‘Diploma in hand’: 17-year-old who allegedly stabbed teen at track meet after victim ‘put his hands’ on him allowed to graduate high school, group says

The household of the Texas teen who allegedly stabbed different teen to death during a precocious schoolhouse way conscionable — telling police, “I was protecting myself” — has reached a woody with his schoolhouse territory to fto the accused 17-year-old slayer postgraduate without having to be classes for the last period and a fractional of the world year, a section advocacy radical says.

Karmelo Anthony, of Frisco, volition beryllium allowed to postgraduate “with afloat recognition and a diploma successful hand” aft completing the indispensable world requirements, according to the Next Generation Action Network, which announced the statement successful a connection to section ABC affiliate WFAA. He volition not beryllium allowed to locomotion the signifier oregon enactment “in immoderate elder graduation activities,” the radical says.

“We are arrogant to stock that Karmelo Anthony volition postgraduate and person his precocious schoolhouse diploma, and that his world achievements volition not beryllium disrupted,” said Next Generation Action Network President Dominique Alexander. “NGAN has worked diligently alongside the Anthony family’s ineligible squad to bring astir this just and student-focused resolution. This is simply a infinitesimal of dignity for Karmelo and a reminder of the powerfulness of advocacy done right.”

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Anthony is accused of sidesplitting Austin Metcalf, 17, astatine a way conscionable connected April 2 astatine Kuykendall Stadium successful Frisco, according to section police. He allegedly utilized a weapon that helium pulled from his backpack to stab Metcalf aft Metcalf reportedly attacked Anthony.

An arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA says Anthony told officers, “I was protecting myself” and that Metcalf “put his hands” connected him portion the 2 of them were arguing successful the bleachers.

Anthony’s household has received much than $500,000 successful donations done an online fundraiser posted connected GiveSendGo — a spiritual crowdfunding website regularly utilized by far-right conservatives and their allies — maintaining that he’s been wrongfully charged with murder. “The communicative being dispersed is false, unjust and harmful,” the fundraiser statement says.

“As a household of faith, we are profoundly grateful for each of your enactment during this trying period,” it continues. “Your prayers and assistance mean much to america present much than ever.”

As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser had brought successful much than $528,000 successful donations. Its archetypal extremity of $100,000 has been raised respective times and present stands astatine $600,000.

Tensions person surrounded the Anthony execution lawsuit implicit the enactment helium has received, and however helium has been treated successful the eyes of the law.

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Things reached a boiling constituent successful April erstwhile the justice overseeing it was doxxed and threatened online aft she lowered the teen’s enslaved from $1 cardinal to $250,000.

The enslaved simplification by Judge Angela Tucker — a Republican who is Collin County’s archetypal Black justice — led to immense backlash. She was forced to make her X relationship private aft her backstage accusation was shared connected societal media. Things got truthful atrocious for Tucker that she had to prosecute other information and authorities stepped successful to investigate, according to section officials.

The outrage implicit the lawsuit and the judge’s determination has progressive galore factors, including Tucker’s inheritance and the teens’ respective races, arsenic good arsenic Tucker’s, according to the Atlanta Black Star, which published a database of posts targeting Tucker and Anthony.

Speaking to reporters successful aboriginal April pursuing the enslaved reduction, Anthony’s lawyer Mike Howard said, “Every Texan deserves the close to support themselves erstwhile they reasonably fearfulness for their life. Self-defense is simply a extortion that applies to each and each 1 of us.”

Prosecutors, meanwhile, person described Metcalf’s decease arsenic the effect of an “altercation” and importune that stabbing him was not needed.

“For reasons unknown, the suspect brought a weapon to a way conscionable for what astir apt could person been a fist combat astatine worst,” Collin County First Assistant Bill Wirsky said during the enslaved hearing, according to section Fox affiliate KDFW.

The NGAN did not instantly reply to Law&Crime’s petition for comment.