Gov. Abbott pardons Daniel Perry for 2020 fatal Black Lives Matter protest shooting after recommendation from pardons board
CNN
The Texas Board of Pardons has recommended a full pardon to Daniel Perry, a US Army sergeant who was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday pardoned Daniel Perry, a former US Army sergeant who was convicted of murdering a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 and was sentenced last year to 25 years in prison. His decision comes after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend a full pardon and the restoration of Perry’s firearm rights. Abbott asked the board to conduct an investigation in April 2023, and in a statement on Thursday, the board said its “investigative efforts encompassed a meticulous review of pertinent documents, from police reports to court records, witness statements, and interviews with individuals linked to the case.” CNN has reached out to Perry’s attorney for more information. Perry faced between five and 99 years in prison for fatally shooting 28-year-old Air Force veteran Garrett Foster at an Austin, Texas, racial justice rally two months after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Shortly after Perry’s conviction in April 2023, Abbott said he wanted to pardon Perry and issued an unusual request for the state Board of Pardons and Paroles to expedite a review of the case before a sentence was handed down.
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