Texas plans to pardon convicted murderer, self-proclaimed racist, after sentencing – GV Wire

[ad_1]

A US Army sergeant convicted of murdering in the shooting death of an armed protester during a Black Lives Matter march in Texas faces life in prison when his sentencing hearing begins on Tuesday, even as Governor Greg Abbott is pushing for the chance to pardon the soldier.

Daniel Perry’s sentencing is expected to last up to two days. State District Judge Clifford Brown, who presided over Perrys’ trial, last week denied his request for a new trial.

Perry, who worked as a rideshare driver on the night of the shooting, was convicted in April of the 2020 shooting of 28-year-old Garrett Foster, who was lawfully carrying an AK-47 rifle through downtown Austin during a nationwide unrest over police killings and racial injustice.

The verdict sparked outrage from prominent conservatives, including former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, who called the shooting an act of self-defense and criticized Abbott on air after he was not came on his show.

Abbott, a former judge who has not ruled out a presidential election in 2024, tweeted the next day that Texas has one of the toughest Stand Your Ground laws and is looking forward to signing a pardon once. that a recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has been accepted. his office.

The board has already begun what legal experts say is a highly unusual and immediate review of the case on the orders of Abbott, who appointed the panel.

The governor has not said publicly how he came to his conclusion. It’s unclear when the parole board will make a decision on Perrys’ case.

self-proclaimed racist

Perry served in the military for more than a decade and was stationed at Fort Hood, about 70 miles north of Austin. He had just dropped off a carpool customer when he pulled into a street full of protesters.

Perry said he was trying to get past the crowd blocking the street when Foster pointed a gun at him. Perry said he shot Foster in self-defense. Witnesses said they did not see Foster raise his gun, and prosecutors argued that Perry could have left without firing.

After the trial, the court unsealed dozens of pages of text messages and social media posts that showed Perry held hostile views toward the Black Lives Matter protests. In a Facebook comment a month before the shooting, Perry reportedly wrote: It’s official, I’m a racist because I don’t agree with people acting like animals at the zoo.

[ad_2]