(Ken Silva, Headline USA) A local hospital that treated DeCarlos Brown Jr. after he stabbed a Ukrainian refugee to death is refusing to release his medical records to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department—even though Brown wants them to be disclosed.
Brown was taken to Atrium Health – Carolinas Medical Center to treat lacerations on his hand after he stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska to death on a Charlotte train on Aug. 22. He remained at the hospital until Aug. 28, when he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. That same day, Brown, who is reportedly schizophrenic, requested that Charlotte police obtain his medical records—signing a release form for their disclosure.
However, Atrium Health refused to release the records, according to a Monday motion signed by Mecklenburg County Assistant District Attorney Austin Butler.
🚨NEW: Local hospital @AtriumHealth has refused to release the Charlotte train stabber's medical records to police–even though he wants them disclosed.
"Defendant made statements to Atrium employees relating to the homicide of Iryna Zarutska," says a motion for disclosure. pic.twitter.com/AKdKMMLl8A— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) September 29, 2025
“On September 24, 2025, counsel for Atrium Health informed CMPD Detective Henry Buhr that Atrium Health is refusing to produce medical records pursuant to Defendant’s authorization,” Butler wrote in his Monday motion for a judge to compel disclosure. “Defendant’s medical records, including mental health, psychiatry and psychology records, are potentially relevant to Defendant’s prosecution.”
Butler also said in his motion that “Defendant made statements to Atrium employees relating to the homicide of Iryna Zarutska while at Carolinas Medical Center.”
The motion doesn’t state how specifically Brown’s medical records relate to his prosecution, though a judge has ordered him to a regional psych ward to see if he’s fit to stand trial. He hasn’t been sent there yet, according to county jail records.
Brown also reportedly told his sister that he believes a government put a chip in his body that caused him to stab Zarutska.
In any event, records show that a judge signed Butler’s motion on the same day he filed it—indicating that Atrium Health will be required to fork the records over to the police. The next hearing date for the case is Oct. 16.
Headline USA, which was the first publication to obtain and publish the full video of the gruesome incident, understands that Brown would still likely be incarcerated for the rest of his life, even if he were to be ruled incompetent to stand trial. He also might still face federal charges.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
