One year after Iryna Zarutska’s brutal murder aboard a Charlotte light-rail train, her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Charlotte and its private transit security contractor, Professional Police Services Inc. (PSS), alleging “systemic failures” that left the Lynx Blue Line dangerously vulnerable. The complaint asserts that no security guard was present on the train when Zarutska was fatally stabbed, a direct consequence of PSS failing to adequately staff and deploy personnel as mandated by its contract. The lawsuit details how PSS was significantly understaffed, hiring only 183 security personnel against a contract for 219, and critically, only providing 11 armed guards when up to 39 were authorized. “If there had been a security guard on that train, Iryna Zarutska would be here,” stated Lauren Newton, an attorney for the family, highlighting the alleged negligence. Furthermore, the suit points to a lack of fare enforcement and physical barriers, allowing individuals like Zarutska’s accused killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., to access the train without paying, contributing to a known pattern of criminal activity on the Blue Line that the city and PSS allegedly knew or should have known about. The family seeks to hold PSS accountable for negligent and inadequate security, gross negligence, and punitive damages, aiming to prevent future tragedies.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
