CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is defending his decision to meet with Charlotte rapper DaBaby following criticism over the artist’s music video that referenced the killing of Iryza Zarutska on a light rail train in South End.
In a statement released Tuesday, McFadden said he met with the rapper, whose legal name is Jonathan Kirk, to discuss community issues including mental health, substance abuse and violence prevention. The sheriff emphasized that his office had no involvement in the video’s production.
The video brought renewed attention to the death of Zarutska, who was killed on a Charlotte Area Transit System light rail train. Details about when the video was released and its specific content were not provided in the sheriff’s statement…