Abbott pardons army sergeant sentenced to 25 years after murdering BLM protester

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Thursday issued a pardon for Daniel Perry, an Army sergeant who was convicted of murder for fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protester in 2020.

In April 2023, a jury found Perry guilty of murdering Garrett Foster during a July 2020 protest in Austin, Texas. The jury did not find him guilty of an aggravated assault charge.

Perry was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and Abbott asked the state’s parole board to review the case in an expedited manner. Perry’s conviction and sentencing have angered conservatives, who say he was acting out of self-defense.

The board, which is appointed by the governor, announced its unanimous recommendation to pardon Perry, and Abbott’s proclamation followed, The Associated Press reported.

In a statement Thursday, the governor said Texas has one of the strongest “Stand Your Ground” laws of self-defense.

The proclamation grants Perry a full pardon and “restoration of full civil rights of citizenship.” Abbott thanked the review board for its unanimous decision.

Perry, who is white, was convicted of killing 28-year-old Garrett Foster, who was white and an Air Force veteran, during a 2020 protest after demonstrations began nationwide in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

Perry was working as an Uber driver and dropped a passenger off in downtown Austin. He was attempting to move his car through a crowd when he said Foster, who was legally armed, aimed his rifle at him.

Perry also legally had a gun on him and fired the pistol at Foster because he feared for his life.

Prosecutors argued that Foster did not raise his rifle at Perry. Evidence produced in court revealed that Perry shared racist content in private messages, including a reference to BLM protesters as animals at a zoo.