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Background: News footage of the crime scene at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas (KXAS). Inset (left): Karmelo Anthony (Frisco Police Department). Inset (right): Austin Metcalf (GoFundMe).
A Texas teenager who allegedly stabbed another teenager to death during a high school track meet told police that he acted in self-defense.
Days after the April 2, stabbing death of Austin Metcalf, 17, new details have emerged about the events that led up to the altercation that resulted in his death. In an arrest affidavit obtained by local ABC outlet WFAA, police said that following the alleged incident, suspect Karmelo Anthony, 17, told officers, “I was protecting myself.”
As he was led away from the scene, the defendant reportedly stated, “He put his hands on me, I told him not to.”
Local CBS affiliate KBTX also reported on the arrest affidavit, which contained several redacted names of almost 30 students who were witnesses to the alleged altercation.
According to the arrest affidavit, one witness stated that Metcalf told Anthony he had to move his seat in the bleachers; Anthony was reportedly sitting in seats for Memorial High School students, but he was a student at Centennial High School. After being told to move, the witness told police that Anthony reached inside his bag and told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.”
The witness said that Metcalf then reportedly touched Anthony, and Anthony allegedly prodded Metcalf to punch him. Metcalf then allegedly grabbed Anthony, at which point a witness told police that Anthony allegedly “stabbed Austin once in the chest and then ran away.” The alleged weapon was reportedly found in the bleachers.
When officers responded to the scene and located Anthony, the affidavit said that the teenager said without prompting, “I was protecting myself.” The affidavit also stated that as he was being cuffed, Anthony was identified as the alleged suspect by another officer, to which Anthony responded, “I’m not alleged, I did it.”
Additional reporting on the affidavit by ABC News stated that Anthony was “emotional” and “crying hysterically” as he was being taken away from the stadium by officers. On his way back to the squad car, Anthony reportedly said, unprompted, “He put his hands on me, I told him not to.” He also reportedly asked officers if Metcalf was “going to be OK.”
Anthony’s family started a GoFundMe page in which they backed up his claims of self-defense.
In the fundraising post, they said there was no designated seating in the bleachers that night.
“It’s NORMAL for students from different schools to gather under another school’s tent. Karmelo had friends there—he wasn’t trespassing or looking for trouble,” the GoFundMe reads, adding, “No student has the right to remove another student” from another tent.
The post accused both Metcalf and his twin brother of being “known bullies” and “violent aggressors” who reportedly “tried to take [Anthony’s] belongings” and “JUMP him.” Referring to Metcalf and his brother, the poster asked, “If two 200+ lb attackers came at YOUR child, what would you expect them to do?”
Anthony is charged with first-degree murder. After his arrest, he was transferred to the Collin County Jail, where he is being held on $1 million bond.
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