Jason Simmons (00:22):
Thank you for being here today. My name is Jason Simmons, the Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. Three weeks ago, when we had thought about coming here to Charlotte at the primaries yesterday, we weren't convinced that anybody would come and cover our press conference. But with the horrific events of August 22nd, with the senseless death of Iryna, we are saddened to have to come here today to talk about the failures, the ongoing failures of Charlotte leadership and the Democrat policies that allowed that senseless and horrific murder to occur.
(01:07)
You're going to hear from a number of our leaders, our elected officials and candidates today in how they will a restorative system to making sure Charlotte no longer is plagued with the crime rates that continue to climb year over year over year. Let's be very clear, crime is a choice, and Democrats have chosen to side with criminals. Their policies of appeasement, their weak on crime policies, their open door and revolving door policies in our criminal justice system and jails have allowed murderers back on the streets time and time again.
(01:52)
We see it not just here in Charlotte, but we see crime gripping every one of our major cities across North Carolina, which is also a national epidemic that President Trump is attempting to tackle. We see here in Charlotte the episode that occurred on August 22nd and the senseless and monstrous act of murder that took place on Iryna. Our heart breaks for her, it breaks for her family, but her death is one of a hundred plus that happened every year here in Charlotte.
(02:29)
Hers is an indicative of what happens in Charlotte when you allow crime to run rampant, when you allow crime to go unchecked, when you allow law and order to be set aside for appeasement to those criminals that perpetuate these crimes. It is time to ensure law and order and public safety are the priority of our elected officials, to ensure that our streets can be a safe place to walk, to ensure that people can move about without fear, without worrying about their own safety.
(03:06)
As we see what took place, this is also indicative of, like I said, what's transpired across our state under the failed leadership of Roy Cooper as attorney general and as governor, where he perpetuated these policies through his task force that allowed over 3,500 individuals to be released, violent criminals back on the streets, the largest such in our state's history, also supported by Josh Stein and Anita Earls as they helped champion his task force for these causes.
(03:39)
It is time to end these movements of appeasement to criminals and to ensure that we have public safety and making sure that our folks across North Carolina and especially here on the streets of Charlotte can feel safe again. Thank you for being with us today. Thank you for covering this. But again, this is one of 100 murders that will have occurred this year, the year before, the year before that, and the year before that.
(04:07)
Enough is enough. We look forward to hearing from our elected officials and candidates. Next, you'll hear from our County Party Chairman Kyle Kirby, Chairman of the Mecklenburg GOP. Kyle.
Kyle Kirby (04:31):
Thank you. My name is Kyle Kirby. I'm the chairman of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party. The full video of Iryna Zarutska's murder has now been released. Don't look away. Don't turn your heads. Don't shut your eyes. Watch it because she had no choice but to look evil in the face. Her final moments were moments of terror, pain, and loneliness. While no one was able to lift a hand on that car to help her, you can see the killer walking away with his knife dripping in blood in chilling indifference.
(05:10)
It is horrific, it is excruciating, but it must be seen by the public because these are not isolated tragedies. This is a result of failed policies, weak leadership in a judicial system that protects criminals instead of innocent individuals. What the Democrats call restorative justice looks like Iryna Zarutska's murder. The suffering of you and your loved ones for their gang.
(05:44)
Shame on the Mecklenburg County justice system. You failed to incarcerate an individual who had been arrested previously 14 times. Shame on the civic leadership of Charlotte. You failed to protect the very people you swore to serve. And shame on Vi Lyles. You fail to offer anything other than platitudes and pandering instead of real, meaningful leadership.
(06:13)
Iryna Zarutska died because of the Democrat policies in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Woke politics that perpetuate cashless bail and refuse to prioritize public safety over appearances. But we have seen these horrific images, the knife dripping in blood, her panic, the silence of others around her. These moments sear into our minds, but let it also ignite our resolve that we must not stand by and watch the Charlotte that we love also die in silence.
(06:57)
The time is now to end the experiment of single-party soft-on-crime governance in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The time is now to demand cash bail for multiple-time offenders. The time is now to treat criminals like accountable individuals and not entitled persons. So hear me now, Charlotte. On Monday, September 22nd, 30-day anniversary from the death of Iryna Zarutska, at 8:00 PM at the East/West Boulevard Light Rail Station, I call on every able-bodied Charlottean and person in this city who is concerned about crime to turn out to a candlelight vigil in Iryna Zarutska's honor.
(07:49)
We will stand shoulder to shoulder defying shot silence, and showing the world that we will not let her death be erased by complicit media partners. I call on people from every background, every political stride, every nationality, join us now. Help in the woke narratives and the broken leadership and the system that sacrificed this woman's life to evil. Remember, Iryna Zarutska survived in Ukraine in a bomb shelter.
(08:25)
In war-torn Ukraine, she made her way from that country to Charlotte seeking refuge and promise, and she was given the edge of a knife. She died because of our complacency and what we have allowed to perpetuate in the Charlotte municipal and county government. Iryna, I'm sorry for that. This November, wake up. Charlotte, wake up. Vote to defeat the agenda that has cost her life.
(08:55)
Vote to restore safety. Vote to restore common sense, and vote to restore accountability in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. I implore you to vote for new leaders now. Thank you. Chairman Addul Ali of the 12th Congressional District, my friend.
Addul Ali (09:20):
Again, my name is Addul Ali, and I'm the chairman of the 12th Congressional District Republican Party. What happened to Iryna Zarutska is an absolute disgrace, a total failure of leadership here in Charlotte. A young woman comes to this country for the American Dream only to be murdered in pursuit of that dream by a career criminal, make no mistake, a career criminal who should have never been out on our streets.
(09:48)
This is, ladies and gentlemen, was 100% preventable. This did not have to happen in our city, but this is what happens when you have weak, incompetent, and
Addul Ali (10:00):
… and feckless leadership. The suspect, Decarlos Brown, violent criminal history of robbery with a deadly weapon, was let back on our streets. And why you ask was he let back on our streets? Because Mayor Vi Lyles and Teresa Stokes, an unelected magistrate, care more about their leftist ideology than they do about the safety of the people taking the light rail.
(10:24)
Under Vi Lyles' watch, crime has exploded, make no mistake. Hundreds of murders in our city, make no mistake about it. And in fact, while crime is spiraling out of control, what do the Democrats want to do? They want to spend millions and billions of dollars on their pet projects. Another $3 million being proposed for another nightclub in Charlotte with your taxpayer dollars. Absolutely ridiculous. And on top of that, a massive bond referendum. Thank God for Dave Boliek coming to audit the city of Charlotte.
(10:56)
While Vi Lyles and the justice system here in Mecklenburg are not taking action, I'll tell you who is taking action. President Trump is taking action. He's restoring law and order across this nation. He's putting the victims like Iryna first. He's supporting our police, securing our borders and keeping violent criminals where they belong, which is behind bars.
(11:18)
Meanwhile, where's our Congressional representative? Where's Alma Adams at in all of this? She's silent. She didn't say a word about this until Donald Trump said it first. And why didn't she say a word about it? Because she cares more about retaining what she calls her seat than she does about protecting the people of this district. And my message to Alma Adams is that seat doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the people of this district.
(11:45)
Folks, we have criminals running our streets. We have young people with nothing to do running around with firearms. Property crime is out of control in this district. And we need leaders who will stand with our citizens, leaders who will back the blue, secure our streets and put the safety of the people of Charlotte first. Iryna's death did not have to happen. It's time that we demand better, it's time that we vote for better and it's time that we hold Vi Lyles and Alma Adams accountable. Next up, I'd like to introduce our candidate for Mayor of Charlotte, Terrie Donovan.
Terrie Donovan (12:24):
Hello, I'm Terrie Donovan. What happened to Iryna Zarutska is a heartbreaking tragedy that has shaken this city to the core. Is this the city we want to live in? Let's call it what it is, this was a hate crime. Iryna was a wonderful, beautiful and innocent 23-year-old who recently moved to Charlotte from Ukraine for a chance at a safer life, for a new beginning. And tragically, she sat in front of the wrong career criminal on her way home on the light rail. On her way home from her job at a pizzeria.
(13:04)
This was a preventable crime. He had been arrested 14 times. Enough is enough. This needs to serve as a wake-up call for our city. We all demand change, we deserve better. The reality is that the people of Charlotte no longer feel safe in their own neighborhoods. With over 17,000 property crimes in the first half of this year, 8,000 vehicle larcenies and theft and an average of four violent crimes per day, this is no longer a matter of voting red or voting blue. This is a matter of voting for common sense. We all have to unite and we have to have new leadership in Charlotte. We all deserve to feel safe in our neighborhoods. We cannot keep electing the same career politicians who can't even enforce the most basic items, such as transit fares. We don't just deserve change, we demand change. Thank you. And I would like to introduce James Bowers next.
James Bowers (14:30):
Good morning all. My name is James Bowers and I'm running for City Council District 3. This tragedy happened in my district, that's why I'm up here today. Charlotte is a great city with a history immersed with all the pains of industrialization and its desire to outreach to immigrants and [inaudible 00:14:48] nationally and internationally who are looking for a future and an opportunity. It has been said the greater the risk, the greater the reward. But I say the reward is far greater than the risk. Even when there seems to be no victory, God turns things upon his head and shows us who's in charge.
(15:08)
Charlotte has been my home now for almost 40 years, but today I feel as though Charlotte has turned into a hidden war zone. Our nation and city just a few weeks ago experienced a tragedy, an evil spectacle presented its ugly head to our once family-centered community and now enough is enough. I've had enough of those leaders who pacify these horrible acts and pretend this isn't what it is. It is and was wicked and not the Charlotte we deserve.
(15:41)
Iryna Zarutska was one of God's creation and just like you and me, she deserved to live her life without thinking that my leaders don't have my back. But it's not what happened to Iryna only. It's time after time again where violence, gangs, low police morale have been weighted against the people who don't feel safe in their neighborhoods or on the street. And I'm not going to just sit back and watch it happen if I have anything to do with it. We are standing up today in solidarity against this evil spirit which plagues our city. Its people and works against those ordinary and less talked about ideals like safe streets, safe neighborhoods and a safe ride on public transportation.
(16:34)
Is anyone getting the message? It's past time for a change in leadership in Charlotte, and today is a clarion call for all of Charlotte to stand up and say enough is enough. It's time for new leaders who love Charlotte and its people, leaders who won't allow lawlessness and to rule and cower from making the right decision to take bad actors off the streets and let them know there's a new leadership in Charlotte. Let them know if you do the crime, you will pay the time.
(17:10)
Charlotte belongs to all its citizens and all who live here must go on and let their voice be heard on November 4th for a change. Enough is enough. It is with a humble heart I am directing my campaign to contribute $1,000 to Iryna Zarutska's fund because what happened to her could also happen to one of our daughters and one of our sons. Her assignment here on Earth has ended, but she will be in our hearts and minds forever.
(17:42)
I pray that we will all look deep within our spirits and hearts to discover that the blinders have been taken off and now we can all see those things we've been talking about and need to change. Let's stop now for a silent prayer for Charlotte and Iryna's family. Amen.
(18:09)
Lastly, the winds of change are here. It's time for a change and let's make Charlotte home again. God bless Charlotte and God bless the United States of America. And now I'd like you to introduce Krista.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Good morning. The first City Council Democrat just had a press conference this morning and he did so three weeks too late. It was a message of now is the time to take action. [inaudible 00:18:56]. Some of our council members have been on council for over 10 years and they are failing our citizens and they are failing our city. The voters of Charlotte are now awake.
(19:09)
I am asking what has prevented them from taking action for 10 years, and then I need the voters of Charlotte to ask why should they trust that they're actually going to take action now? They had the opportunity and they have not done so. It is a time for change in Charlotte, and I hope that the voters have woken up.
(19:29)
I want to thank the police officers in our city for doing their job. They are putting their lives on the line every single day to protect us. It is now time for our leaders to step up and do theirs. Thank you for taking this time to do this. It's important, and I hope the voters of will wake up and understand that new leadership is on the horizon and it's needed now more than ever.
Ed Driggs (00:00):
Ed Driggs (20:00):
Good morning. My name is Ed Driggs. I'm a member of Charlotte City Council for District 7, and I chair the city's Transportation Planning and Development Committee. Today, we mourn Iryna Zarutska. We are shocked and horrified at the graphic images of the crime that was committed against her. This crime is particularly heinous because she was an innocent, defenseless young woman. Because she came here from Ukraine, a country that is heroically fighting our enemy Russia and has discredited them as a superpower. It's because her assailant was a mentally ill, prior arrestee [inaudible 00:20:45]. How could all of this happen? We are shocked, horrified. We are also angry. We are angry. We are all angry, not just Republicans. All of us. To have something like this happen in our city is an insult to everybody who lives here.
(21:08)
So the only good news, I guess, to come out of it… I mean, I will emphasize the fact you cannot have quality of life in a city where you're not safe. So if you are concerned about the difference between a criminal and a mentally ill person, do not be. They need to be confined. The public needs to be protected from them. Afterwards, you can worry about whether they ought to be in a treatment center or a prison or where they should be, but they cannot be out in circulation. All of these prior offenders, and again, people with mental disturbance who have demonstrated a propensity for violent crime, they need to be taken out of circulation.
(21:49)
The only good news I can say to come out of this is it has galvanized some action. So the city of Charlotte, for example, is calling in off-duty police officers and increasing manpower. CATS has increased its security efforts, has tripled in the last couple of years, its budget for security. There is now a huge amount of focus on these issues. We will in the future, in the next weeks, we will see people on bikes and UTVs patrolling and on call available to intervene in dangerous situations. And going down the road, if we're able to proceed with our mobility plan, the new authority is going to have its own police force. It's going to be a whole different security situation on public transportation if we get the resources and are able to proceed with our plan.
(22:37)
I have to emphasize, as has been noted, a lot of this is not about the Charlotte City Council in the end. And as a 12 year council member and one of two Republicans, that whole time I have advocated for more funding for police. I have advocated for tougher enforcement, more aggressive enforcement, but now we have an opportunity. I think everybody is paying attention. The country is paying attention. So we do mourn Iryna today. All I can say is if the result of her death is that there is a heightened awareness of safety and more steps are taken to keep us safe, she will not have died in vain. Thank you. The next speaker will be Edwin Peacock, my council colleague.
Edwin Peacock (23:30):
Priorities. Moments like this shake us at our very core. Moments like this shake us at our very core when a mentally unstable repeat offender who should have been institutionalized murders an innocent woman on a public transit system that we are all charged to protect. We must stop and ask ourselves what are our priorities? It is in moments like this that we must acknowledge as a city and as a community, we have failed. We live in one of the most successful and prosperous cities and one of the most prosperous states in America, and yet we look at our choices.
(24:33)
We prioritize $645 million to the Panthers stadium, while we know that we need 600 more police officers in Charlotte. We prioritize $245 million of upgrades to the Spectrum Center, including a $32 million practice facility for the Charlotte Hornets, while we know just miles away, our jail is too small and our mental health facilities are overwhelmed. We prioritize spending $1 billion on this light rail system and this expansion right here in front of us while ignoring a little dirty secret, that riding our light rail and our streetcar is free because we do not enforce fairs.
(25:34)
Ladies and gentlemen, sports arenas or safety, that is a question about this tragedy that forces us to confront it. Since the tragedy I have called for two immediate actions. Number one, more cops and more CATS officials on our trains and our buses, and in all of our transit facilities. We have 48 trains, ladies and gentlemen, this is not impossible. Fare enforcement. If you do not pay, you do not ride. The integrity of our system depends on it.
(26:15)
But folks, this is not just about transit. It is about public safety in every corner of our city. This is why I'm calling for a citywide collaborative, bringing together city and county government, police, fire, sheriff, non-profits, service providers, business leaders, to create a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Safety Alliance. I am asking for the foundation for the Carolinas to convene and to lead this initiative and assure its success and its effectiveness. Why? Because this is the very organization, ladies and gentlemen, that rallied and convened our community when Charlotte found out that we were ranked 50th out of 50th for economic mobility. I served on that board for three years, and it's through their leadership that Leading on Opportunity Council was created. And within eight years, we've moved from 50th to 38th. We have proved that progress is possible. I'm specifically asking for foundation for the Carolinas to gather the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council to establish the framework for an initiative for the collective corporate leadership and financial capacity to help our community at this time.
(27:35)
Our goal is not to point fingers. It is not to write another report that gathers dust. Our goal is to find solutions to bring the full weight of the community together, to fund, to support, and to implement a plan that will work just like we did with the Leading on Opportunity Council. I want to thank all of my candidates behind me who gathered and who have shown the courage it takes to run and the willingness to serve. I think you realize now you do have a choice on November 4th. Mr. President, thank you for bringing this tragedy to our attention and our nation. Mr. President, work with Charlotte and our leaders and help us to become the safest city in the United States of America. And Mr. President, thank you for reminding us that a safe Charlotte is a strong Charlotte. Thank you.
(28:54)
Ladies and gentlemen, I can think of no better way to close out this meeting than to welcome up my friend Tatiana Thulian, who is a native of Ukraine. She immigrated here legally from Crimea. She's also a member of Opera Carolina. We'd like to ask her, and we'd like for you to join with us in singing our nation's national anthem.
Tatiana Thulian (29:17):
Hello everyone. My name is Tatiana Thulian, and I'll be happy to sing the national anthem in remembrance of power of the American flag and American law system that we call to be strong and just. We're saying to President Trump that took our call for action, we submitted to him, and we hope that changes will be here in Charlotte will be safe again.
(29:58)
Say, can you
MUSIC (30:00):
… you see by the dawn's early light.
(30:16)
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.
(30:16)
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight.
(30:16)
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.
(30:34)
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air.
(30:49)
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
(30:57)
Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave.
(31:08)
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
Jason Simmons (31:36):
Thank you. Iryna Zarutska's life was taken too early. A life shortened by an event that was preventable. A life that should be remembered, celebrated, and marked as a point of change. To be able to turn away from those liberal policies that took her life way too early, as well as those that perpetuate it. We'll now take questions.
Nick de la Canal (32:03):
Yes, Jason right here.
Jason Simmons (32:04):
Please.
Nick de la Canal (32:04):
I'm Nick de la Canal with WFAE and NPR. So I've heard a lot of speakers today blame Mayor Lyles and Democrats for being soft on crime. Can you name a specific city or county policy that led to Mr. Brown being free on August 22nd on cashless bail?
Jason Simmons (32:20):
Yeah. We continue to see the policies of cashless bail. Where you continue to see policies that allow a revolving door within our courts and within our judicial system to occur. To allow individuals like Mr. Brown to perpetuate the crimes that he did. Next question.
Nick de la Canal (32:36):
Yes. But isn't bail policies set by state law? And so-
Jason Simmons (32:39):
And as we yesterday from Speaker Hall, they are in the process of the General Assembly reviewing all these laws that would allow individuals like Mr. Brown to be back on the streets and we look forward to the General Assembly coming back. Yes sir.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Just going off of that, house speaker says he wants to address pre-trial release and look at new rules for magistrates. You have a working super majority. How soon do you expect that legislation to be taken up by the General Assembly?
Jason Simmons (33:07):
Sure. You heard from Speaker Hall yesterday where I believe that he's in the process right now of assembling his teams to be able to take a look and bring this short order to the General Assembly for consideration. Yes, sir.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
I'm curious, we're talking a lot about the light rail and the tragedy that occurred. This light rail line has been run this way and policed this way for 18 years. So why are you just now suggesting that there need to be wholesale changes? What was going on this past 18 years?
Jason Simmons (33:33):
Because I marked her death is one of 100 that occurred this year, the year before, the year before that. It has taken an event that is so tragic and still startling to the public for this attention to be brought. As I mentioned at the start, over three weeks ago, we had considered coming here to talk about the municipal elections, to talk about the individuals that have run this city for far too long and the policies that have allowed this city to crumble. We look forward to change coming and being able to make sure that North Carolina, and especially Charlotte, does not continue to see record high homicide rates. Rates that are over 100 per year everybody. Hundreds of lives taken far too short. Next question.
Speaker 6 (34:13):
Mr. Chairman?
Jason Simmons (34:13):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (34:14):
I know speakers have highlighted Mr. Brown's long criminal record, but the night of the stabbing he was out on or he was facing a non-violent misdemeanor and had been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. Are you saying that judges should detain people indefinitely based on past crimes rather than current charges?
Jason Simmons (34:32):
You saw with the criminal charges as well as what did not take place in many of the documents that we are continuing to see and will allow DOJ as well as the state system of the judicial system to play this out. But it does appear that this is an individual that should have received far more attention than he received to be put back on the streets. Yes, sir.
Addul Ali (34:51):
One other point on this, and this is exactly why public media is defunded in this country. Instead of talking about why a person who has robbed people, who physically harmed people was locked up, you want to wonder about the past and what he was out on now. This young man murdered somebody. Plain and simple. This young man had mental issues and had no business on the streets. And shame on NPR for asking such a ridiculous question.
Jason Simmons (35:18):
Yes sir.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Jason, the magistrates here in particular, a couple of magistrates in this particular case have gained a lot of national attention. North Carolina is one of the states in the country that you don't have to have a law degree, you don't have to have a college degree, you don't have to have associate's degree, you can just have a high school degree and be a magistrate judge in North Carolina. Have you talked to Republican leadership or any leadership in Raleigh about getting that changed?
Jason Simmons (35:43):
Yeah, I think as you've heard with Speaker Hall yesterday, I think all options are on the table to review our judicial system, to ensure tragedies like this do not occur.
Nick de la Canal (35:52):
I guess I just want to clarify.
Jason Simmons (35:53):
Yes sir.
Nick de la Canal (35:53):
Are you pushing for folks to vote for this transit tax in Meck County if there is concerns about safety on the light rail?
Kyle Kirby (36:01):
We're fully aware of the need for infrastructure improvements. We're fully aware for the need for infrastructure improvements in Mecklenburg County and we're also in favor of putting that towards the voters. So the voters in Mecklenburg County know what they need best and they're going to go to the polls this November and make that decision on their own.
Jason Simmons (36:20):
Perfect. Yes ma'am. Final question and then we need to wrap so we can have people get back to their jobs.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Yes, sir. President Trump has either deployed or considered deploying the National Guard to multiple major cities in recent weeks to, in his words, address rising violent crime. Is that something you think could happen in Charlotte or should happen in Charlotte?
Jason Simmons (36:39):
What you've seen is President Trump implement safety protocols within Washington DC and you've seen the results of that. Other cities across our wonderful country should take a look at Washington DC and how we can also take hold of our cities once again and make sure that crime no longer has a gripping control. And allow people to get back to the work, to their enjoyment. Thank you for being with us today. God bless.
Speaker 4 (37:05):
Are you calling for the National Guard to be deployed?
Jason Simmons (37:05):
Thank you everybody.
Tatyana Thulien (37:08):
When the public transportation in Ukraine under war is safer than our prosperous city, we have a problem.