The Charlotte knife attack suspect has faced 18 felony charges over the past decade
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A North Carolina man The man accused of stabbing another man in broad daylight has faced more than 18 felony charges over the past decade, including assault-related cases and domestic violence convictions before the most recent violent incident, court records show.
Micah Emanuel Ragin, 31, is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, following a Feb. 28 altercation in East Charlotte.
According to police, officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault involving a knife. When they arrived, they found a man who had been stabbed in the knee. Investigators say the suspect dumped a bag and knife in a nearby creek and then boarded a city bus as he left the area.
Authorities later located the bus and identified Ragin as the suspect after reviewing transit security footage. Officers recovered a kitchen knife from the bay in the area shown in the video. During an interview, police said Ragin admitted to being involved in the physical altercation but did not admit to the stabbing.
Micah Emmanuel Ragin, 31, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office)
A review of North Carolina court records shows Ragin’s interactions with law enforcement date back to at least 2015 and span multiple counties.
In 2016, he pleaded guilty to violating a domestic violence protective order, receiving a 24-day jail sentence and court-ordered no-contact status.
In previous years, he has been charged with assault on a woman, assault on a campus police officer, uttering threats and resisting a public officer. Many of those cases were ultimately dismissed, including several in 2019 that court records state were “unable to proceed with trial due to COVID-19 court closures.”
Records also show misdemeanor drug and trespassing convictions.
In all, court records show Ragin has faced more than 18 charges in multiple counties over the years prior to the current felony charges.
The stabbing comes months later capital murder of a young woman who boarded a Charlotte light-rail train — a case that drew national attention and intensified debate over repeat offenders and criminal justice policies in the era of the pandemic.
Irina Zarutska panics as he attacks her. (Charlotte Area Transit System via NewsNation)
The earlier case involved a defendant who was under state supervision at the time of the attack and called for scrutiny of the 2021 Covid-era prison settlement during the administration of former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. The agreement authorized the early release or transfer of approximately 3,500 incarcerated individuals. Republican officials have claimed the deal spared dangerous criminals, while state officials have said the settlement primarily targets medically vulnerable and nonviolent inmates.
State corrections officials also said the light-rail defendant was not released early as a result of that settlement and served his mandatory minimum sentence, even though his name appeared on the settlement-related list due to retroactive eligibility criteria.
Republican officials While arguing that the cases reflect broader concerns about repeat offenders cycling through the system, Democrats have defended the decisions during the pandemic as necessary public health measures.
Republican Michael Whatley, left; Democrat Roy Cooper, right. (Getty Images via ANGELA WEISS/AFP; Jacek Boczarski/Getty Images via Anadolu)
“Mica Ragin was arrested and put back on the streets 18 times — including during then-Governor Roy Cooper’s covid mass prisoner release,” Rep. Mark Harris, RNC, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Have Charlotte’s pro-crime Democrats learned nothing from Irina’s tragic murder? How many victims will it take to put criminals behind bars? The Queen City is scarred by preventable crime – they’re lucky it wasn’t the next Irina Zarutska.”
Nick Puglia, regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, echoed similar criticism.
“Once again, Roy Cooper’s soft-on-crime policies allowed a violent career criminal to walk free, resulting in a vicious attack. Cooper is paying the price for criminals and North Carolinians,” said Nick Puglia, regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Republican US Senate candidate Michael Whatley criticized what he described as “soft-on-crime” policies.
“Criminals belong behind bars. As a senator, I will always stand with Blue and fight to keep our communities safe,” Whatley said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Cooper, who previously served two terms as governor of North Carolina and is now running for the U.S. Senate, has defended his record on public safety.
A spokesman for Cooper’s campaign said he served 16 years as North Carolina’s attorney general, the state’s top law enforcement officer, where he prosecuted gangs and violent criminals. As governor, the spokeswoman said, Cooper signed legislation that strengthened bail laws to ensure criminals could serve their time, increased penalties for drug dealers selling lethal doses and approved pay raises for law enforcement officers.
Cooper’s campaign has previously defended the decisions during the pandemic as a public health measure and denied that the Covid-19 policies led to the early release of dangerous criminals.
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Ragin’s A criminal case is pendingAnd the authorities have not announced the trial date.
Fox News Digital reached out to Cooper’s campaign but did not immediately receive a response.
Stephanie Price covers missing persons, homicide and immigration crimes. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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