What's happened
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a full pardon to Daniel Perry, a former US Army sergeant convicted of murdering Garrett Foster during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020. Perry, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2023, claimed he acted in self-defense under Texas's 'Stand Your Ground' law. The pardon followed a unanimous recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. The case has drawn significant attention due to its intersection with issues of racial justice, gun rights, and self-defense laws.
What's behind the headline?
What the papers say
According to The Economist, Governor Abbott's pardon of Daniel Perry was based on Texas's 'Stand Your Ground' law, which allows the use of deadly force if one feels threatened. Al Jazeera reported that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously recommended the pardon after an investigation. Sky News highlighted the influence of conservative voices, noting that Tucker Carlson had urged Abbott to intervene. The New York Times emphasized the emotional nature of Perry's sentencing and the evidence presented by prosecutors, including racist online comments made by Perry.
How we got here
In July 2020, during a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas, Daniel Perry, an Uber driver and former US Army sergeant, fatally shot Garrett Foster, a US Air Force veteran. Perry claimed he acted in self-defense under Texas's 'Stand Your Ground' law, stating that Foster pointed an AK-47 at him. In April 2023, Perry was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Following significant public and political pressure, Governor Greg Abbott requested a review of Perry's case by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which ultimately recommended a full pardon.
Go deeper
- What led to Daniel Perry's conviction?
- How did Governor Abbott justify the pardon?
- What impact might this pardon have on future self-defense cases?
Common question
More on these topics
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On July 25, 2020, Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old man, was murdered in Austin, Texas by 30-year old Daniel Perry. Perry had driven into a crowd of protesters during a Black Lives Matter protest following the May 2020 police murder of George Floyd in Minneap
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Texas is a state in the South Central Region of the United States. It is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population.
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Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American attorney serving as the 48th and current governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th Attorney General of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the..
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The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is a state agency that makes parole and clemency decisions for inmates in Texas prisons. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
The BPP was created by constitutional amendment in 1935.
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Black Lives Matter is a decentralized movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against Black people.