Texas Governor Greg Abbott has moved to pardon former Army Sergeant Daniel Perry, who was convicted in 2023 of murdering a Black Lives Matter protestor in Austin, Texas.
Last week, Abbott was given a recommendation by the Board of Pardons and Paroles to pardon Perry fully and restore his civil rights, including those of voting and owning a firearm.
In a media release, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Institutional Division noted the following:
“The members of the Board of Pardons and Paroles delved into the intricacies of Perry's case. The investigative efforts encompassed a meticulous review of pertinent documents, from police reports to court records, witness statements, and interviews with individuals linked to the case.
After a thorough examination of the amassed information, the parole board reached a decision on May 16, 2024. The Board voted unanimously to recommend a full pardon and restoration of firearm rights. The recommendation of the Board was conveyed to the Governor on this same date.”
Agreeing with the recommendation, Abbott pardoned Perry and used the occasion to attack progressive prosecutor José Garza, the District Attorney for Travis County, Texas.
In the proclamation pardoning Perry, Abbott referenced the guarantee of one of the “clearest self-defense protections in the United States … provides that a person “is justified in using deadly force against another” when that person “reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary” to protect a person against another's use of unlawful deadly force,” acknowledging that Perry did act in self-defense, despite the conclusion of the jury.
Calling out Garza specifically, Abbott also 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” in the media release accompanying his proclamation.
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