Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Vi Lyles Statement Regarding the Murder of Iryna Zarutska


First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out to the young women’s family and friends.

This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society safety nets related to mental healthcare and the systems that should be in place. 

As we come to understand what happened and why, we must look at the entire situation. 

While I do not know the specifics of the man’s medical record, what I have come to understand is that he has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis. This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome. While there are questions about the safety and security of our transit system and our city, I do know there have been significant and sustained efforts to address safety and security within our transit system and across our city.

Charlotte is by and large a safe city. 

CATS by and large is a safe transit system. 

However, tragic incidents like these should force us to look at what we are doing across our community to address root causes. We will never arrest our way out issues such homelessness and mental health. I am committed to doing the hard work with Mecklenburg County, community leaders, health care service providers, and the private sector to ensure that Charlotte continues to be one of the best cities in the world, with the highest quality of life for everyone.

I want to be clear that I am not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or those who are unhoused. 

Mental health disease is just that – a disease like any other than needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer or heart disease. Our community must work to address the underlying issue of access to mental healthcare.

Also, those who are unhoused are more frequently the victim of crimes and not the perpetrators. 

Too many people who are on the street need a safe place to sleep and wrap around services to lift them up.

We, as a community, must do better for those members of our community who need help and have no place to go.

Vi Lyles

Your elected Mayor of Charlotte

Props to Joe Bruno for sharing this.

60 comments:

  1. Do we know how many mentally disturbed white men are murdering innocent black women? Just curious.

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    1. Great point, but of course, we know the answer. It’s not our “communities” it’s one community that regardless of if in Charlotte, Philly, Detroit, or Portland - is the one responsible for killing 90% of people and probably 95% of their own community.

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    2. Well, if white people would only fix the problem in the black community, then this wouldn't be a statistic.

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  2. Her response isn't about the murder of a young girl or this random act of horrific violence. Tone deaf? Because stabbing someone a dozen times is personal it is not like shooting at a car in anger this was personal this was hate filled rage.

    Vi Lyles should resign.

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    1. Yep. It was a hate crime and had it been a white man stabbing an innocent black woman...the response would be swift and brutal. We'd hear about racism, lower class struggles, and the dangerous world white men create

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  3. Since the mayor isn't blaming the man who stabbed the girl who does she believe should be prosecuted for her murder?

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  4. Typical Democrat response. And the "unhoused" want to be in the streets. This city and county have a lot resources but they don't want them or won't abide by the rules.

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  5. This is such bullshit.

    There is no “mental health disease”. It’s broken down into 100s of disorders which are just separation from the norm. Most people have a disorder of some sort, as this world changes people over the course of time.

    Some people are just psycho or violent, so they need to be put to rest or caged.

    Some people are funny or risky. They create things that have never been done.

    Some people are logical or square. They make our computers and economy stable.

    Some people are brave and order driven. They die for political causes and cultivate our agriculture.

    It’s not about demographics, but Charlotte is not safe for good people.

    The mayor needs to resign.

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    1. Victimhood status has overtaken society, one of the faces is, mental illness/disease. It's about raising children and teaching during formative years, how to a productive citizen .
      I agree with your statement.

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  6. Maybe we’d be better as a city if majority of the PTOs weren’t trash

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    1. It’s just a way to get them out of the driver seat. Speaking of mental health, half this agency are ill and unfit. Look at the sgt in Providence Division, or the LT in the Chiefs office.

      Charlotte is crazy and draws in crazy, which can have dangerous outcomes. It’s create a new generation of children with problems.

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    2. No, Nooo.. Self-accountability is a real concept. Parents need to get off the sidelines, y'all are not spectators, take your parental authority back and parent your children, if you don't know how, then get off social media and ask help. Get your kids off social media, HOW ABOUT don't let them have access until teenage years.

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    3. Here we go with you fags not wanting to say anything . WHO is the Sgt in providence and WHAT did he do…. Or the LT ?

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  7. CMPD has always had a problem with suicide. Many officers family kill themselves. Pills is another driver towards downfall or public dishonor. Violence at home and cheating leads towards unstable home lives, and financial instability. You can ask any Community Coordinator paying child support. Ask any female supervisor that had affairs with her coworkers.

    Answers? Stop being selfish and think about positive ways to help the less fortunate. It leads towards a longer and healthier life.

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    1. "Always had a problem with suicide" ....please provide the number of suicides per year related to CMPD and their families.

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    2. You obviously never worked here. Cops are problems like any occupation. It ain’t about the names or family. It’s about the choices and culture that lead to that point. We need to have annual evaluations across the board to test cognitive decline, yearly goals, and personal activities.

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    3. Have problems

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  8. There are no “less fortunate” on Sugar Creek or Woodlawn.

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  9. An astoundingly dumb response.

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  10. She’s a moron. But hey, morons elect morons!

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  11. Even if she was speaking only to her base, they must be wondering how deep of a hole she dwells what cavern of despair she resides. This is shocking.

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    1. just when I think I've seen, read, heard it all, something else comes along.

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  12. This is a sad one-off that would not have happened if Trump did not encourage his handler to continue to invade Ukraine. We are a world connected city and have consequences when the world’s refugees are sent here.

    We need affordable housing, free health and mental care, not dictators sending their neighbors youths to us

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    1. I love this. When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2025, Trump did NOTHING to stop it. Instead, he send billions to Ukraine which did zero to stop the war! You are so right!

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    2. Are you coherent? You've been brainwashed , Russia, China, Russia, China.
      If you want to live in Socialism, N. Korea, Cuba, are 2 places off the top of my head you may want to consider. Instead of demanding free things, why don't you go out your community, you'll have to get off social media, and be constructive. Or just keep making things up & complaining

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    3. 1619, how about learn the difference between socialism and and communism before attacking people on our blog.

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    4. 733 accountability isn't your thing huh? You think your issues are everyone else's responsibility and they owe you. Grow up and be thankful for all of your blessings.

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  13. The Blue line has been a shit hole since day one. Never ride it after dark, don't sit down, try not to touch anything and be careful where you step. The combination of smells that of weed, vomit, urine and shit is a great appetite suppressant.

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    1. Police talk about risks at work. I say anyone inside the John Belk loop is at risk of attack, but they don’t have weapons or training.

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    2. "Anyone inside the John Belk Loop" - just say Metro Division

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    3. Bruh dat Central. You gotta cross the railroad tracks north bound to hit da Tro.

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    4. Ramsey has this shit handled at the train station and park areas.

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  14. Uptown started a rapid decline immediately after the "Transient Center" was built. This allowed Hood Rats from all across the city to be efficiently dumped into Central and wreck havoc on the citizens there fueling the businesses. This is why Central is no longer thriving after dark and businesses at the center shut down. It is dangerous and no one feels safe going there. It is time to flush a lot of turds from the gubamint center come election day.

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  15. I hear that the POS is still at the hospital I assume CMC apparently he was quickly subdued any word when they will transport to Jail intake or the ME?

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  16. "If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim that can do it. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore, what he must be taught to fear is his victim."
    Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper USMC

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    1. I've been doing this all my life, well since 3rd grade. Dad, don't start anything, but if it gets started, make sure you finish it. Great advice. We a society of ppl that run around, Be kind. Nope. Did you mean Be polite. I don't owe a stranger kindness, they may be at their kids, kick the dog. At the end of the day, I want to go home unharmed. If one tries to prevent that, REGRET will come your way. I promise. I'm a 56 yrs young woman. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡²πŸ‘Š

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  17. If he had a gun then more people would have been hurt. Good thing it was limited to one person with a knife.

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    1. And now we have a mass shooting in MN. So sick and cowardly.

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    2. Not so good for the lady who died.

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    3. Violence is apart of any community of life forms. It’s a signal of the failed systems that led to this event. White people just don’t get it until it’s them.

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  18. Woman’s, not women’s. That implies more than one woman was murdered. Hugh McCall got the bus riders off the sidewalks of Trade & Tryon. It was better after the move to the transit center for the good workers of uptown. You didn’t have to weave & dodge those loitering, pretending to be waiting for the bus.

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  19. I, for one, am proud of our Leader for taking a public stand for mental health awareness. It is obvious we need more community resources, more violence intervention, more training. Charlotte is safer than ever thanks to our current Mayor’s leadership.

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    1. Or we could just cull out violent thugs at random. Select a few off the streets each day until we have a nice city again.

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    2. Looks like your boys already took one of ours this morning near East. When is enough enough? Get the armed guard off our street killing innocent people who need mental healthcare! Violence interrupters will save our people

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    3. 834 mother fucker he shot at the cops

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    4. Feel bad for the fuzz. They will prob get fired by the administration. Look what the mayor is saying!!!!!!

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    5. Might be a cracker. But either way sounds like he needed killing.

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    6. Makin sure Tanya know bout this
      More trainin less guns
      Make Charlotte safe for us again

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    7. The fuk we gon train?

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    8. Less than lethal force
      Mace, pepper spray, taser (but not on patients under the influence), bright lights, mediation and empathetic listening. These are all proven methods. But why lethal force? A brother had his life taken this morning. Not the first, hopefully the last. A fratricidal tragedy in our own neighborhood.

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    9. 1843, shut the fuk up bitch. If that nut has a weapon then it’s RIP.

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    10. A weapon..not even. If he reaches in his clothing then he gets shot to death. Full mag and I go home safe.

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    11. We should send Major Fischbach and his “community conversations Team” to speak to these crazies. Hey buddy why do you shoot that gun at us?

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  20. Are we going to rename the Blue Line Rail to be this woman’s name? That’s what we do when black people get murdered.

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    1. It will be renamed the Brown lined because, according to our Mayor, he is the victim.

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  21. YAY! I made it to work without getting stabbed or assaulted. Why can’t the city put a guard that rides the trains and fights these crackheads?

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    1. The CATS security clowns only ride during rush hour when it's safe. This is why none of the homeless, crackheads, or murderers have any problems riding outside of rush hour.

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  22. JJ is the best chief this woman knows

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