Texas Governor Abbott pardons a man who shot and killed a BLM protester in 2020

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — On Thursday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he was granting a full pardon to the man convicted of shooting and killing Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster in July 2020 has granted. Daniel Perry, a former Army sergeant who was convicted of murder by a jury in April 2023 and later sentenced to 25 years in prison, is now free.

Abbott quickly signed a proclamation after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously to grant Perry a full pardon and restore gun ownership rights.

In a statement Thursday, Abbott said: “The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has conducted a comprehensive review of U.S. Army Sergeant Daniel Perry’s personal history and the facts surrounding the July 2020 incident and has granted a full pardon and restoration of full status Citizenship Rights Recommend… Texas has one of the strictest “Stand Your Ground” self-defense laws that cannot be overturned by a jury or a progressive district attorney. I thank the board for its thorough investigation and agree with its recommendation for a pardon.”

Perry admitted to shooting Garrett Foster while riding an Uber in downtown Austin during a demonstration in 2020. Foster was armed at the time and Perry’s lawyers argued that the shooting was in self-defense.

Perry’s attorney, Doug O’Connell, thanked Abbott for the pardon. In a statement Thursday, O’Connell said Perry “wishes that this tragic event had never happened and that he would never have to defend himself against Mr. Foster’s unlawful actions.” At the same time, Daniel recognizes that the Foster family is grieving. We can’t wait to see Daniel again with his family and loved ones.”

Panel members began investigating Perry’s case in April 2023 at the request of Governor Greg Abbott. In a statement, the panel said its investigative efforts included “a careful review” of documents including police reports, court records, witness statements, and interviews with people connected to the case. The board said that after a thorough review of all of these documents, it voted unanimously to recommend a full pardon and restoration of Perry’s firearms rights.

Travis County Rep. Jose Garza, whose office prosecuted the case against Perry, released a lengthy statement criticizing the governor’s pardon and offering condolences to Foster’s family.

“The board and governor have put politics above justice and ridiculed our legal system. You should be ashamed of yourself,” Garza said. “Their actions violate the law and demonstrate that there are two classes of people in this state, some lives matter and others do not. They sent a message to Garrett Foster’s family, his partner, and our community that his life doesn’t matter. They sent the message that the service of the Travis County community members who served on the grand jury and trial jury did not matter. To the family and friends of Garrett Foster and to the people of Travis County: We will not stop fighting for justice.”

In a post to X, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claimed that “Soros-backed prosecutors” like Garza “do not have the ability to choose the rights we have as Americans.” Paxton said justice had prevailed after “BLM riots terrorized the nation in 2020 “.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed Thursday afternoon that Perry is no longer in state custody.

Whitney Mitchell, Foster’s fiancée, and her mother expressed their reaction to the pardon Thursday afternoon, calling it a “devastating blow” that “reopened deep wounds.”

“This decision not only re-traumatized my daughter, who was trying to find peace and closure, but also caused further pain to Garrett’s family and everyone who loved him. It sends a chilling message about the value of human life and the strength of political influence, and undermines trust in the institutions designed to protect us,” the Mitchell family’s statement said. “…We call on all who believe in justice and human dignity to join us in remembering Garrett and advocating for a system that steadfastly upholds these values.”