US Army sergeant sentenced to 25 years for Texas protester’s murder
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Daniel Perry was found guilty in April of shooting to death US Air Force veteran Garrett Foster at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 in Austin, Texas.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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AUSTIN – A US Army sergeant was sentenced to 25 years in a Texas prison on Wednesday for killing a man at a protest against police brutality in 2020, setting the stage for Governor Greg Abbott to make good on a pledge to grant a pardon.
Daniel Perry was found guilty in April of shooting to death 28-year-old Garrett Foster, a US Air Force veteran, at a Black Lives Matter rally in Austin, Texas. The demonstration came months after the police killing of George Floyd,
Perry said he was acting in self defence when he shot Mr Foster. His defence team said he had no choice but to fire his handgun when Mr Foster pointed a legally owned AK-47 at him, The Texas Tribune reported.
After Perry’s conviction, Mr Abbott, a Republican, said he would seek a pardon for him. He said the state’s “stand your ground” law justified Perry’s actions and could not be “nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney”, the Texas governor said at the time.
Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 25 years, while the defence had sought 10 years, CNN reported. The sentence was handed down by State District Court Judge Clifford Brown.
Perry’s defence lawyers said they were disappointed with the sentence, but would focus on appealing and cooperating with the state’s pardon process.
“As part of the appeal we will be able to focus on the evidence that was kept from both the grand jury and trial jury,” including alleged harassment by Mr Foster, attorney Clinton Broden said in a statement.
Mr Jose Garza, the district attorney for Travis County, where the case was tried and where Austin is located, is a Democrat.
The shooting came moments after Perry, who was driving for Uber, happened upon a group of protesters, including Mr Foster, marching downtown. Mr Foster and several others approached Perry’s vehicle after it stopped. Protesters told police that they feared they were being assaulted with the vehicle, according to media accounts. REUTERS
