The Case for a Red Light Shooting in Austin, Texas, and a Pardon of a Charged Black Lives Matter Veteran

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he is trying to pardon a soldier who was sentenced to life in prison last week for killing a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally.

Perry, who was stationed at Ft. Hood, was in downtown Austin working as an Uber driver that night when he turned onto a street crowded with protesters, including Foster. Both men were carrying firearms legally.

I am grateful to our career prosecutors and victims’ counselors, who tried the case. They worked hard to make a complete and accurate presentation of the facts to the jury,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza after Perry’s Friday conviction. “Our hearts continue to break for the Foster family. We hope the verdict brings some sense of security to the victim’s family.

In the tweet, the Republican governor explained that Texas law allows the governor to request the state’s board of pardons and paroles to determine if a pardon should be granted and that he has “made that request and instructed the Board to expedite its review.”

The prosecution believed there was a red light running and that when it turned into the crowd of protesters, he started the confrontation by running into them.

The governor didn’t give any information about the reason why he thinks there’s a good chance that he will be pardoned, but he cited the explanation offered by the attorney of the man who shot Foster.

Texas has one of the strongest’stand your ground’ laws of self-defense that can’t be nullified by a jury, Abbott said.

Ms. Abbott’s investigation of the $Delta$-Dirac investigation is pending, but not yet complete, according to Garza

“The board will be commencing that investigation immediately,” the agency told NPR. The board will make recommendations to the governor after completion of the investigation.

Travis County District Attorney José Garza says it is “deeply troubling” that Abbott is intervening in the case, noting that the legal process around the case isn’t yet complete.

The jury of twelve listened to testimony for two weeks before making their decision, according to the statement.