Texas soldier who shot protester indicted on murder charge

[Nevilledog]

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Tweet text:
The Associated Press
@AP
BREAKING: An Army soldier who shot and killed an armed protester after driving into a crowd demonstrating against police violence in Austin, Texas, last summer has been indicted on a murder charge, authorities say.

Texas soldier who shot protester indicted on murder charge
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An Army soldier who shot and killed an armed protester after driving into a crowd demonstrating against police violence in the Texas capital last summer has been indicted on...
apnews.com
2:33 PM · Jul 1, 2021

https://apnews.com/article/tx-state-wire-texas-shootings-fd0da5128cb73176ec47959c6a46c5c9


AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An Army soldier who shot and killed an armed protester after driving into a crowd demonstrating against police violence in the Texas capital last summer has been indicted on a murder charge, authorities said Thursday.

Sgt. Daniel Perry, who was stationed at Fort Hood, was booked and released on $300,000 bail, said Kristen Dark, a spokeswoman for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.

Perry’s attorney, Clint Broden, has said the soldier was working for a ride-sharing company and acted in self-defense after Foster pointed a gun at him. Broden issued a statement Thursday expressing disappointment in the indictment and confidence that Perry would be acquitted.

“It is important to note that the standard of proof required for an indictment is significantly less than the standard of proof required for a conviction,” the statement said.

*snip*

[WarGamer]

1. I;m surprised that Abbott isn't having the Texas AG defend him...

[struggle4progress]

2. ... "He was driving into a crowd of protesters. No way that that was just like a traffic thing.

There’s 100 people in front of you, you don’t drive into them,” said James Sasinowski, one of the protesters. “He intentionally, aggressively accelerated into a crowd of people.”

Previously, Perry had tweeted remarks about seeking retribution against demonstrators on a now deleted Twitter account — which his legal team says were taken out of context.

In one tweet, Perry responded to a post from former President Donald Trump saying that “protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes” protesting in Oklahoma would face “a much different scene” than protesters in New York or Minneapolis.

Perry’s tweet read, “Send them to Texas we will show them why we say don’t mess with Texas.”

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/01/garrett-foster-indicted-murder-daniel-perry-austin-protester/

[struggle4progress]

3. ... On July 25, Perry stopped his car and honked at people protesting police brutality

while they walked through the street, blocks from the state Capitol. Seconds later, he drove his car into the crowd, police said.

Foster, who was a 28-year-old white man and Air Force veteran, had been seen openly carrying an AK-47 rifle at the time, which is legal. There are conflicting accounts as to whether Foster raised the rifle to the driver first — but seconds later Perry, who was also legally armed, shot and killed Foster and fled the area, police said. He called the police and reported what happened, claiming he shot in self defense after Foster aimed his weapon at him. Perry is also a white man ...

https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2021/07/01/army-sergeant-indicted-on-murder-and-deadly-conduct-charges-after-fatally-shooting-austin-protester-garrett-foster-in-2020/

[struggle4progress]

4. ... Perry was working as an Uber driver the night of the shooting and at 9:50 PM

he honked his horn while on Fourth Street and then turned onto Congress Avenue, into the crowd of marchers, according to police. Foster's fiancée — Whitney Mitchell, a quadruple amputee who uses a wheelchair — was in the crowd near Foster ...

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2021-07-01/army-sergeant-daniel-perry-indicted-murder-veteran-garrett-foster-2022320.html