Left inset: Judge Angela Tucker (X). Right inset: Karmelo Anthony leaving jailhouse Monday, April 14, successful Texas (KDFW/YouTube). Background: Police astatine the country of Austin Metcalf’s alleged execution successful Frisco, Texas (KDFW/YouTube).
Tensions surrounding the Karmelo Anthony stabbing lawsuit successful Texas person reached a boiling point, with the justice overseeing it being doxxed and threatened online aft she lowered the teen’s enslaved from $1 cardinal to $250,000 this week, to the constituent wherever she present needs other information — and the FBI is reportedly investigating.
On apical of that, Anthony himself has besides started getting probed and attacked by online critics implicit a study from the Daily Mail, which alleges that the 17-year-old is surviving successful a luxurious $900,000 location with his family, portion besides raking successful hundreds and thousands of dollars successful donations from strangers connected the internet.
The criticisms, astatine archetypal glance, halfway astir Anthony’s claims of self-defense successful the stabbing decease of Austin Metcalf astatine a way conscionable earlier this month. Metcalf, 17, was allegedly unarmed and the 2 teens had been arguing earlier the slaying.
Things, however, person gotten overmuch much governmental successful caller days — with Anthony’s lawsuit being propped up arsenic a “race relations” issue by far-right influencers — connected relationship of Anthony being Black and Metcalf being white.
Anthony is accused of sidesplitting Metcalf 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 the teen allegedly attacked Anthony. The apprehension affidavit, which was obtained by section ABC outlet WFAA, elaborate however Anthony allegedly spoke to officers instantly aft the incident, saying: “He enactment his hands connected me, I told him not to.”
In an arrest affidavit obtained by section ABC outlet WFAA, constabulary said Anthony told officers, “I was protecting myself,” aft fatally stabbing Metcalf portion the 2 of them were beefing successful the bleachers wherever they were sitting astatine the way meet. The accused teen’s household has received much than $440,000 successful donations done an online fundraiser posted connected GiveSendGo — a spiritual crowdfunding website regularly utilized by far-right conservatives and their allies — and says he’s been wrongfully charged with murder.
“The communicative being dispersed is false, unjust and harmful,” the statement says. “As a household of faith, we are profoundly grateful for each of your enactment during this trying period. Your prayers and assistance mean much to america present much than ever.”
Judge Angela Tucker connected Monday lowered Anthony’s enslaved from $1 cardinal to $250,000 aft his defence attorney, Mike Howard, argued that specified a precocious magnitude was “not necessary” to support Anthony from fleeing.
“This household needs to beryllium capable to survive,” Howard told Tucker successful tribunal Monday, according to section Fox affiliate KDFW.
“There’s been a tremendous magnitude of pressure,” Howard said. “I deliberation astatine this point, surviving successful a gated community, fixed everything, the information of their younger children is precise warranted. Security details and transgression defence are not cheap.”
The enslaved simplification by Tucker — a Republican who is Collin County’s archetypal Black justice — led to immense backlash online this week. She was forced to make her X relationship private aft her backstage accusation was shared connected societal media, which was reported by section authorities officials connected X Monday.
“We are alert of a societal media station connected this level that appears to dox a sitting judge,” the Collin County Government relationship said. “Sharing a judge’s backstage accusation is simply a transgression and volition beryllium prosecuted to the fullest grade of the law.”
We are alert of a societal media station connected this level that appears to dox a sitting judge. Sharing a judge’s backstage accusation is simply a transgression and volition beryllium prosecuted to the fullest grade of the law. #RuleofLaw #CommunityStandards
— Collin County Govt (@CollinCountyGov) April 14, 2025
The outrage surrounding the Anthony lawsuit and Tucker’s determination person centered astir aggregate things, with radical condemning some of them for antithetic reasons, galore of them related to Tucker’s past and the teens’ respective tegument color, according to the Atlanta Black Star, which published a database Tuesday of posts aimed astatine some Tucker and Anthony.
“This evil justice deserves to walk the remainder of her beingness successful situation for what she did today,” a idiosyncratic wrote connected X, alongside a representation of the judge, according to the report.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office told TMZ connected Tuesday that the backlash and threats person gotten truthful atrocious for Tucker that the FBI is reportedly investigating and she has been fixed other security.
One individual, who has not been identified, was reported by “court unit and acrophobic citizens” for remarks made against Tucker this week that warranted the FBI’s investigation, the sheriff’s bureau reports.
“Potential charges could see Unlawful Disclosure of a Residence Address oregon Telephone Number and Obstruction oregon Retaliation,” CCSO officials told TMZ.
Speaking to reporters connected Monday aft Anthony’s enslaved reduction, his lawyer insisted that what was going connected with his lawsuit was some mean and warranted.
“Every Texan deserves the close to support themselves erstwhile they reasonably fearfulness for their life,” Howard said, according to KDFW.
“Self-defense is simply a extortion that applies to each and each 1 of us,” helium asserted, adding that determination are “two sides to each story,” including Anthony’s. “Bond, arsenic the justice said, is not expected to beryllium an instrumentality of oppression, it’s not expected to support radical successful jail,” Howard concluded. “It’s to guarantee idiosyncratic comes to court.”
Prosecutors connected Monday described Metcalf’s decease arsenic the effect of an “altercation” wherever 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,” said Collin County First Assistant Bill Wirsky, according to KDFW. “[The family] could marque this million-dollar enslaved arsenic soon arsenic they get entree to it. I don’t cognize wherefore we are here.”
Anthony’s household has said that the crushed they can’t usage the donations being raised for him is due to the fact that they bash not person entree to it yet.
“It isn’t arsenic elemental arsenic giving a telephone telephone to entree it,” Anthony’s parents told reporters.