Austin

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Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Saturday promised to pardon a US Army sergeant who was recently convicted of shooting a protester to death during a Black Lives Matter rally at the peak of the movement in 2020 in Austin. 

Abbott took to Twitter to post a message wherein he said Sgt. Daniel Perry was acting in self-defence when the incident took place. Perry had used his .357 revolver to pump five shots into 28-year-old Garrett Foster who was attending the Austin demonstration. 

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“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defence that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,” wrote Abbott. 

The Republican leader said he is requesting the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles for an expedited review of Perry. Abbott can only pardon a subject if the board recommends it. However, since the members of the board have been picked by Abbott, it looks certain that Perry will receive his pardon, said the experts. 

“I have made that request and instructed the board to expedite its review. I look forward to approving the board’s pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk.”

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Will reign in the DA: Abbott

Abbott also blamed Perry's conviction on the county’s George Soros-backed Democrat District Attorney José Garza and added that he will be reign in the 'rogue DA'.

"Additionally, I have already prioritised reining in rogue District Attorneys, and the Texas Legislature is working on laws to achieve that goal."

Notably, a jury on Friday (April 7) found Perry guilty of murder - nearly three years after the shooting incident. Perry, who has previously served in Afghanistan was working as an Uber driver when he drove his car into a swarm of BLM protestors on July 25, 2020. 

Perry claimed that he fired at Foster after he pointed an AK-47 towards him. The prosecutors, however, argued that witnesses on the spot said Foster never raised the weapon and that he was pushing his fiancée’s wheelchair.

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A video released after the conviction showed the incident from two different angles where a crowd can be seen gathering around Perry's car. It is only after the shots are fired that they are seen dispersing. 

While some argued that Perry acted in self-defence, others said the video was incomprehensible and it was barely proving anything. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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