Breaking: The release of a 6-minute video connected to Austin Metcalf’s father has sparked controversy, especially after what viewers noticed in the fifth minute
After the 35-year verdict, the victim’s father breaks his silence on the national outcry and racial tensions surrounding the case.
Karmelo Anthony (Photo: GoFundMe) | Austin Metcalf (Photo: Fox 13 Tampa Bay)
Following the verdict of Karmelo Anthony, for which a Texas jury sentenced him to 35 years in prison for killing Austin Metcalf, the prevailing sentiment is that it is an undeniable tragedy for both families.
In the aftermath, two families have been shattered, and an entire community is devastated. For the Metcalf family, the loss is a visceral nightmare where they were forced to bury a beloved son due to the senseless moment of escalation. Simultaneously, the family of 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a promising student with a 3.7 GPA and no prior criminal record, will spend his foreseeable future in a jail cell.
Responding to his son’s death, TMZ released a video of Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, using racist language and tropes to express his anger about the tragic ordeal. But was it a father’s pain or something else? The internet’s reaction has been mixed.
“Oh, there were no Black jurors. You know why? Because you can’t be unbiased, you dumb sh*ts. If you answer the question, ‘I can’t send a Black man to jail because he’s Black, you’re not getting on the jury,’ said Jeff. “You’re so unintelligent you can’t even fill out a form correctly.”
“You don’t even know who your daddy is because 78% of you don’t have your father in the home anymore. You got baby mamas running around with eight kids, so they can get EBT cards to feed you all,” he continued. “You think I’m being racist? No, I’m being real, because they like Black people, white people do the same. I’ll call them out just as hard as I’ll call you out. Anybody who doesn’t work, who wants free government handouts, who wants to live in a socialist society, move to Russia.”
Did he mean those comments or was he explaining his anger and frustration over his son’s death? He says the latter, explaining that his remarks stem from his anger over losing his son and all of the controversy that emerged from the high-profile case. In the video, he said that he would express his true feelings.
“I don’t normally attack people like this, but I have been cooped up and caged up, and this anger, and this is something I’m trying to work on,” Jeff said. “I need to develop it and funnel it into a more constructive way. But tonight is the one time I’m going to allow myself. It’s okay.”
“Tonight, I’m allowing myself to say what I really want to say, because most of the time,” he went on. “ I don’t say what I want to say, because it’s not correct. Just because you think something doesn’t mean you believe it, doesn’t make it right, doesn’t make it wrong, doesn’t make it a fact.”
At the end of the clip, Jeff’s racist remarks seem to come from a place of confusion about whether he really means what he’s saying. On the other hand, he previously and blatantly described Anthony as a “watermelon felon,” which is as racist as it gets.
As expected, reactions to Jeff’s reveal how the case has divided so many people on social media.
One user said that Jeff shot the video, sharing his true feelings after the gag order was lifted.
”The gag order lifted. And the mask came off with it…, the user noted. “The prosecution struck every qualified Black juror from the panel. A gag order silenced public response for nearly a year. And the moment the muzzle came off, this is who he showed us he was.”
Another user said that while he sympathized with Jeff’s grief, it’s no reason to spew racism in his video.
“The victim’s own father went public, calling Karmelo Anthony a racist, vile name, and let me tell you something. That right there complicates the whole picture. A man lost his son, which is a pain I wouldn’t wish on anybody, but that grief does not give you a pass to show the world that kind of hatred,” the user wrote. “Real talk, when you talk like that, you make people question everything else you’ve said. The Standard applies to him, too. You feel me?
One user said that Jeff’s words have done more harm than good.
“Jeff Metcalf is spiraling in public, and it’s doing zero good,” said the user. “Calling grieving parents’ cowards’ and slinging insults won’t bring Austin back. Both families lost something, and this just makes everything uglier.”
One user suggested that everyone should just let Jeff grieve.
“Jeff Metcalf is angry & grieving the senseless death of his son. You folks attacking him are being cruel. Listen carefully to what he says – he’s grieving,” the user wrote. “He’s been the #1 person to say ‘stop making this about race.” He has even forgiven Karmelo Anthony.”
Another user said that he understands where Jeff is coming from, but his video is not the answer.
”I understand Jeff Metcalf is hurt, but someone who loves him has to remind him that,” the user said. “He still has a teenage son who grew up in the social media era, so provoking more Black people to troll your dead son by unveiling your racism is only making his time on these apps harder.”
