AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Jury selection began Monday morning in the trial of a man accused of shooting and killing a protester in downtown Austin in July 2020.
Army Sgt. Daniel Perry is facing felony charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, along with a misdemeanor charge of deadly conduct, stemming from the death of 28-year old Garrett Foster on Congress Avenue on the night of July 25, 2020.
Police say Perry, who was driving for a ride-sharing service at the time and had just dropped off a passenger, made a turn onto Congress Avenue near Fourth Street into a group of protesters. Foster, who was within the group, was carrying an AK-47 rifle; the group surrounded Perry's car, allegedly beating on the vehicle. Perry claims Foster raised the weapon, at which point Perry fired from inside the vehicle.
Perry's attorneys have maintained the shooting was in self-defense. According to Austin Police, Perry called 911 immediately after the shooting and turned himself into authorities.
A Travis County grand jury indicted Perry on the charges in July 2021 after reviewing evidence. At the time, Perry's attorneys, in a statement, called the presentation to the grand jury one sided. "In this case, the District Attorney’s Office refused to allow Mr. Perry’s defense attorneys to make a written presentation to the Grand Jury considering Mr. Perry’s case. This refusal is unusual in Texas and begs the question of why the District Attorney’s Office would not allow this. We understand the political motivations of the District Attorney, however, when this case is presented to a jury at trial and the jury gets to hear all the evidence instead of a one-sided presentation, we have every confidence that Sgt. Perry will be acquitted."
