Texas Governor Greg Abbott Seeks Pardon for Army Sergeant Convicted of Killing Armed BLM Protester

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday is seeking a pardon for a U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of murder for shooting an armed protester during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020.

Abbott, a Republican, wrote on Twitter that he had asked the state pardon and parole board to determine if he was a sergeant. Daniel Perry should be pardoned and the board instructed to expedite the review.

“We are working as quickly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry,” Abbott wrote.

He added that he looks forward to approving the board pardon “as soon as it reaches my desk.”

Perry was found guilty Friday of murder for killing 28-year-old protester Garrett Foster, who approached Perry’s car with an AK-47 during a crowd of protesters in downtown Austin in July 2020. received.

Perry, who was stationed in Fort Hood at the time, was driving an Uber to make extra money when protesters surrounded his car during a protest.

Perry’s defense team said a client shot Foster in self-defense with a legally carried handgun after Foster raised the firearm to Perry.

The Austin Police Department concluded that Perry acted in self-defense shortly after the shooting.

However, other witnesses disputed Perry’s claim that the shooting was in self-defense and testified that Foster never raised his rifle during Perry’s trial.

Prosecutors also said Perry posted on social media that he felt strongly opposed to the protests that swept cities across the country in the summer of 2020.

Perry is awaiting sentencing. He faces life in prison.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, who filed the lawsuit against Perry, is accused of pursuing the indictment for political purposes.

Abbott said in a post on Saturday that his state “has the strongest ‘stand your ground’ law that cannot be overridden by a jury or a progressive district attorney.”

“I have already made curbing rogue district attorneys a priority, and the Texas legislature is working on legislation to achieve that goal,” he said.