Texas Gov Abbott Working To Pardon Man Convicted in Murder of BLM Protester

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is urging the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend a pardon for Daniel Perry, a US Army sergeant, who was found guilty of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester. Perry shot Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old white man, during a BLM protest in July 2020. Perry, who was working as an Uber driver at the time, drove onto a street in downtown Austin that was blocked by protesters. As the protesters closed in on his car, Foster walked up with an AK-47 rifle, which is legal in Texas, and Perry shot him. Perry claims that he acted in self-defense as Foster aimed the rifle at him, though witnesses testified that Foster never pointed his gun. During the trial, Perry’s defense used the state’s “stand your ground” law to justify his actions.

Several conservative lawmakers, including the chairman of the Texas Republican Party, blame progressive prosecutors for Perry’s conviction and have called for his pardon. Abbott promised to take action against “rogue district attorneys” and announced on Saturday that he is working to pardon Perry. Though he noted that Texas law places limits on the governor’s pardon authority, Abbott stated that he is looking forward to approving the board’s pardon recommendation when it arrives on his desk. Abbott is also working with the Texas Legislature to introduce laws to restrain district attorneys.

The Texas Senate has already introduced a bill that seeks to limit the powers of elected prosecutors, specifically targeting those who refuse to prosecute certain cases, like those involving the state’s abortion laws.