Far-right influencer Jake Lang arrested in Texas on terroristic threats charge
Jake Lang, a far-right influencer and pardoned January 6 defendant, was arrested in Dallas on a third-degree felony charge of making terroristic threats following the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony. Lang had been seen outside the Collin County courthouse multiple times during the trial, and Anthony's family alleged Lang threatened to shoot Karmelo Anthony if he was not convicted. The arrest is Lang's second in Texas within a week and raises questions about the boundaries of political speech and public safety around high-profile trials.
Jake Lang, 31, was arrested Tuesday in Dallas after deplaning from a flight, on a state felony charge of making terroristic threats. The charge stems from Lang's repeated presence outside the Collin County courthouse during the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, a teenager convicted Tuesday of stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet in April 2025 and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Anthony's family told CBS News that Lang had allegedly threatened to shoot Anthony in the head if the jury did not return a guilty verdict. In a phone call from jail posted to social media, a voice claiming to be Lang characterized the arrest as 'lawfare' against a First Amendment protester. Lang was booked into Dallas County Jail and is being held on a $1 million bond. This is his second arrest in Texas this week; he was also arrested June 2 on a trespassing charge related to an alleged break-in at the stadium where the original stabbing occurred. Lang, who was indicted on 11 federal counts related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot — including assaulting an officer — received a presidential pardon from President Trump before his federal case went to trial, and also faces a separate Minnesota charge for allegedly vandalizing a 'Prosecute ICE' sculpture at the state capitol.
How coverage differed
CBS News provided more context around the racial dimensions of the case, including Lang's 'White Lives Matter' protest flyer and statements from Austin Metcalf's father urging against racial politicization, while FOX 4 focused more on procedural and legal details such as the specific jail charge language and the circumstances of Lang's prior trespassing arrest, with less emphasis on the racial framing of Lang's activism.
What different sources said
- CBS NewsCenter
Far-right influencer Jake Lang, pardoned for Jan. 6 Capitol riot, arrested in Texas on charge of making terroristic threats
Influencer Jake Lang arrested again in North Texas on terroristic threat charge, held on $1M bond
Related
CIS Study: Non-Citizen Households Use Welfare at Higher Rates Than U.S.-Born Households in Nearly Every State
A new analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies found that 47% of non-citizen-headed households used at least one means-tested welfare program, compared to 28% of U.S.-born-headed households. The study drew on five years of Census Bureau data and found the gap persisted across nearly every state, with the largest disparities in New York, Massachusetts, and California. The findings reignite a long-running debate over immigration and public benefit usage, though the methodology has been contested by other researchers.
Pilot Killed in Small Plane Crash Near Twin Oaks Airpark in Washington County, Oregon
A small two-seater experimental plane crashed into a grassy field near Twin Oaks Airpark in Hillsboro, Oregon on Friday afternoon, killing its sole occupant. The crash occurred during takeoff and sparked a grass fire that spread to a nearby field before firefighters contained it. The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause, and flights at the airpark were canceled for the remainder of the day.
Ohio Police Chief Arrested in Florida on 70-Count Child Sex Indictment
Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert, 44, was arrested Tuesday night in Seminole, Florida, following a Clermont County grand jury indictment on 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The alleged offenses occurred between 2005 and 2010, when Essert was an instructor with the Young Marines program and a teacher at Scarlet Oaks Career Campus in Sharonville, Ohio. If convicted on all counts, Essert faces a maximum of 280 years in prison, and authorities are urging any additional potential victims to come forward.