Charlotte TV station requests law-enforcement recordings over Iryna Zarutska killing

Charlotte TV station WSOC has filed a formal response opposing an emergency motion by DeCarlos Brown Jr. that seeks to block the release of law-enforcement recordings connected to the August 2025 killing of Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail. 

Meanwhile, the US attorney overseeing the federal case against Brown supports the defendant’s request to block the recordings’ release.

On Monday, a federal judge ordered Charlotte-Mecklenburg police not to release any video or audio related to the federal case involving the killing. WSOC-TV contends Brown improperly asked the federal court to intervene, violating the Anti-Injunction Act, which generally bars federal courts from interfering with state proceedings. 

“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 argues 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.” 

On Thursday, the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina formally backed Brown’s motion for a protective order preventing CMPD from releasing audio or video evidence to the media prior to trial.

Prosecutors argued that additional releases, particularly body-worn camera footage, could expose witnesses whose identities and contact information appear in police interviews. The filing notes that social media users have already attempted to identify witnesses after previously released video footage aired publicly. 

“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.” 

Brown’s lawyers filed another document Thursday seeking to modify the original protective order. Brown does not object to releasing the recordings to the lawyer representing Zarutska’s family.

“Charlotte TV station requests law-enforcement recordings over Iryna Zarutska killing” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.