Dominique Alexander, a minister and spokesman for Karmelo Anthony’s family, stated on Tuesday that he does not believe his son received justice in his murder trial. Anthony was convicted of murdering a 17-year-old at a track meet in Texas and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
A jury rejected Anthony’s claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium’s bleachers last year. Students who testified described a heated exchange when Anthony refused to leave a tent belonging to Metcalf’s team during a rainy competition.
Alexander argued that Black Americans are repeatedly told that self-defense is part of the law. “That a knife under 5 inches is legal in the state of Texas,” he said on Finnerty, “and stand your ground is legal here in Texas. But when a Black person tries to use those same basic rights and laws, then we’re not afforded those things.”
The minister said he did not know why Anthony brought a knife to the track meet. “But I can tell you that the state of Texas made it legal,” Alexander added. “So at the end of the day, if a person got a problem with it, they might need to call Gov. Greg Abbott and ask why this state has open carry laws?”
Alexander pushed back on claims that race was involved in the case, noting social media had referred to Anthony as a thug and called for him to be hanged from a tree. “All we want is our rights and to be afforded the same basic rights everyone else gets,” he said.
Alexander stated that Anthony plans to appeal the conviction.
