Texas governor seeks pardon of man convicted of murder in Black Lives Matter shooting

April 8 (Reuters) – Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated on Saturday he is looking for the pardon of an Uber driving force convicted of murder an afternoon previous in the July 2020 shooting loss of life of a man at a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Austin, the state capital.

Abbott, in a post on Twitter, stated he’s going to pardon Daniel Perry, 37, a U.S. Army sergeant, once a request from the parole board “hits my desk.”

The Republican governor famous that he can grant pardons simplest at the advice of the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles, however that he’s allowed to request pardons.

The case hinged on whether or not the shooting used to be in self-defense. A jury discovered on Friday that Perry, who’s white, shot and killed Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old white man, who used to be sporting an AK-47, in step with the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

Perry used to be riding in town the evening of the shooting and grew to become his Uber car onto a side road the place a Black Lives Matter crowd used to be marching, in step with media. Perry stopped, and a number of other protesters together with Foster approached his car. Protesters informed police that they feared they have been being assaulted with the car, in step with media accounts.

Perry’s protection crew claimed the weapon used to be leveled at him and he had no selection however to fireplace his pistol in self-defense, the newspaper reported. Neither of Perry’s lawyers used to be instantly to be had for remark via telephone or electronic mail.

Perry used to be convicted of murder after the jury deliberated for 17 hours in the eight-day trial, in step with media accounts.

“I will work as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry,” Abbott wrote on Twitter.

“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand your ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney,” he said. “Additionally, I have already prioritized reining in rogue District Attorneys, and the Texas Legislature is working on laws to achieve that goal.”

Jose Garza, the district attorney for Travis County, where the case was tried and where Austin is located, is a Democrat, and has been in office since Jan. 1, 2021.

When the verdict was read, Perry buried his head into the chest of one of his lawyers and sobbed, the Austin-American Statesman reported.

“We’re happy with the verdict. We’re very sorry for his family as well. There’s no winners in this,” stated Stephen Foster, the sufferer’s father, in step with the newspaper.

Perry faces life in prison and is due to be sentenced by State District Court Judge Clifford Brown on Tuesday, according to online court records for the 147th District Court in Travis County, Texas.

Reporting via Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing via Leslie Adler and William Mallard

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