Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) issued a full pardon for the former U.S. Army Sergeant who killed a Black Lives Matter protestor during the 2020 riots.
Abbott announced his decision on Thursday to protect U.S. Army Sergeant Daniel Perry after a unanimous recommendation by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. They also called for Perry’s firearm rights to be restored.
Perry was found guilty of shooting 28-year-old Air Force veteran Garrett Foster— an armed BLM protestor during the 2020 riots in Austin, Texas. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison last year.
“The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles conducted an exhaustive review of U.S. Army Sergeant Daniel Perry’s personal history and the facts surrounding the July 2020 incident and recommended a Full Pardon and Restoration of Full Civil Rights of Citizenship," Abbott said in a statement. “Among the voluminous files reviewed by the Board, they considered information provided by the Travis County District Attorney, the full investigative report on Daniel Perry, plus a review of all the testimony provided at trial. 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. I thank the Board for its thorough investigation, and I approve their pardon recommendation."
Per Texas law, the governor can only pardon Perry if the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommends it.
In April 2023, Abbott asked the board to launch an investigation into the case, saying that it's “efforts encompassed a meticulous review of pertinent documents, from police reports to court records, witness statements, and interviews with individuals linked to the case.”
Perry’s attorneys argued that he acted in a case of self defense and that he believed Foster was going to aim the firearm at him and shoot him.