Greg Abbott Wants to Pardon Army Sgt. Convicted of Killing BLM Protestor

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he wants to pardon U.S. Army Sergeant Daniel Perry after a jury found him guilty on Friday of killing a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestor in Austin, Texas, in 2020.

During nationwide protests in the summer of 2020, many people took to the streets to voice their opposition to the state of policing in America after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd's death led to the arrest of the four officers involved in the incident and sweeping police reforms across the United States. Thousands of people participated in BLM protests across the country in the weeks following Floyd's funeral.

In Abbott's letter posted to Twitter on Saturday, the Republican governor references the state's "Stand Your Ground" laws of self-defense. The law allows for deadly force if someone believes themselves to be in danger. On the other hand, the law prohibits someone from claiming self-defense if they themselves incited or provoked violence in any way. Abbott wrote that these laws cannot be nullified by a jury or "progressive District Attorney."

"Texas law DOES allow the Governor to request the Board of Pardons and Paroles to determine if a person should be granted a pardon. I have made that request and instructed the Board to expedite its review," the governor wrote, concluding that he has already "prioritized" reigning in rogue district attorneys.

Perry, 33, was indicted in 2021 on charges of murder, aggravated assault and deadly conduct after he killed 28-year-old Garrett Foster on July 25, 2020. The Army sergeant was driving for Uber in downtown Austin when he stopped his vehicle and honked at people protesting police violence while they walked through the street, local law enforcement said at the time.

Perry then drove his car into the crowd, according to police, where Foster had been seen openly carrying an AK-47 rifle, which is legal in Texas. There are conflicting eyewitness reports, however, regarding which man raised their firearm first, but Perry, who was also legally armed at the time, shot and killed Foster, and then fled the scene. Perry, who later called police and told them he had shot Foster, but had done so in self-defense, now awaits sentencing and could possibly receive life in prison.

Meanwhile, political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek on Saturday, "It is not uncommon for governors to pardon people who have been convicted of crimes, but it is unusual for a governor to pardon someone who has been found guilty of murder."

Agranoff continued: "It is possible that Governor Abbott's decision to pardon this recent person could be seen as political, but many see self-defense as a right. If it wasn't actually self-defense, it is also possible that this could lead to an unfair precedent, as it could send the message that people who are convicted of murder can be pardoned if they have the support of the right people."

Newsweek has reached out to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles via email for comment.