The Texas judge who reduced the $1 million bond for 17-year-old Austin Metcalf’s accused killer was targeted in a doxxing hoax, KDFW reported.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the FBI, is investigating the alleged doxxing of Collin County Judge Angela Tucker, who agreed to significantly reduce Frisco track meet stabbing suspect 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony’s bond.
“Due to the nature of the situation, we are coordinating with the FBI and our Fusion Center to monitor for any concerning rhetoric or propaganda that could incite violence,” the sheriff’s office told KDFW.
Doxxing, defined as a form of cyberbullying, involves publicly posting someone’s personal information without consent.
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This type of harassment is illegal in the state of Texas if it involves posting another person’s private information without consent with the intent to cause harm or to incite harm against them, according to the Texas Penal Code.
If someone is harmed during a doxxing event, it also becomes a felony in Texas.
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Local law enforcement officials told KDFW some court staff and concerned citizens reported that people were publishing Judge Tucker’s address on social media after she agreed to reduce Anthony’s bond, which was initially set at $1 million.
“Our main priority remains ensuring the judge’s safety, and appropriate security measures have been implemented,” the Collin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Anthony was released from jail after Tucker lowered his bond to $250,000. Tucker, who presided over a bond reduction hearing, claimed his was set “too high for someone with no criminal history.”
Anthony allegedly killed Metcalf over a seating dispute during a high school track meet in Frisco April 2. He was freed from the Collin County Jail after his bond was reduced from $1 million to $250,000. He is charged with first-degree murder.
Anthony reportedly confessed to stabbing Metcalf when he was arrested by a school resource officer at Kuykendall Stadium in the minutes after the attack.
When one officer told another he had the alleged stabbing suspect in custody, Anthony apparently said, “I’m not alleged. I did it,” according to an arrest report.
Anthony also asked the officers if Metcalf was “going to be OK” and asked if what happened could be considered “self-defense.”
The Metcalf family has also fallen victim to disturbing incidents since their son’s death. Jeff Metcalf, the father of the slain track star, told Fox News Digital his home was swatted hours after a heated press conference hosted by the spokesman for the family of Anthony.
Frisco Police confirmed there have been at least three swatting calls made at homes linked to the Metcalf family this month.
Swatting is when a 911 call is made, usually to report a fake violent crime, to get police and sometimes even SWAT teams, to respond to an address given by the caller. It has increasingly been used as an intimidation tactic to target high-profile individuals and political rivals.
Anthony’s family has also been targeted since Metcalf’s death, and Anthony was moved to an “undisclosed location” for his own safety, according to a group representing his family.
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Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), the group representing the Anthony family, shared a news release saying the threats included people loitering and taking photos of the Anthony family’s current address, unwanted food deliveries that NGAN said were “made to disturb and harass the family” and a mailing of Metcalf’s obituary to the home, which was also described as “disturbing.”
“We are sharing images and documentation of the threats the family has faced this past weekend to make the public aware of the dangerous atmosphere that has been created — an atmosphere fueled by organized hate, systemic racism and intentional misinformation,” the group said.
“It is both heartbreaking and infuriating to see the depths of hate and bigotry still alive and well in our society,” NGAN President Dominique Alexander said. “No family should have to live under siege simply because they are demanding their constitutional rights.
“We will not be silent, and we will not back down. We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect this family and to ensure that justice is pursued without intimidation or fear.”
The Frisco Police Department told Fox News Digital, “Our department does not have any reported cases involving the Anthony family being threatened.”
Jeff Metcalf has tried to tone down the political rhetoric since the April 2 stabbing.
He previously told Fox News, “I want to clarify something right off to start because I’ve already heard some rumors and gossip. This was not a race thing. This is not a political thing.
“Do not politicize this. It’s not … this is a human being thing. This person made a bad choice and affected both his family and my family forever.”
A spokesperson for the FBI confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency is working with the Frisco Police Department on the doxxing incident but deferred to the Frisco Police Department or Collin County Sheriff’s Office for more details about the investigation.
Neither organization was immediately available for Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
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