Over 560 Inmates Released Under NC Gov. Roy Cooper Rearrested on New Charges

Democratic Senate candidate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper faces criticism as a complete failure after more than 560 inmates released under his administration during the COVID era were rearrested on new charges within two years.

The attacks come amid Cooper's tight Senate race against Republican Michael Whatley, which could decide control of the chamber. A Cooper campaign spokesperson called the criticisms blatant lies from Republicans and noted that the former governor fought the releases in court. The spokesperson added that thousands of prisoners were released during the first Trump administration because of COVID-19.

A Fox News Digital review of data from the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission found that more than 560 inmates released during the Cooper administration were arrested on new offenses within two years.

The agreement led to the release of 3,500 inmates over a 180-day period from February to August 2021. Among them was Tyrell Brace, later charged with first-degree murder in the killing of young father Elante Thompson in Charlotte. Brace had pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and assault inflicting serious injury, and he had felony larceny and breaking-and-entering convictions. North Carolina Department of Public Safety Adult Correction records show Brace was released months earlier than scheduled.

Another inmate, Daron Owens, received a 10-year federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon after a drive-by shooting months after his release that wounded a victim with gunshot injuries. Owens was released a month early.

Cooper's opponent, Republican Michael Whatley, criticized him on X, saying, Roy Cooper was a complete failure at keeping our communities safe. Victims’ families deserve answers, he added. Why did Roy Cooper allow these dangerous criminals back on our streets?

The mass release followed a 2020 lawsuit by the North Carolina NAACP, ACLU and other groups, which claimed crowded prison conditions during the pandemic created unconstitutional risks for inmates. The plaintiffs sought release of thousands more inmates, but the state settled in early 2021. The deal called for reducing the prison population through expanded early releases, parole reviews and other steps, resulting in about 3,500 releases.

Republicans have called it one of the largest mass prisoner releases in the country. Cooper’s administration said at the time that releases would target nonviolent offenders, but officials later said individuals convicted of violent crimes were included.

Court records indicate some released inmates had extensive felony histories, including assault, sexual offenses, kidnapping and crimes against children.

Fox News Digital's review of a sample of 1,180 prisoners found 48 percent, or 566, later arrested on new offenses. From that group, 20 percent have been convicted.

Besides Brace and Owens, Jimmie Speight was released just under nine months early after convictions for indecent liberty with a child and failure to register as a sex offender. In 2023, he received a sentence of more than 32 years for second-degree murder.

Kyshuan Norrell, convicted of manslaughter, was released and later sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder.

Whatley campaign spokesperson DJ Griffin told Fox News Digital that Roy Cooper has blood on his hands. He said Cooper’s dangerous decision to release thousands of convicted felons during COVID has resulted in the deaths of 19 North Carolinians. Now, victims’ families say he is solely to blame for these deaths. All while Cooper refuses to take any responsibility for his actions.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee called the releases INSANE on X and said Roy Cooper must answer for this. National press secretary Bernadette Breslin told Fox News Digital that the agreement amounted to Cooper aiding and abetting the release of thousands of violent criminals onto North Carolina’s streets. Cooper’s soft-on-crime policies are too dangerous for North Carolina families.

Cooper’s spokesperson dismissed the criticisms to Fox News Digital as blatant lies from Republicans that have been fact-checked for months and found to be false. The spokesperson said that after Roy fought against these releases in court, North Carolina law enforcement officials and parole officers used criteria similar to those President Trump applied a year earlier when his administration released thousands of federal prisoners due to COVID-19.

Keeping the public safe is Roy Cooper’s top priority, which is why he refused to commute sentences when outside groups asked him to during the pandemic, the spokesperson said.

They added that while Roy spent his career putting rapists and violent criminals behind bars, Michael Whatley spent his appointing a convicted child sex predator who served time in prison for multiple counts of felony child sex crimes to a powerful position within the North Carolina Republican Party.

Harvey West Jr., a registered sex offender who served prison time for child sex crimes, later held leadership and committee roles in the North Carolina GOP during Whatley’s time as chairman. Whatley has said West was elected on his own.

North Carolina leaders have faced scrutiny over high-profile murders, including that of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. Republicans claimed the man charged with her murder, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., was one of the inmates released under the COVID agreement, but Cooper denied this as a lie.

Brown had at least 14 prior arrests and served time in North Carolina prison after a 2015 armed robbery conviction. He was released from custody in September 2020.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.