McKinney, Texas – A Frisco police officer testified in the ongoing murder trial of Karmelo Anthony that the folding knife allegedly used in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf was legal under Texas state law, though its presence at a school-sponsored event violated school district policy.

The testimony came during the high-profile trial in Collin County, where 19-year-old Anthony stands accused of first-degree murder in the April 2, 2025, stabbing death of Metcalf at a Frisco ISD regional track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.

Officer Jacob Shalz of the Frisco Police Department, who helped secure the scene and collect evidence, confirmed on the stand that the knife recovered — a black-bladed folding knife with a blade measuring approximately 3.5 inches — did not qualify as an illegal “location-restricted knife” under Texas law, which generally prohibits blades longer than 5.5 inches in certain contexts.

Defense attorney Mike Howard used the cross-examination to highlight that while bringing any knife to a school event would result in disciplinary action within Frisco ISD, simple possession of this knife was not a criminal offense under state statutes.

Prosecutors have presented the knife as key evidence, showing it to jurors along with replicas and photos. They allege Anthony retrieved it from his backpack during a confrontation under Metcalf’s team tent, after being asked multiple times to leave. Anthony reportedly warned Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens,” before stabbing him once in the chest.

Metcalf, a student-athlete at Memorial High School, died from the wound that penetrated his heart. Anthony, then 17 and a Centennial High School student, turned himself in shortly after, telling officers, “I’m not alleged, I did it,” while claiming self-defense.

The trial has drawn intense national attention, with heated public debate surrounding self-defense claims, race, and school safety. Anthony has pleaded not guilty and is being tried as an adult. His defense argues he acted to protect himself amid a confrontation with larger students.

Testimony continues in the case, with prosecutors having rested their initial case and the defense presenting witnesses. The knife’s legality is one element in a broader discussion of the events leading to the fatal altercation.

Jurors will ultimately decide whether Anthony’s actions constituted murder or justified self-defense under Texas law. The case remains ongoing.