- A federal judge has upheld an earlier ruling blocking Charlotte-Mecklenburg police from giving a local television station access to video and audio recordings related to the August 2025 stabbing death on a city light rail line.
- US District Judge Kenneth Bell's order cited concerns about the recordings' release from defendants Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr. and US Attorney Russ Ferguson.
- A state Superior Court judge had ruled on Monday that WSOC television could have access to the recordings in connection with Brown's state-level murder case.
A federal judge has upheld an earlier order blocking release to a Charlotte television station of law enforcement video and audio recordings tied to the high-profile August killing on the city’s light rail line.
US District Judge Kenneth Bell’s order Friday means WSOC television will not get access to 911 recordings or body-worn camera footage from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Bell’s order upholds a federal magistrate judge’s temporary order issued Monday.
Defendant Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr. had requested a federal court order blocking the recordings’ release. Brown’s lawyers turned to federal court Monday after a state judge had granted WSOC access to the recordings in Brown’s state-level murder case.
Brown faces a federal charge related to the same incident: the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska. The federal charge of “Violence Against a Railroad Carrier and Mass Transportation System Resulting in Death” makes Brown eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
“Brown asserts that public release of the materials will prejudice his constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial, particularly in light of the case’s death penalty-eligible posture and the extensive media coverage it has already generated,” Bell wrote. “Brown further asserts that disclosure of the materials could endanger key witnesses and others depicted in the recordings — either physically or reputationally — and notes that members of his family, the mayor, and others have already received death and other threats related to this matter. The Government likewise expresses concern for witness safety and for preserving the integrity of the federal prosecution.”
“The Court has carefully considered these motions, briefs, and supporting exhibits,” Bell explained. “For the reasons articulated by both Brown and the Government, the Court finds that good cause exists to enter a Rule 16(d) protective order prohibiting the release of the Materials from the August 22, 2025, incident. Therefore, the Court will grant Brown’s Motion for Protective Order as to WSOC-TV, and any other individual or entity other than counsel for the government and Brown (and those individuals working with counsel).”
The lawyer working for Zarutska’s family will have access to the recordings, according to Bell’s order. Brown had consented in a court filing Thursday that the Zarutska family should have access to the material.
US Attorney Russ Ferguson’s office had agreed Thursday with Brown’s request to block media access to the recordings.
“The government shares some of Brown’s stated concerns, in particular with regard to witness safety,” wrote federal prosecutors. “The investigation has revealed that individuals in social media have already tried to identify some of the witnesses in the video footage that depicts the murder. That footage was released by the media, and any additional materials that identify witnesses risks their safety and the integrity of this federal prosecution.”
WSOC had criticized Brown’s federal court request as improper.
“Despite labeling his motion as seeking an emergency ‘protective order,’ Defendant Brown actually seeks a federal injunction. Defendant Brown asks this Court to prohibit Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department from producing law enforcement recordings to WSOC-TV to review in compliance with the state court’s recent order,” WSOC- TV’s lawyers wrote. “Further, Defendant Brown seeks to halt WSOC-TV’s current civil lawsuit for the release of these recordings. This motion runs afoul of 28 U.S.C. § 2283, the Anti-Injunction Act, and must be denied.”
“Enjoining WSOC-TV and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department from proceeding with the state court’s mandate would strike at the sovereignty of the North Carolina court system,” argued attorneys. “The parties were all present at the January 5, 2026 state court hearing and had an opportunity to be heard. The state court considered the arguments of all interested parties and evaluated the factors required under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-1.4A(g). At the conclusion of the hearing, the state court ordered the production of the videos to WSOC-TV, pursuant to certain restrictions.”
The TV station also argued that Brown failed to show any concrete harm, noting the recordings are restricted from public release, and that witness safety and fair-trial concerns were already considered by state Superior Court Judge Troy Stafford.
“Throughout his motion, Defendant Brown broadly refers to an alleged irreparable harm to his rights to due process and a fair trial,” wrote WSOC- TV’s lawyers. “However, Defendant fails to explain how the videos being provided to WSOC-TV alone to review, under restriction from being released to any other third party, would result in any perceived deprivations, even if the state court eventually orders release.”
Zarutska’s stabbing death attracted international media attention. It prompted North Carolina legislators to approve Iryna’s Law, a measure Gov. Josh Stein signed into law on Oct. 3.