The Facts
US Army Sergeant Daniel Perry has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of Garrett Foster at a Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstration in Austin, Texas in 2020. The defense had requested a sentence of 10 years because of Perry's personal circumstances.
On July 25, 2020, Perry, an Uber driver, turned onto a street during a BLM demonstration and ran a red light before stopping his vehicle. Foster, carrying a legal rifle, was among multiple protesters who approached the vehicle, at which point authorities claim Perry rolled down his window and shot Foster five times before driving off and calling 911.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Daniel Perry is a violent man who overtly fantasized about shooting peaceful protesters. Although the evidence of his guilt is overwhelming, as a conviction affirmed, conservatives are using him as a political prop to justify vigilante justice and their animus against those protesting for civil rights. Abbott pardoning Perry would trample on the rule of law and further show that the GOP's commitment to "law and order" is wholly fraudulent.
Republican narrative
A Democratic district attorney subjected Daniel Perry to legal hell to make an example out of anyone who challenges the narrative of "peaceful" BLM protests. Perry had mere seconds to react in a life-or-death situation, and the attorney general is more concerned about protecting the rights of a lawless mob than those of a law-abiding citizen. The right to self-defense is inalienable, and Abbott needs to step in to untangle this miscarriage of justice against an innocent man.
