Amid the tension surrounding the sentencing of Karmelo Anthony for murder, a protester made headlines after being arrested. Captured on video engaging aggressively with another individual outside the courthouse, Winston Jerome Parker, aged 27, found himself in custody shortly thereafter.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Parker’s arrest to the Daily Mail, citing an outstanding warrant related to unlawful weapon possession. This charge stems from an incident that reportedly took place in the courthouse parking lot just days prior, on a Saturday.
According to prison records, Parker was released on a $1,000 surety bond. It remains unclear whether he has appointed legal representation to address the charges.
Parker’s arrest unfolded merely hours after he was seen in a heated exchange, pointing a finger in the face of another man during racially-charged demonstrations. These protests erupted outside the Collin County courthouse following the conviction of 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony, who was found guilty of the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet the previous year.
His arrest came just hours after he was filmed confronting a man and pointing in his face amid racially-charged protests outside the Collin County courthouse where Anthony, 19, was found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet last year.
The murder case shocked America, and the discussion surrounding the killing of a white teenager by a black peer quickly became racially fraught.Â
The verdict prompted fierce backlash from Anthony’s supporters who say he was discriminated against because there were no black members of the jury.Â
Winston Jerome Parker, 27, was taken into custody outside the courthouse on Tuesday for an outstanding warrant on a charge of unlawful carry of a weapon
His arrest came hours after he was filmed getting in another man’s face outside the courthouse, where Karmelo Anthony was sentenced for murder
Anthony, who was 17 at the time, claimed he was acting in self-defense when he stabbed Metcalf with a folding knife after a heated argument under a tent.
But prosecutors eviscerated the self-defense claim that Metcalf attacked him first with video evidence and witness testimony.
Witnesses who were in the tent described Anthony as the aggressor, testifying that Anthony told Metcalf, ‘Touch me and see what happens,’ provoking Metcalf to push Anthony, who then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
Prosecutors said Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, rushed to his aid as Anthony ran from the scene and later tried to blend into groups of kids who were exiting the stadium.
Anthony sat motionless in court as police body camera footage from April of last year showed Hunter pleading for help after the stabbing.
Hunter shouted, ‘Oh my God. He’s my best friend. He’s my brother.’
He became hysterical as he begged for help and cried out, ‘I can’t do this.’
At one point, Hunter grew incoherent and seemed to be praying out loud.
Anthony was found guilty on Tuesday of murder and was sentenced to 35 years behind bars
Anthony, who was 17 at the time, claimed he was acting in self-defense when he stabbed Austin Metcalf (above) with a folding knife after a heated argument under a tent
The fatal stabbing occurred at a high school track meet last year
Jurors gasped in horror after being shown never-before-seen photos of Metcalf’s punctured heart during the trial.
Metcalf was stabbed once, with the knife piercing through his bone in the center of his chest and puncturing the right side of his heart, a medical examiner testified.
Still, while cross-examining the medical examiner, Anthony’s lawyers implied that Metcalf impaled himself on the knife.
After his defense lawyers called on six witnesses who offered underwhelming evidence, Anthony opted not to take the stand.
The jury wound up deliberating for less than three hours before finding Anthony guilty of murder, and sentencing him to serve 35 years behind bars.
But Anthony’s lawyers have already filed a notice appealing the guilty verdict as some of Anthony’s supporters argue he did not properly face a jury of his peers as there were no black people in the jury.
Twelve jurors and six alternates, who were mostly white, with the exception of three Hispanics, two Asians and two from the Middle East and India, were selected to decide Anthony’s fate.Â
During jury selection, defense attorneys raised a Batson challenge, a legal objection used when it is believed potential jurors were struck off because of race, which was rejected by the judge.Â