Gov. Abbott says he’s ‘working swiftly’ to pardon Daniel Perry

AUSTIN, Texas — Although a 12-person jury heard a number of days’ price of proof and deliberated for 2 days earlier than discovering U.S. Military Sgt. Daniel Perry responsible of murdering Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster in 2020, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday tweeted that he’s “working swiftly” to pardon Perry. 

Perry was discovered responsible in an Austin courtroom on Friday. He is awaiting sentencing and faces life in jail. 

Abbott does not have the ability to straight grant Perry a pardon. As an alternative, he stated he has made a request to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to evaluation Perry’s case and resolve whether or not he needs to be granted a pardon.

In accordance with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the governor is allowed to grant clemency if the board recommends it, however the governor may also make a request for that suggestion to be issued.

“The Governor has the authority to grant clemency upon the written suggestion of a majority of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles (Board). Clemency consists of full pardons after conviction or profitable completion of a time period of deferred adjudication neighborhood supervision, conditional pardons, pardons primarily based on innocence, commutations of sentence, and reprieves. In capital circumstances, clemency features a commutation of sentence to life in jail and a reprieve of execution,” a press release from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles’ web site reads.

Perry was working for Uber when he stumbled on a big demonstration in downtown Austin in July 2020. Protesters had been pounding on his automobile, and Perry’s attorneys claimed that Garrett Foster, 28, pointed a weapon at him. Perry fatally shot Foster. He died on July 25, 2020.

Perry’s attorneys stated he had no alternative however to shoot Foster as he approached Perry’s automobile with an AK-47 rifle. Nevertheless, witnesses testified that Foster by no means raised his firearm at Perry.

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Perry was stationed at Fort Hood, about 70 miles north of Austin. The trial got here after makes an attempt from Perry’s crew to throw out the case over the previous 12 months.

When Foster was killed, demonstrators in Austin and past had been marching within the streets for weeks following the police killing of George Floyd. Floyd died Might 25, 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee towards the Black man’s neck for greater than 9 minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, repeatedly stated he couldn’t breathe.

The Related Press contributed to this report.