Protest shooter says he acted in self-defense

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry, a rideshare driver, didn’t know about an in-progress Black Lives Matter protest when he turned onto Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, on July 25, his attorneys said on Friday. Looking to correct what they called inaccurate news reports, they released a statement with Perry’s explanation of the events leading up to him shooting and killing a protester.

What does Perry say happened? According to the statement, protesters swarmed Perry’s car. One of them, 28-year-old Garrett Foster, legally and openly carried a rifle. Perry saw Foster approaching and thought he was possibly a law enforcement officer, so he rolled down his car window. Foster raised his weapon, attorneys said. Perry kept a gun in the car for protection while working as a driver, and after realizing Foster was not law enforcement, fired it in self-defense. Perry then sped away to safety and called the police and has cooperated with the investigation, according to his lawyers. Foster’s family has said he, too, followed the law. Prosecutors have not charged anyone involved with a crime.

Dig deeper: Read Marvin Olasky’s report on the implications of the ongoing protest movement.