| Murder of Garrett Foster | |
|---|---|
| Location | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Date | July 25, 2020 |
Attack type | Murder by shooting, vehicle-ramming attack |
| Victim | Garrett Foster, aged 28 |
| Perpetrator | Daniel Perry |
| Motive | Extremist opposition to Black Lives Matter protests[1][2] |
| Verdict |
|
| Convictions | Murder (pardoned) |
| Charges | 2023 trial:
Pending trial: Deadly conduct |
| Sentence | 25 years in prison (parole possible after 12+1⁄2 years; released after 1 year)[a] |
On July 25, 2020, Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old man, was murdered in Austin, Texas, by 30-year old Daniel Perry. Perry had driven into a crowd of protesters during a Black Lives Matter protest following the May 2020 police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Foster, who had been legally open carrying an AK-47, approached Perry's vehicle, and Perry shot and killed him. Perry claimed that he had acted in self-defense, but in April 2023, a jury found him guilty of murder. He was acquitted of an aggravated assault charge. On May 10, 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder.[3]
Perry had made numerous posts and direct messages on social media where he had expressed his desire to shoot protesters, which, along with contradictory statements to eyewitness accounts, brought into question his claim of self-defense. Following his murder conviction, messages Perry sent of him self-identifying as "a racist" and of him calling black protesters "monkeys" were revealed to the public.[2]
On May 16, 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott pardoned Perry after recommendation by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.[4][5] The Governor had requested a pardon recommendation from the Board, and he had ordered them to expedite the process.[6][7]
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