Here is what we need to know about the tragic altercation that took place during a UIL District 11- 5A track meet in Frisco, Texas, earlier this month.
One 17-year-old teen, who is white, is dead as a result of being stabbed.
Another 17-year-old teen, who is Black, has been charged with his murder.
What led up to it, why it happened and the intent have all sparked much debate. Much misinformation has been put out on what transpired during the conflict and since. Karmelo Anthony, the teen accused of murder, was released last week on a $250,000 bond after it was originally set at $1 million in Collin County.
The parents of Austin Metcalf, the teen killed, buried their son last week.
According to witness accounts, the conflict began during a track meet when Anthony took shelter under a tent to avoid the rain. He was then allegedly confronted by Metcalf and his brother about being under their school tent. An argument took place, and there was allegedly some physical touching that took place, which brought about a warning from Anthony before he pulled out a knife from his bookbag to protect himself and ended up stabbing Metcalf in the heart.
There was an initial rush to judgment against Anthony before more facts about the incident came out that allegedly show he wasn’t the aggressor. This incident in the Dallas area has sparked a national debate, with voices like attorney Ben Crump and Houston-area activist Quanell X getting involved. Both parent groups have been vocal in trying to frame their respective sons’ actions on that day, while others on both sides have built narratives around the characters of both teenagers.
The concern is whether Anthony can get a fair trial in a city like Frisco that is primarily white in a case that seems to be divided along racial lines.
In our latest episode of the Defender Roundtable, activist Deric Muhammad joins our panel to talk about the conflict that left a white teenager dead and another accused of murder and the treatment of Karmelo Anthony during this process.
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