NC Gov. Josh Stein is under fire for his silence over the murder of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte bus (Getty/NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)
Zarutska, who had fled war-town Ukraine, grabs her neck as blood spills onto the floor. Authorities later pronounced her dead at the scene.
The attack, which took place on August 22nd, prompted many on social media to criticize Stein for speaking out about George Floyd, a Black man killed by a white police officer, but not being as vocal for this murder, where a White woman was murdered by an alleged Black assailant.
".@NC_Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, has had nothing to say about the brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska, a resident of his state," journalist Megan Basham posted on X. "Yet, in 2020, when he was attorney general, he DID find time to lament the death of George Floyd and initiate a "Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice."
"This task force's recommendations included increasing "pre-trial release"--which is exactly the kind of thing that allowed Zarutska's killer, DeCarlos Brown, to be on the streets after 14 previous arrests."
"Not a word about Iryna Zarutska from Democrat North Carolina Governor Josh Stein," conservative influencer account LibsofTiktok posted on X.
CHILLING VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE UKRAINIAN REFUGEE STABBED TO DEATH ON CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (Getty Images/Allison Joyce)
Stein's comment on Monday didn't satisfy many social media users who accused the governor of shifting the blame for the attack.
"He was arrested 14 times," White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Marone posted on X. "The police did their jobs. You did not. And shame on your for trying to shift the blame."
"Preposterous statement from the @NC_Governor," conservative commentator Michael Knowles posted on X. "The problem isn't that cops didn't arrest the guy. He was arrested over two dozen times! The problem is that liberal prosecutors, judges, and legislators like you refused to keep him locked up."
"You were Attorney General of North Carolina when her killer was arrested and released from jail 14 times," conservative commentator Greg Price posted on X. "The police did their job. You did not."
The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, was arrested shortly after the stabbing and hospitalized before being arrested on a charge of first-degree murder. Records obtained by The New York Post showed that Brown has a history of arrests going back more than a decade, including charges of felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and communicating threats. Police said Brown and Zarutska did not know each other and the attack had been random.
Zarutska’s death has renewed calls for action on public safety in Charlotte. Members of the Charlotte City Council expressed concern after Zarutska’s murder about violence on the city’s transit system.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-governor-breaks-silence-murder-ukrainian-refugee-after-social-media-backlash