THE case of the teen accused of fatally stabbing a high school student-athlete should be treated with the presumption of innocence until he goes on trial, the attorney for Daniel Penny has argued.

The murder case against Karmelo Anthony, who is charged with allegedly plunging a knife into 17-year-old Austin Metcalf’s chest at a track meet on April 2, has sparked a nasty racial rhetoric online.

Over the weekend, demonstrators with the group Protect White Americans gathered at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, about 42 minutes north of Dallas, to condemn Frisco police and local officials for releasing Anthony, also 17, on bond.

A wall of officers separated a group of protestors and counter-demonstrators in the latest race clash that has consumed the public following the case.

Anthony allegedly told investigators that he acted in self-defense when he stabbed Metcalf at a high school track meet, according to a police report.

The incident was sparked after Metcalf allegedly put his hands on Anthony to try to get him out of his seat at the stadium bleachers, which was reportedly designated for Frisco Memorial High School students, where Metcalf was a junior.

Anthony allegedly told police that Metcalf “put his hands on me,” and said, “I’m not alleged. I did it.”

Kala Hayes, Anthony’s mother, broke down in tears during a news conference on April 17, where she and her husband addressed the online death threats and harassment the family has been receiving since the fatal stabbing.

“Our family have been under attack. The lies and false accusations that have been said about us, especially throughout the past week, have been overwhelming,” Hayes said.

Metcalf’s father, Jeff, slammed the demonstrators as “race baiters” who want to “spew their narrative for their own agenda.”

“They don’t give a s**t about my family… about Karmelo Anthony’s family,” he told the New York Post.

‘INCENDIARY RHETORIC’

Attorney Thomas Kenniff, who famously represented US Marine Daniel Penny during his manslaughter trial in New York City, called for respect in Anthony’s case.

Kenniff, who is not representing the teen suspect, compared the hateful rhetoric Anthony’s case is generating to that of Penny before saying the public, including officials, prejudged his client’s guilt.

“There was certainly some very incendiary rhetoric directed at Daniel Penny, his legal representatives, including myself,” Kenniff told The U.S. Sun.

“And there were a lot of people in Mr. Penny’s case, sadly, all including elected officials who take an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, which encompasses the presumption of innocence that you know, rashly prejudged my client’s guilt.

“So, you know, that happened in Daniel Penny’s case. It may be happening in Karmelo Anthony’s case. I don’t think it’s right.”

Kenniff supported Anthony’s right to self-defense, which he argued is an “inherent right.”

“In a very general view, I agree,” the New York-based attorney added.

“I think that the right of self-defense is an inherent right, it exists in every state that I’m aware of. It’s as old as law itself.

“So, the defendant wants to pursue self-defense or justification, yeah, they should have every right to do as long as the evidence bears it out right.

“In the case against my client, the evidence was overwhelming, and eventually he was acquitted.

“My client, Daniel Penny, his case was a high-profile media case that got a lot of attention and drew a lot of opinion on social media.

“This case [Anthony’s] seems to be doing that as well, that in itself, I don’t know that the similarities go beyond that, but certainly you know their cases that have in their own way seem to have captured the public dialogue, if you will.”

Penny, who was charged with the May 2023 chokehold death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely on the New York City subway, was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide.

The death of Neely – a homeless man who entered a subway car and began acting erratically, throwing his jacket, and threatening passengers, prompted protests and broader debate about racial double standards.

Penny’s defense team also argued he acted in self-defense and to protect other straphangers on the subway, claiming Neely posed a serious threat.

Daniel Penny’s case

Daniel Penny, a US Marine veteran, was acquitted of manslaughter and negligent homicide in connection with the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on May 1, 2023.

Timeline:

• May 1, 2023: Daniel Penny places Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway car
• May 11: Penny turns himself in to police in Manhattan
• June 15: A grand jury indicts Penny over the death of Neely
• June 28: Penny pleads not guilty to second-degree manslaughter
• January 17, 2024: A judge declines to dismiss the case against Penny
• November 1: Jurors hear opening statements in the trial
• December 2: Closing arguments begin
• December 3: Jury begins deliberations
• December 5: Jurors review medical testimony and video evidence
• December 6: Judge dismisses charge of manslaughter in 2nd degree
• December 9: Penny found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide

KARMELO MOVED TO ‘UNDISCLOSED LOCATION’

Anthony, who was released on $250,000 bond on April 14, was moved to a secure, undisclosed location due to the ongoing threats against him and his family, according to the Next Generation Action Network, an advocacy group.

Over the past several days, the threats against Anthony and his family have increased, the group said.

The actions, according to NGAN, include people physically visiting the family’s home, loitering, taking photos of the property, false food deliveries, disturbing mail, and unidentified individuals repeatedly circling the house attempting to provoke fear and intimidation.

“Because of these credible threats – and especially due to the environment created by the recent ‘White America’ rally – the situation reached such a dangerous level that the Anthony family was forced to evacuate Karmelo Anthony from his home over the weekend to an undisclosed location to ensure his immediate safety, approved by courts,” a statement by NGAN read.

“It is both heartbreaking and infuriating to see the depths of hate and bigotry still alive and well in our society,” Minister Dominique Alexander, the advocacy group’s president, said.

“No family should have to live under siege simply because they are
demanding their constitutional rights. We will not be silent, and we will not back down.

“We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect this
family and to ensure that justice is pursued without intimidation or fear.”