Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley has accused Democrat gubernatorial candidate Roy Cooper of endangering the public by releasing thousands of inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic. whatley claims these deecisions led to multiple fatalities, including the murder of a Ukrainian refugee.
The Murder of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte Light Rail
The death of Iryna Zarutska serves as the central emotional pillar of Michael Whatley's criticism. According to the report, Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was brutally murdered by Decarlos Brown Jr. on a Charlotte light rail car after finishing her shift at a pizzeria. Michael Whatley argues that Decarlos Brown Jr. should not have been free, asserting that the tragedy was a direct result of Roy Cooper's policies.
By highlighting the lack of provocation in the attack on Iryna Zarutska, Michael Whatley frames the incident not as a random crime, but as a systemic failure. He explicitly states that the blood of the victim is on the hands of Roy Cooper, suggesting that the governor's priorities were misplaced during the public health crisis.
The 2,200 Re-arrested Inmates and the Pandemic Policy
Beyond the specific case of Iryna Zarutska, Michael Whatley alleges that Roy Cooper released "the worst of the worst," including murderers, rapists, and pedophiles, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the jail system. The report states that 2,200 of the criminals released under these policies have since been re-arrested.
Michael Whatley further claims that these re-arrests include new charges related to sexual assault and child pornography. He asserts that Roy Cooper has failed to apologize to the victims' families, including the "two dozen" other families who lost loved ones to inmates released during the pandemic.
A Clash Over Pandemic-Era Justice in North Carolina
This accusation reflects a wider political tension regarding the balance between public health emergencies and public safety. During the height of the coronavirus pandemic,various jurisdictions across the United States explored decarceration to reduce overcrowding and viral transmission. however, Michael Whatley claims that Roy Cooper was the only governor in the country to implement such a wide-scale release of prisoners.
By framing the issue as a matter of life and death, Michael Whatley is attempting to tie Roy Cooper to a fundamental failure of law and order. This strategy is common in gubernatorial races, where the executive's role in overseeing the penal system and ensuring citizen safety is a primary point of scrutiny for voters.
The Missing Response from Roy Cooper
A significant gap in the current reporting is the total absence of a rebuttal or explanation from Roy Cooper. while Michael Whatley claims that Roy Cooper has never offered an explanation for the releases,the report does not include any officiial statement or press release from the Democrat gubernatorial candidate's campaign to clarify the legal basis for these actions.
Furthermore, the claim that Roy Cooper was the "only governor in the country" to release prisoners for COVID-19 remains an unverified assertion from a political candidate. It remains unclear whether these releases were executive mandates issued by Roy Cooper or the result of court-ordered mandates that the governor's administration was required to follow.
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