AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 44) – The news of Daniel Perry’s murder conviction is drawing a lot of attention from political leaders. Governor Greg Abbott is at the top of the list and he is ready to swoop in and pardon Perry.

Daniel Perry is a former Fort Hood soldier, who was uber driving in Austin during a Black Lives Matter protest in the summer of 2020.

He came across a group of protestors and fatally shot Garrett Foster.

Governor Abbott believes it was self-defense because Foster had a AK-47 across his chest when he came up to his car.

Former McLennan County District Attorney, Abel Reyna, says Governor Abbott is seating a new jury through the Texas Pardon and Parole Board.

“This case was tried in Travis County, a notoriously liberal county, notoriously anti-gun. You can take that same evidence. You can take the same argument. You can take the same attorneys in the same judge, and you can pick all of that up and carry it to Williamson County, just north of Austin, which is notorious conservative McLennan County, which is notoriously conservative. And you’re going to have a different result.” -Reyna

Former Travis County Assistant D.A., Rick Cofer, shares the rarity of the pardon, “Getting a pardon from the governor is more rare than winning the lottery or being struck by lightning.” -Cofer