The father of a young man who was fatally stabbed at a track meet has broken his silence after being asked to leave a press conference held by the family of his son’s accused killer.
Seventeen-year-old Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed in the heart while attending a track and field championship at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco on April 2nd, accompanied by his younger brother, Hunter.
Reports indicate that an argument between Metcalf and 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony over seating arrangements in the stands escalated, leading to the fatal incident.
Local law enforcement, speaking with NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, stated that they were summoned to the location around 10 AM. Despite emergency efforts including CPR and the administration of blood, the teenage victim did not survive.
Since the tragedy, Metcalf’s father, Jeff, has been outspoken about his grief and the events surrounding that day.
According to NBC News, Anthony was arrested and charged by Frisco police, later being released from jail under house arrest conditions.
On April 17th, Metcalf attended a press conference organized by the Anthony family, who announced plans to contest their son’s first-degree murder charge, claiming misinformation has been spread about him.
During the event, Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, addressed the “lies and false accusations” impacting their family, stating these have endangered them.
Anthony’s parents have previously maintained that their son acted in self-defense during the altercation with Metcalf.
Jeff Metcalf, however, expressed feeling “disrespected” when he was removed from the conference by Dallas police officers.
He shared that he had hoped for a different outcome, explaining that he wished to pray with the family and present a unified front.
“They should have pulled me up [to the front] and said, ‘We are so sorry. Our condolences.’ The only thing I would have said was, ‘Okay, can we pray together and show the world we’re united,” he told The Post.
After attending the press conference, both Jeff and his ex-wife reported becoming targets of ‘swatting’ incidents, leading to police visits at their homes.
This situation prompted Jeff to step down from his job in real estate, citing concerns for the safety of his colleagues and clients.
Jeff had hoped for an apology from the Anthony family, yet he was instead asked to leave by multiple attendees.
“I get a text. My phone’s blowing up. It’s the f***ing DA. He said, ‘Jeff, leave! Leave! Leave!’” Metcalf shared to the publication. “My ex-wife texts me: ‘Leave, leave, leave!’ They’ll call the cops if I don’t get the f*** out of there.”
Following his presence at the conference, Dominique Alexander, an activist with the Next Generation Action Network, criticized his participation as being disrespectful to his son’s memory.
In response, Jeff Metcalf stated: “After I leave, that Dominique … just gaslights to s*** out of me. Says I’m disrespecting, I’m so disrespectful, I’m disrespecting the dignity of my son by showing up … and I’m just like whatever, dude. My character’s been assassinated. Or they’ve tried to assassinate my character.
“This is my point: We’re both victims. My son’s dead. Their son will be in prison. But it’s the end of the day, [Karmelo] needs to be accountable for his actions.”
Alexander, who serves as Anthony’s representative and family spokesperson, reportedly has an extensive criminal record, including convictions for child abuse and accusations of domestic violence, as reported by Fox 4 Dallas.