Texas jury convicts US Army sergeant of homicide for fatal shooting of protester

Austin, Texas: A Texas jury convicted a US Army sergeant of homicide for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide rallies against police abuse and racial inequality.

Sgt. Daniel Perry was working for a ride-sharing firm in downtown Austin in July 2020 when he pulled down a street and into a big gathering of protestors. A motorist can be heard honking in a live Facebook video before several rounds ring out and demonstrators begin yelling and running.

Perry, who faces life in prison, now awaits sentencing.

Perry’s attorneys said he acted in self-defence when he shot and killed Garrett Foster, 28 after protestors banged on his car. Foster pointed a weapon at Perry, the sergeant’s attorneys say, and Perry fired from inside his vehicle.

Perry was stationed at Fort Hood, about 70 miles (112 kilometres) north of Austin. The trial comes after attempts from Perry’s team to throw out the case over the past year.

When Foster was killed, demonstrators in Austin and beyond had been marching in the streets for weeks following the police killing of George Floyd. Floyd died on 25 May, 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against the Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe.

Floyd’s killing was recorded on video by a bystander and sparked worldwide protests as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.

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