Karmelo Anthony Arrest Body Cam Released After Texas Judge Makes Trial Evidence Public, Judge Says Release Was About Transparency
A Texas judge has released portions of the trial evidence in the Karmelo Anthony case, including body camera footage from Anthony’s arrest, images of the knife involved and surveillance video showing Anthony and Austin Metcalf before the fatal stabbing at a track meet last April.
Judge John Roach, who presided over Anthony’s trial in Collin County, said the release came after the trial concluded and was intended to give the public a clearer view of what happened in court.
“I understood the public’s desire to know what happened in the courtroom,” Roach told FOX News. “The overwhelming focus on my ruling regarding the media in courtroom was to protect the process, witnesses, and jury.”
“Now that the trial is over, it is important to me to provide transparency,” he added.
Body Cam Shows Anthony Speaking Through Tears
The newly released body cam footage shows Anthony speaking with responding officer Eduardo Cortez shortly after the stabbing.
“He put his hands on me,” Anthony can be heard saying through tears. “I told him not to, he put his hands on me.”
Also Read: The Karmelo Anthony Case Wasn’t Supposed To Be About Race. Then Came ‘Watermelon Felon’
During a search, Cortez refers to Anthony as the alleged suspect while speaking with another officer nearby. Anthony then responds, “I’m not alleged, sir, I did it.”
The footage also shows Anthony complying with officers’ questions and instructions. He does not resist arrest. Once inside the squad car, Anthony asks whether Metcalf is going to be OK.
Surveillance Video Shows Moments Before And After Stabbing
The evidence released by the court also includes surveillance footage showing both Anthony and Metcalf entering the track meet, as well as video of Anthony leaving the tent and the stadium after the stabbing. In the footage, onlookers can be seen pointing Anthony out to police.
Additional video evidence shows the teens, along with several other people, inside the tent where the stabbing occurred.
The court also released 911 audio from after the incident. In one call, a male voice can be heard urging Metcalf to “stay with him.”
Anthony Maintained Self-Defense Claim
Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the April 2, 2025 stabbing, claimed self-defense in the case. He and Metcalf attended different high schools in the area and reportedly had no prior history with each other before the incident.
Earlier this month, Anthony was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His legal team has since filed a notice of appeal.
The case drew national attention because of the race of both teenagers, the public response surrounding the trial, protests, threats and continued debate over whether Anthony received a fair trial.
After the guilty verdict, several celebrities publicly voiced support for Anthony and questioned the fairness of the proceedings and jury. A parole supervisor with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was also fired after comments she made about the case on Facebook.
With the evidence now public, the case is expected to remain under scrutiny as Anthony’s appeal moves forward.
