On Wednesday, a U.S. Army sergeant who fatally shot an armed protester during a Black Lives Matter march in Texas was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors utilized the defendant’s social media history and text messages to depict him as a racist with the potential for future violence, the Associated Press has reported.

With Daniel Perry’s sentencing, the case now presents a potentially challenging decision for Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has expressed his desire to grant a prompt pardon.

Following Perry’s conviction in April for the killing of Garrett Foster during the Austin march in July 2020, Governor Abbott promptly requested a pardon recommendation from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Governor Abbott has previously praised Texas’ robust Stand Your Ground self-defense laws and criticized what he viewed as an unfair treatment of Perry by a prosecutor with liberal leanings.

However, since the release of Perry’s texts and online posts, including disturbingly racist content, the governor has remained silent on the matter.

When contacted by the Associated Press, Governor Abbott’s office did not respond to requests for comment regarding the sentencing or whether he still intends to grant a pardon.

It is noteworthy that Daniel Perry, aged 36, could have faced a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Written by staff