New Video Shows Karmelo Anthony Fleeing After Fatal Texas Track Stabbing
Newly released surveillance video and court evidence reveals what Karmelo Anthony did in the immediate aftermath of fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas — footage that prosecutors say contradicts claims of self-defense and has reignited national debates about school safety and racial polarization.
The footage, made public on June 19 by Collin County District Judge John Roach following Anthony’s first-degree murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence, shows Anthony fleeing through the stands and onto the track at David Kuykendall Stadium before being quickly detained by police. According to Fox News, bodycam footage captures Anthony telling officers, “He put his hands on me. I told him not to. He put his hands on me,” as well as stating, “I know how it goes. I’m not alleged. I did it.”
The Incident and Trial
The confrontation occurred on April 2, 2025, when Metcalf asked Anthony — then a 17-year-old student at Frisco Centennial High School — to leave the Memorial High School team tent during a track meet. Witnesses testified that the exchange escalated quickly, lasting less than 10 seconds. Anthony pulled a folding Ozark Trail multi-tool knife with a 3½-inch blade from his backpack and delivered a single fatal stab to Metcalf’s chest. Despite immediate medical attention, including chest compressions from an Army veteran, Metcalf died at the scene.
After a week-long trial in Collin County’s 296th District Court, a jury rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim and convicted him of first-degree murder on June 9, 2026. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before returning the verdict. The Associated Press reported that prosecutor Bill Wirskye told the jury, “This is not self-defense, folks. It’s murder plain and simple,” adding, “You don’t get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove.”
Defense attorney Mike Howard argued that Texas law does not require a person to wait until they are struck before acting in self-defense. “In that split second of chaos, you must put yourself in his shoes,” Howard said during closing arguments.
Evidence Released Post-Trial
Judge Roach authorized the release of surveillance videos, crime scene photos, 911 calls, and police bodycam footage after the trial concluded. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Roach said, “The overwhelming focus on my ruling regarding the media in the courtroom was to protect the process, witnesses, and jury. Now that the trial is over, it is important to me to provide transparency.”
The released evidence includes images of the murder weapon, a blood-soaked jacket, and a photograph of the fatal wound on Metcalf’s chest with a forensic ruler beside it. One image shows Anthony handcuffed in the back of a police vehicle with what appears to be blood on his left hand.
Victim’s Family Speaks Out
Austin Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, has been vocal about the case since the verdict. Speaking with CBS News Texas, he said the video evidence contradicts claims that circulated online suggesting Anthony was jumped or surrounded. “The video clearly shows the conversation lasted less than 10 seconds. That’s it,” Metcalf said. “There was no four-on-one. He wasn’t surrounded. Look at the video. There’s a shove and there’s a stab, and it’s over and he runs away.”
On forgiveness, Metcalf offered a poignant reflection: “Forgiveness was not for him. Forgiveness was for me. So I don’t carry the rage, the hate, and that around; it will eat me up like cancer.” He has vowed to oppose Anthony’s parole in person when he becomes eligible after serving half of his 35-year sentence — approximately 17 years.
Racial Dynamics and Misinformation
The case became a flashpoint for racial polarization online. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Both families and legal teams emphasized that race was not a factor in the incident itself, but the case attracted white supremacist protests and drew criticism over the jury’s composition, which included no Black members. A pardoned January 6 Capitol rioter and U.S. Senate candidate, Jake Lang, organized a “Protect White People” protest in Frisco during the proceedings.
Both families endured online harassment, doxxing, and swatting throughout the legal process. Frisco police warned the public about misinformation spreading online, including fake social media accounts and a fraudulent medical examiner’s report.
Appeal and Forward Look
Anthony filed a notice of appeal on June 10, 2026 — one day after his conviction — stating he could not afford an attorney. A second court-appointed lawyer has since joined his defense team. The appeal is expected to focus on the self-defense claim, the lack of Black jurors, and potential legal errors during trial.
The case has reignited broader debates about weapons on school campuses, the limits of Texas’s self-defense laws, and the role of social media in amplifying misinformation during high-profile criminal proceedings. As the appeals process unfolds, the newly released evidence ensures that the public — and history — will have a clear record of what transpired on that April afternoon in Frisco.