Attorneys for the 17-year-old Texas teen accused of fatally stabbing a rival athlete during a track meet demanded the judge downgrade their client's charges and reduce his $1 million bond.
The incident occurred on April 2 during a track meet at the Kuykendell Stadium in Frisco. Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old junior in high school, reportedly told Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old senior at a rival high school, that he was sitting in the wrong tent and asked him to move, WFAA reported.
While the teens were arguing, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA, Anthony told Metcalf, "Touch me and see what happens." When Metcalf grabbed Anthony to move him out of the chair, Anthony allegedly brandished a black knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the heart. The teen then died in his twin brother's arms.
Anthony ran away after the stabbing and allegedly dumped the knife in a set of nearby bleachers. He reportedly told a resource officer he was protecting himself and that Metcalf put his hands on him. He also allegedly asked if what he did could be considered self-defense and whether the victim was going to be OK.
The teen's lawyers are now arguing their client's $1 million is "excessive" and should be lowered. They are also claiming Anthony was acting in self-defense.
"Karmelo, like all citizens of the United States, is entitled to a fair and impartial legal process," the teen's attorneys said in a statement. "We are committed to ensuring that Karmelo's rights are indeed protected throughout each phase of the criminal justice system."
Anthony is currently being held in Collin County jail. If convicted, he faces five to 99 years in prison.
