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AIBU to think USA has gone crazy - Karmelo Anthony is a murderer not a victim

258 replies

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 14:32

From what I have read, Karmelo Anthony (who is black African American) took a concealed knife to a track event. When it started raining he ran to another team's tent to shelter. He was told to leave by a white athlete called Austin Metcalfe. KA refused saying ' 'Touch me and see what happens', According to one account I read he was repeatedly told to leave and replied the same way each time. Austin Metcalfe then pushed KA to get him to leave and KA pulled out the knife and stabbed AM in the chest, killing him.

Apparently sections of America are outraged that KA has now been convicted of murder. Possible sentence range in America is 5 to 99 years for this offence and he got 35 years.

I don't understand how this is not murder. In UK law if you can run away you must, and he didn't. In UK law if you kill someone when you could have run, you will be tried for murder.

KA took a knife. He could have left (even if he thought it was a dick move to ask him to leave when it was raining - you can't murder people for being dickish about their gazebo) but chose to not to, escalating the situation with threatening language and then stabbed a young man in the chest.

I just think something has gone terribly wrong in USA society where this man is treated as a victim, not the person who he killed, and this case is regarded as an injustice against him. I hope the UK does not go down this route.

OP posts:
ChipswithMayonnaise · 11/06/2026 16:55

We are talking politics, not zumba?
ETA this is in response to the right! left! centre! anything goes

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:53

TomatoSandwiches · 11/06/2026 16:46

If you want to talk about cultures then lets talk about the fact that black people in America still get lynched and killed for simply existing....

You cannot discuss and dismiss the self defence aspect without firstly aknowledging the long term historical rascist culture black people and especially black males have to put up with, doubly so in a state like Texas.

This situation did not happen in a vacuum and people shouldn't be putting their hands on someone, that was very much a white male privelge thing to do.

As an unusually small woman, I know all about the feeling of physical vulnerability. I still don't think I am justified in stabbing someone in the chest who pushes me. Its crazy to think I could be justified in doing that.

There was clearly no likelihood that the young white man at the team track was going to lynch this black man. He just wanted him out of their team gazebo. And KA was refusing and and challenging him to ' make me move and see what happens.'

Your line of thinking may well have been what KA was fed all his life which made him feel he was justified in stabbing someone for a really minor event. That thinking served no-one.

OP posts:
coulditbeme2323 · 11/06/2026 16:52

Only problem was it was only 35 years.

Scum, and so are his parents.

TemperanceWest · 11/06/2026 16:49

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 15:31

Read my last paragraph again and you will see I am talking about the culture in USA around this, and not wanting the UK to become like this, rather than not wanting UK law over here.

Why and how do you envisage that happening?

PistolPacker · 11/06/2026 16:49

This situation did not happen in a vacuum and people shouldn't be putting their hands on someone, that was very much a white male privelge thing to do.

JFC 🙄

The response to a hand on a shoulder should never be a knife in the chest. White male privilege ffs

SerendipityJane · 11/06/2026 16:49

araiwa · 11/06/2026 15:09

I don't understand any relevance of UK law to an event on a different continent

Given that the US feels qualified to comment on UK legal issues, what's sauce for the goose etc ?

I'm waiting to see what this has to do with parenting. I am sure someone can swing it back to that.

TomatoSandwiches · 11/06/2026 16:46

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:25

Bloody hell. The jury found him guilty.

This thread is about social cultures. Not legal systems.

If you want to talk about cultures then lets talk about the fact that black people in America still get lynched and killed for simply existing....

You cannot discuss and dismiss the self defence aspect without firstly aknowledging the long term historical rascist culture black people and especially black males have to put up with, doubly so in a state like Texas.

This situation did not happen in a vacuum and people shouldn't be putting their hands on someone, that was very much a white male privelge thing to do.

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:44

LilacOpal · 11/06/2026 16:39

The VAST majority of Americans don't know/care about this case, or if they do, think Karmelo Anthony deserved his sentence. You must be stumbling into some online black supremacist echo chambers and thinking they are more significant than they are. We've got other shit to worry about ... this is a nothing burger.

Edited

I am glad to hear it.

OP posts:
Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:43

ChipswithMayonnaise · 11/06/2026 16:28

Wouldn't it be terrible if the UK became like this / you cannot blame Nigel for trying to do something / the racist protesters have a point

Not a rage bait thread

Just a soft push rightwards

This made me laugh! There is nothing wrong with being right wing. I know the nutty side of the Left think there is, but really there is not.

I'm not left or right - I'm apolitical. There is nothing wrong with being left or right or centre.

There is something wrong with ideological, unevidenced ideas which are harmful.

OP posts:
LilacOpal · 11/06/2026 16:39

The VAST majority of Americans don't know/care about this case, or if they do, think Karmelo Anthony deserved his sentence. You must be stumbling into some online black supremacist echo chambers and thinking they are more significant than they are. We've got other shit to worry about ... this is a nothing burger.

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:37

HumberSquid · 11/06/2026 16:26

Ah so you're race-baiting. Thought so.

Thank you for proving the point of my thread.

OP posts:
EasternStandard · 11/06/2026 16:37

Overtheatlantic · 11/06/2026 16:28

Your thread has failed.

Why? 86% say she’s not being unreasonable

CheerfulYank · 11/06/2026 16:37

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:34

Wasn't KR being chased by a mob?

That's not really the same as KA being told to leave a track team gazebo and refusing, is it?

And it doesn't mean he is not a murderer. He is.

Yes, he was. I’m not saying I agree with the argument, I’m just saying what it is.

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:34

CheerfulYank · 11/06/2026 16:27

Well, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years, so he is a murderer and is being punished as one.

I think the argument comes from the fact that people like Kyle Rittenhouse were found not guilty by reason of self defense, and Karmelo claimed self defense but was found guilty. The ones who feel it was a miscarriage of justice think that if the roles were reversed and white teen said he feared for his life from a Black teen, he would be more likely to be believed.

Additionally, I think some people on both sides think that 35 years is an unjust sentence to give a teen.

Wasn't KR being chased by a mob?

That's not really the same as KA being told to leave a track team gazebo and refusing, is it?

And it doesn't mean he is not a murderer. He is.

OP posts:
CheerfulYank · 11/06/2026 16:33

PolkaDotPorridge · 11/06/2026 16:24

It was an all white jury. That was unfair. The dead man was a bully. Below is a good article on it written by Dr Stacey Patton.

https://share.google/dvPS0FPvFf3la8cuO

Edited

The jury was not all white. None were Black, but there are other races besides white or Black.

Whatareyoudoingherehun · 11/06/2026 16:33

Gloriia · 11/06/2026 16:23

His supporters claim it was self defence as apparently pushing someone justifies stabbing the person. They claim it should be manslaughter as he hadn't gone there intending to kill him. Well hey guess what if you have a weapon and stab someone that is what happens.

His grabby family have made a fortune out of this. I really hope there's some legal process that means once found guilty then people cannot profit from their crimes.

If he had been found guilty of manslaughter than murder what could his sentence have been?

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:29

PolkaDotPorridge · 11/06/2026 16:24

It was an all white jury. That was unfair. The dead man was a bully. Below is a good article on it written by Dr Stacey Patton.

https://share.google/dvPS0FPvFf3la8cuO

Edited

Do you think a bully who gives a single shove to someone who is being verbally aggressive to them and refusing to leave deserves to be stabbed to death?

Because if you do you are bloody evil and if you ever act on your beliefs you will go to jail for murder too.

OP posts:
ChipswithMayonnaise · 11/06/2026 16:28

Wouldn't it be terrible if the UK became like this / you cannot blame Nigel for trying to do something / the racist protesters have a point

Not a rage bait thread

Just a soft push rightwards

Overtheatlantic · 11/06/2026 16:28

Your thread has failed.

CheerfulYank · 11/06/2026 16:27

Well, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years, so he is a murderer and is being punished as one.

I think the argument comes from the fact that people like Kyle Rittenhouse were found not guilty by reason of self defense, and Karmelo claimed self defense but was found guilty. The ones who feel it was a miscarriage of justice think that if the roles were reversed and white teen said he feared for his life from a Black teen, he would be more likely to be believed.

Additionally, I think some people on both sides think that 35 years is an unjust sentence to give a teen.

Overtheatlantic · 11/06/2026 16:27

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 15:47

Thank you for your completely irrelevant contribution to the topic of this thread.

You opened the door and I walked through it; that’s how it works.

Blimms · 11/06/2026 16:26

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:24

I am talking in this thread about the racialised social culture that has led some in the USA to think KA is a victim, not a killer.

Clearly I have no issues with the legal system in the USA in this case, as they reached what I clearly in my posts consider the right verdict. I do consider the USA system fit for purpose in this case. That is clear in my posts.

So yes, your tangent about the UK legal system not being fit for purpose is irrelevant in this thread, This thread is about racialised social cultures.

You specifically mentioned the U.K. in your OP. You are the person who brought up the U.K. first and so it’s reasonable for another poster to comment on that.

HumberSquid · 11/06/2026 16:26

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 15:31

Read my last paragraph again and you will see I am talking about the culture in USA around this, and not wanting the UK to become like this, rather than not wanting UK law over here.

Ah so you're race-baiting. Thought so.

Neutralnames · 11/06/2026 16:25

NoCommentingFromNowOn · 11/06/2026 16:24

I was giving context to show how a reasonable assessment of murder would work.

But here we have a different legal system, it might be more reasonable or not, but it’s still not relevant to American people in America, there is no connection to Britain or British people.

Bloody hell. The jury found him guilty.

This thread is about social cultures. Not legal systems.

OP posts:
NoCommentingFromNowOn · 11/06/2026 16:25

@Gloriia His grabby family have made a fortune out of this. I really hope there's some legal process that means once found guilty then people cannot profit from their crimes.

Oh what? Where can I read about this?

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