U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson shuts down a question about the deadly Charlotte train stabbing case being “political grandstanding”

“If this was a political grand stand, there would be an opposite side to this. Is the opposite side ‘Let’s allow murderers on our light rail?’ Is the opposite side ‘Let’s let people out of state prison so they can commit other crimes?’ There’s no other side to this. There’s no politics to this.”

U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson pushed back forcefully against accusations that the prosecution of the deadly Charlotte train stabbing case is being driven by politics. During a recent press briefing, Ferguson was asked whether the case was turning into political grandstanding — and he didn’t hold back in his response.

“If this was a political grand stand, there would be an opposite side to this,” Ferguson said. “Is the opposite side ‘Let’s allow murderers on our light rail?’ Is the opposite side ‘Let’s let people out of state prison so they can commit other crimes?’ There’s no other side to this. There’s no politics to this.”

The high-profile case has drawn public outrage and renewed debates around violent crime and repeat offenders. Ferguson emphasized that the focus should remain on justice for the victim and accountability for the accused — not on partisan narratives.