Daniel Perry: Despite Governor's pardon promise army sergeant sentenced to 25 years for killing BLM protester

2023-05-11 07:46

'In our legal system, a jury gets to decide whether a defendant is guilty or innocent — not the Governor,' said Jose Garza

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Daniel Perry, an Army sergeant is set to serve 25 years sentence after the court ruling on Wednesday, May 10. The convict in murder in the fatal shooting of Garrett Foster in downtown Austin in July 2020, was found guilty by a Travis County jury. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas tweeted that he wanted to pardon Perry, on April 9, a day after the jury returned its verdict.

He further informed me that his team is in touch with the Board of Pardons and Paroles to take up the matter. “I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry,” Abbott’s tweet read. Jose Garza, Travis County District attorney back then called Abbott’s intervention in the case “deeply troubling.”

Who is Daniel Perry? Greg Abbott seeks to pardon Army sergeant convicted of killing BLM protester

'Fired in self-defense'

“In our legal system, a jury gets to decide whether a defendant is guilty or innocent — not the Governor,” Jose said in a statement on April 9. Perry shot dead Foster from the vehicle with a handgun and told police that Foster, an Air Force veteran, had pointed the weapon at him. This means he fired at him in self-defense. The sentencing hearing that began on Tuesday, May 9, considered text messages and social media posts that showed hostility toward the Black Lives Matter movement by Perry, as per KXAN.

Prosecutors argued that Perry should receive a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, citing documents exposing his ill intention to kill Black Lives Matter protesters just before the shooting.

'I might have to kill a few people'

Some of the disturbing social media posts by Perry include, "I might have to kill a few people on my way to work they are rioting outside my apartment complex," "It is official I am a racist because I do not agree with people acting like animals at the zoo," "No protesters go near me or my car," and "I might go to Dallas to shoot looters." The convict's internet search included phrases like "protest tonight", "protesters in Seattle gets shot," "riot shootouts," and "protests in Dallas live."

Perry is currently assigned to Fort Wainwright in Alaska but has been classified as being in "civilian confinement" and is awaiting separation from the military, according to Army spokesman Bryce Dubee, reports MEAWW.