In a recent development, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has granted a full pardon and restoration of rights to Daniel Perry, a former Army sergeant who had been convicted of murder.
Perry was implicated in the fatal shooting of Garrett Foster during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, while he was employed as an Uber driver.
Governor Abbott stated, "The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles conducted an exhaustive review of U.S. Army Sergeant Daniel Perrys personal history and the facts surrounding the July 2020 incident and recommended a Full Pardon and Restoration of Full Civil Rights of Citizenship." He further added that the Board's comprehensive review included information provided by the Travis County District Attorney, the complete investigative report on Daniel Perry, and a review of all the testimony provided at trial.
Abbott emphasized that Texas has one of the most robust 'Stand Your Ground' laws of self-defense, which 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," he added.
The incident in question occurred on July 25, 2020, when Perry, who was driving for Uber, came across an armed Black Lives Matter group that had taken over the streets of Austin, Texas, during a riot. Perry was initially charged with one count of murder and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. However, the jury did not find him guilty of the latter charge.
According to the Austin Police Department, a car turned onto Congress Avenue near 4th Street at 9:51 pm. Protestors in the area surrounded the car, and Foster, who was part of the group, was armed with a rifle. Perry, who was later identified as the driver, fired five shots from inside his vehicle, hitting Foster. Foster did not fire his weapon, but another member of the group fired three shots at the vehicle. Both Perry and the other shooter were detained.
In a call to a 911 operator that night, Perry said, I made a wrong turn, a guy pointed a freakin weapon at me and I panicked. I dont know what to do. Im just an Uber driver. I made a wrong turn; Ive never had to shoot someone before. They started shooting back at me, and I got out of the area.
During the trial, Perrys defense team argued that Perry was forced to defend himself when he was swarmed by the group. They maintained that Perry did everything possible to avoid the protestors as he dropped off a passenger downtown, and that he cooperated fully with the police, surrendering his phone and providing social media passwords immediately without a warrant.
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