.
He says this was put in place because Brown’s attorney claimed, “The file may have already been sent by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to the legislative committee and legislators.”
If that happened, this order makes it clear no one on the committee may disclose or release it
The House Oversight Committee says the hearing was delayed so lawmakers can talk to attorneys and find out what they can ask.
It’s not just Brown’s attorneys who had concerns about the files being made public. US Attorney Russ Ferguson also joined the protective order request.
We’ll keep an eye on the hearing on Feb. 9 and bring you updates as they happen.
(VIDEO: Family receives outpouring of support after Iryna Zarutska’s death)
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