Texas Governor Abbott pardons Daniel Perry in murder from Black Lives Matter protest

Republican Texas Governor paroled ex-sergeant Daniel Perry for murder during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Perry was previously sentenced to 25 years in prison. Greg Abbott pardoned Perry after getting a unanimous recommendation by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Shockingly, The Board additionally unanimously voted to recommend a complete restoration of Perry's firearm rights. What is worth mentioning is that the current governor has appointed all of the Board members from The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, who had to deliver a recommendation before the official parole.

Perry was sentenced for the murder of Garrett Foster, a Black, 28-years US Air Force veteran, who, during the fatal shooting, was equipped with a legally obtained AK-47 riffle. The murder took place in Austin, Texas, in 2020. During the trial, Perry's attorney stated that his client was a part of the "politically motivated" trial, using it as a justification that Perry acted in self-defense due to Foster's gun possession. However, the details concerning the need to act in so-called self-defense were not disclosed since Foster had been proven to approach Perry's car but not to use the gun. In a letter to the board, the attorney wrote, "We are of the firm belief that it was political opportunism that resulted in this case being indicted in the first place."

After the trial and the governor's promise to parol sentence Perry, Foster family lawyers disclosed Perry's private correspondence and Internet searches, among which dominated racist memes, with a particular emphasis on white power memes and threatening content, such as promises to kill the protestors and minorities or searches for the protests in Texas and victims in other demonstrations. In May 2020, Perry even sent a message in which he wrote, "might have to kill a few people on my way to work," or "I might go to Dallas to shoot looters," referring to the protests occurring in the United States. Despite the hard evidence for racially motivated killing and the abuse of power, Governor Abbott has not commented on the presented material in the context of his decision.

Governor Abbott said in a statement released after the decision that "Texas has one of the strongest 'Stand Your Ground' laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney...I thank the Board for its thorough investigation, and I approve their pardon recommendation." Moreover, Abbott criticized Travis County District Attorney José Garza for influencing the trial by manipulating the evidence and operating on bias, as well as pushing his personal beliefs, since, according to Abbott, Garza "has prioritized ‘reducing access to guns’ that citizens may use to lawfully defend themselves." The attorney responded to the accusation and verdict, highlighting that the parole recognizes that some lives in Texas are worth more than others, which mocks the law at the same time.

"The parole board in Texas is not supposed to be a judicial body. They don’t engage in re-litigating the facts of the case. That’s not the board’s job and never has been," said attorney Gary Cohen. "What the board did and the governor did, is a complete perversion of justice and it has dire and drastic consequences for public confidence and safety."

In a statement by Perry's defendant, Doug O'Connell, the gratitude toward the Board members for reviewing evidence and interviewing witnesses to get "the truth" became a prominent motive. According to the lawyer, the trial's verdict and not Perry's actions resulted in cutting short the shooter's military career. The lawyer also wrote, "He wishes that this tragic event never happened and wishes he never had to defend himself against Mr. Foster’s unlawful actions," but without clarification of what type of actions these were.

Foster's family has shared their bitterness and frustration connected to the decision. Quentin Brogdon, the family's lawyer, commented that the governor "has turned the rule of law on its head," highlighting that the family will try to look for justice by reviewing the lawsuit. Nevertheless, the options are currently limited. Foster's mother is "simply at a loss for words and extremely disappointed in our system of justice,". In contrast, Foster's girlfriend - Whitney Mitchell - said in a statement through her attorney that the Republican governor "has declared that Texans who hold political views that are different from his — and different from those in power — can be killed in this State with impunity."

Source: Washington Post, Fox News, ABC News, Houston Chronicle