Gov. Greg Abbott (R) used a tweet Saturday to say that he is “working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry.”
Breitbart News reported that U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry was found guilty of murder on Friday, following a trial over a 2020 confrontation in which he claims that Garrett Foster pointed a gun at him first.
The Texas Tribune reported that Perry was driving an Uber and Garrett Foster was among the protesters and was openly carrying an AK-17. Perry honked to get through the crowd and, seconds later, shots rang out.
The Houston Chronicle noted, “Perry’s attorneys said he acted in self defense when he shot and killed Garrett Foster, 28, after protestors banged on his car. Foster pointed a weapon at Perry, the sergeant’s attorneys say, and Perry fired from inside his vehicle.”
But the jury found Perry guilty on Friday and calls for Abbott to intervene have been legion.
On Saturday Abbott explained that Texas “limits the Governor’s pardon authority to only act on a recommendation by the Board of Pardons and Paroles.”
However, Texas law allows the Governor to request that the Board of Pardons and Paroles issue a recommendation in a particular case and Abbott has requested such a recommendation regarding Perry.
Abbott noted, “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.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.