Gov. Abbott Prepares to Put a Convicted Killer Back on the Streets of Texas

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

In July of 2020 Daniel Perry was an active-duty sergeant in the US Army who was living in Austin, Texas, and also working as an Uber driver.  On July 25 there was a "Black Lives Matter" protest occurring near the apartment where Perry was living.  According to the Austin American Statesman, that day, as Mr. Perry headed out to work, he posted on social media that he might "kill a few people on my way to work;  they are rioting outside of my apartment complex."

At some point as he was heading to work Mr. Perry drove his car up to a group of protesters and stopped, a move that some in the crowd apparently regarded as a provocation.  One of the participants in the demonstration, Garrett Foster, approached the car.  Foster, a former member of the US Air Force, had an AK-47 assault style rifle strapped to the front of his body.   Perry later claimed that Foster aimed the gun at him, though others contradicted him on that.  At that point, Perry apparently rolled down his car window and shot Foster, killing him.

Perry claimed that he felt threatened by  Foster and had shot him in self-defense, but murder charges were brought against Perry in Travis County (Austin), Texas, nevertheless, this spring.  Last week a jury of twelve individuals unanimously found Daniel Perry guilty of the murder of Garrett Foster, and he is due to be sentenced later this week.

Almost as soon as the verdict was read there was a conservative backlash. Texas has one of the most severe "stand your ground" laws in the country, and the people who vigorously support it are not necessarily enamored with the idea of social protesters standing their ground.  The chairman of the Texas Republican Party said the case should have never been brought to trial in the first place, and the governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, promised that as soon as the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles gets a request for a pardon of Perry to his desk, he will sign it.  Abbott then went on to criticize what he termed as "progressive" prosecutors and juries.

Kyle Rittenhouse, a fellow shooter of protestors, is a staunch defender of Daniel Perry and supports his pardon.

Abbott's political stunt will put a killer back on the streets of Texas, but it should also generate some inspiring footage for the governor's next campaign.  Law and order is fine in theory, but there are times when it just isn't practical.   Right, Greg?