Daniel Perry, a US Army sergeant, has been convicted of killing a BLM protester during a 2020 rally in Austin.
Following an eight-day trial and two days of deliberations, a Travis county jury in Texas has found Perry guilty of the murder of Garrett Foster, who was an air force veteran. According to news outlet KXAN, the jury acquitted Perry of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. But the murder conviction carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
On July 25th, Perry was working as an Uber driver in downtown Austin, where Foster was participating in a Black Lives Matter rally. Police reports indicate that Perry honked at the protesters as they were walking through the streets and then drove his car into the crowd.
Perry’s defense attorneys claimed that he acted in self-defense and was compelled to shoot Foster five times when Foster approached his car with an AK-47 rifle. On the other hand, prosecutors argued that Perry had alternative options, such as driving away instead of firing shots at Foster.
Austin police detective William Bursley testified during the trial, providing evidence found on Perry’s cellphone. The evidence presented included internet searches for “protest tonight,” “protesters in Seattle get shot,” “riot shootouts,” and “protests in Dallas live.”
Nevertheless, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Twitter last Saturday that he is working on pardoning Perry from his conviction.
