On Friday, a US Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting a protester during a 2020 protest in Austin against police brutality and racial injustice.
Daniel Perry, 35, was found guilty by a Travis County jury in the death of Garrett Foster, 28.
Perry, who faces life in prison, will be sentenced later.
Perry, who was handcuffed after being sentenced, will appeal, according to defense attorney Clint Brode.
“We are disappointed in the verdict, both for Daniel Perry and for the ability of citizens to defend themselves,” Brode said via text message. “We hope that the case will be dropped eventually.”
The Austin Police Department is investigating a homicide shooting that occurred on July 25, 2020, during a protest against police brutality in downtown Austin. File: Stephen Spillman / USA Today Network
Perry, who was stationed 70 miles north of Fort Hood at the time, was driving through downtown Austin on the evening of July 25, 2020 when he came to a stop due to protesters on the road.
According to witnesses, Perry accelerated aggressively before coming to a stop, according to NBC affiliate KXAN in AustinAccording to police, Foster was legally carrying a semi-automatic rifle when he approached the protesters’ encampment and was fatally shot by Perry, who remained in the vehicle and used a pistol.
According to officials, Perry told cops that Foster, a US Air Force veteran, pointed the gun at him and inspired him to shoot in self-defense. Foster was declared dead at the hospital.
Perry was released on $300,000 bail on the day of his arrest more than a year later, after a county grand jury returned a murder charge against him, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza Garza said at the time.
Perry’s position in the army is unknown. Despite his indictment, he remained on active duty.
