UNITED STATES: Greg Abbott, Texas Governor, mentioned that he was willing to grant pardon to the US Army Sergeant, Daniel Perry, following a jury that highlighted his criminal history dating back to the 2020 murder of a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest in Austin, Texas.
In 2022, Perry, 33, murdered Garrett Foster on July 25, 2020. In 2021, Perry was accused of murder and charged with aggravated assaults and deadly conduct as well.
Although there are contradictory accounts from people who have witnessed this incident as to whether the guy raised his gun first, Perry, who was also lawfully carrying a weapon at the time, fired and killed Foster prior to running from the scene.
Perry, who later called the police and mentioned he had shot Foster but had done so in self-defence, is currently awaiting sentencing and may receive a life sentence behind bars.
A lot of people held protests on the streets in the summer of 2020 across the country in light of the gruesome murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by the police. Four officers were arrested after that, which also paved the way for fresh police reforms in the country.
The Republican Governor highlighted the issue on Saturday in a letter posted on Twitter that made reference to the state’s “Stand Your Ground” reforms of self-defence. This law also prevents people from taking advantage of self-defence because they initiated the violence.
The Governor stated, “Texas law DOES allow the Governor to request the Board of Pardons and Paroles to determine if a person should be granted a pardon.” I have made that request and instructed the board to expedite its review.”
Political analyst Craig Agranoff on Saturday stated, “It is not uncommon for governors to pardon people who have been convicted of crimes, but it is unusual for a governor to pardon someone who has been found guilty of murder.”
“It is possible that Governor Abbott’s decision to pardon this recent person could be seen as political, but many see self-defence as a right.” “If it wasn’t actually self-defence, it is also possible that this could lead to an unfair precedent, as it could send the message that people who are convicted of murder can be pardoned if they have the support of the right people,” he added.
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