Texas Governor Greg Abbott pardoned Army Sergeant Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murdering Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster in Austin in July 2020. Perry, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison, was released following the pardon. Abbott had previously expressed a desire to pardon Perry and asked the Board of Pardons and Paroles to review the case. The board unanimously recommended the pardon, which Abbott signed.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza criticized the decision, stating it undermines the legal system and devalues certain lives.
"Their actions are contrary to the law and demonstrate that there are two classes of people in this state where some lives matter and some lives do not," Garza said Thursday in a statement. "They have sent a message to Garrett Foster’s family, to his partner, and to our community that his life does not matter."
Perry claimed self-defense, saying Foster pointed a rifle at him during the protest. Prosecutors, however, used Perry’s social media posts to portray him as racist and argued he could have avoided the confrontation. Witnesses testified they did not see Foster raise his firearm.
The pardon restores Perry’s rights, including gun ownership. Perry’s attorney, Clint Broden, supported the self-defense claim and accused Garza of suppressing exculpatory evidence. The Board of Pardons and Paroles conducted an independent review, interviewing a police detective who had concluded Perry acted in self-defense.
Governor Greg Abbott's decision to pardon Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murdering Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster, is a stark reminder of the injustices embedded in our legal system. This pardon sends a dangerous message that certain lives are valued less than others and undermines the efforts of those who fight for justice and equality.
Link: NBCNews
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