A Texas man convicted of murder for killing a Black Lives Matter rioter in July 2020 will likely receive a pardon from the state’s Gov. Greg Abbott.
Daniel Perry, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, was driving for Uber to make extra money when his vehicle was surrounded by a crowd of rioters illegally blocking city streets according to police. The Austin American-Statesman reported that Perry claims 28-year-old Garrett Foster raised an AK-47 at him, prompting Perry to shoot him with a handgun he legally carried for self-defense. Witnesses at the riot denied that claim. Prosecutor Guillermo Gonzalez said Perry couldn’t keep his anger under control.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the District Attorney in the case was a rogue and is politicizing the position. Abbott said in a statement that Texas law allows him to request that the Board of Pardons and Paroles determine whether a person should be granted a pardon. Texas law only allows the governor the ability to issue a pardon after a recommendation has been made by the board. Abbott shared on Twitter that he would be
“working as swiftly as Texas law allows: to pardon Daniel Perry … 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 have made that request and instructed the board to expedite its review.”
“working as swiftly as Texas law allows: to pardon Daniel Perry … 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 have made that request and instructed the board to expedite its review.”
Abbott added that he was ‘certain’ that the board would agree to recommend a pardon, stating that he anticipated approving it
“as soon as it hits my desk … Additionally, I have already prioritized reining in rogue District Attorneys, and the Texas Legislature is working on laws to achieve that goal.”
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