Murder of Garrett Foster

Murder of Garrett Foster
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
Verdict	Guilty of murder; Not guilty of aggravated assault;
Convictions	Murder (pardoned)
Charges	2023 trial: Murder Manslaughter (lesser included offense); ; Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; Pending trial:; Deadly conduct;
Sentence	25 years in prison (parole possible after 12+1⁄2 years; released after 1 year)

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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^ "Abbott calls for pardon of Daniel Perry after guilty murder verdict". April 8, 2023.
^ "Pardon under review for man convicted of killing protester in downtown Austin". February 15, 2024.

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[7] "Abbott calls for pardon of Daniel Perry after guilty murder verdict". April 8, 2023.

[8] "Pardon under review for man convicted of killing protester in downtown Austin". February 15, 2024.

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