Abbott seeks pardon for Army sergeant convicted of murder during Black Lives Matter protest

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said on Saturday that he is seeking a pardon for an Army sergeant who was convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed Black Lives Matter protester.

Sgt. Daniel Perry was convicted on Friday for the July 2020 killing of 28-year-old Garrett Foster at a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas.

“I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry,” Abbott tweeted on Saturday.

“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,” he added in a statement.

The Texas governor said he has requested that the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles review Perry’s case on an expedited timeline, noting that his pardon authority is limited by the board’s recommendations.

“I look forward to approving the Board’s pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk,” Abbott added.

Perry, who was working for a ride-sharing company at the time, encountered protesters after turning down a street in downtown Austin. The Black Lives Matter protest, one of many occurring across the country at the time, came in the wake of the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.   

The Army sergeant reportedly stopped and honked at the protesters before driving into the crowd. Foster, who was armed with an AK-47 rifle, approached Perry’s car. 

Perry shot and killed Foster, claiming he fired in self-defense after the other man raised his gun. However, witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle, and prosecutors argued that Perry could have driven away rather than shooting.