Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued his first public statement since the jury announced a guilty verdict in the murder trial of U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry on Friday, promising he is “working swiftly” on a pardon and continuing his push to rein in U.S. District Attorneys who received campaign funding from organizations tied to George Soros.
Abbott has requested a pardon for Perry, who shot a Black Lives Matter protester in July of 2020. The shooting has become politically divisive, with conservatives heralding Perry’s actions as an example of self defense, and liberals citing personal text messages used as evidence at trial to claim Perry intended to hunt down protesters.
“I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry,” wrote Abbott in a post on Twitter, attaching a longer statement. In that statement, Abbott pointed to Texas’s strong legal precedent for self defense.
“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,” wrote Abbott.
The Texas Governor then noted the limited powers of his office, specifically that he cannot issue his own pardons, but reported that he has requested the Board of Pardons and Paroles to make an expedited decision about Perry.
“I look forward to approving the Board’s pardon as soon as it hits my desk,” wrote Abbott.
I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry. pic.twitter.com/HydwdzneMU
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 8, 2023
Abbott added that he has “already prioritized reining in rogue District Attorneys,” and cited work from his Republican allies in the Texas legislature.
Following revelations that the District Attorney withheld more than 100 pages of potentially exculpatory evidence from the grand jury, many conservatives have drawn parallels to the case of 45th President Donald Trump, and questioned the broad powers of grand juries and limited scope of information prosecutors are required to provide.
In the replies to his statement, Abbott confirmed he “strongly’ supports a Texas legal effort to curb these powers.
I strongly support
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 8, 2023
Perry was driving an Uber in downtown Austin during July of 2020 he encountered a Black Lives Matter protest, according to Texas Tribune. Protesters apparently blocked the street, prompting Perry to stop his vehicle and honk his horn at passersby. Police then claim he drove his car into the crowd.
Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old white man and Air Force veteran who Perry fatally shot, was openly carrying an AK-47 at the time of the shooting. Perry claims Foster raised his rifle toward him, prompting him to act in self defense.
The jury found Perry guilty of murder, but returned a not guilty verdict for a second charge, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, after deliberating for 17 hours following an 8 day trial.
Pardon him.