Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro (R-Texas) announced Thursday that Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) will honor the Army sergeant who was convicted of shooting and killing a Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrator. After pardoning him, he accused him of being “in league with white supremacists.” In 2020.
“Before Daniel Perry killed a veteran in 2020, he told a friend, ‘I might go to Dallas to shoot the looters.'” A year ago, he wrote: [sic] It is a shame that we cannot get paid to hunt Muslims,” Castro said in a statement Thursday. “Governor Abbott’s alliance with white supremacists is putting dangerous people on the streets.”
The remarks come as Abbott announced on Thursday that he had pardoned Daniel Perry, who was convicted last April for the death of Garrett Foster during a July 2020 protest in Austin, Texas. It was announced immediately after.
Perry, who is white and was working as an Uber driver at the time of the incident, was legally in possession of an AK as he dropped off a passenger in downtown Austin and was attempting to drive through a crowd of protesters. He told Foster: 47 years old, he pointed a rifle at him.
Perry was also legally in possession of a gun, but he fired at Foster, claiming his life was in danger.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, angering conservatives who said he acted in self-defense. Mr. Abbott then asked the state parole board to reconsider Mr. Perry’s case.
The Abbott-appointed board unanimously recommended a pardon for Perry, prompting the governor’s proclamation Thursday.
As part of Mr Abbott’s proclamation, Mr Perry will be granted a full pardon and “full restoration of his civil rights.”
Prosecutors cited witness testimony that disputed Perry’s claims and argued that Foster did not have a gun on him. Documents released last year show Perry also shared racist content in private messages, including one in which he compared BLM protesters to monkeys.
“I’m a racist because I don’t agree with people acting like animals in zoos,” he wrote. He said protesters “until the looting and violence started, I was by their side.”
Other messages included white supremacist memes and one discussing the possibility of Perry going to Dallas to shoot “looters.”
Mr. Castro has served as a member of Texas’ 20th Congressional District since 2013, representing about half of San Antonio, which is about 130 miles from Austin.
The Hill has reached out to Mr. Abbott’s office for comment.
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