Austin shooter comes forward, claiming self-defence

Daniel Perry has come forward claiming to be the person who shot Garrett Foster, the armed activist who was protesting in Austin and died due to gunshot wounds after allegedly approaching Perry's car. A lawyer for Perry released information on his identity via email, according to KXAN.

Austin police are still verifying the facts and have not confirmed yet whether Perry is a suspect in the shooting.

On July 25, a group of protesters in downtown Austin, including Foster, were marching against police violence in the wake of George Floyd's death. A car turned onto a street where they had congregated, and the protestors surrounding the car.

Foster, a self-styled "libertarian," was armed with an assault rife at the time, and could be seen brandishing it when he approached the vehicle.

According to Austin Police, the driver then fired five shots with within his car, hitting Foster. Another heavily armed protestor shot three times back at the car, without hitting anyone.

Broden & Mickelsen, a law firm based in Dallas, represents Perry, and has been taking on many cases pro bono related to the protests. Partner Clint Broden contacted the media in this case.

Broden informed the public that Daniel Perry is currently serving as a sergeant with the US army on active duty with the 1st Cavalry Division in North Texas, and has had a successful tour of duty in Afghanistan. The US Army was able to confirm this information.

At the time of the incident, Sgt. Perry was driving for a rideshare service and had just dropped a rider off in the area before he ran encountered the armed protestors. He had no prior knowledge of the disturbances in the area, according to Broden.

Sgt. Perry found himself surrounded by people, who then started punching and kicking it. Garrett Foster approached the car and, with his weapon drawn, began motioning for Sgt. Perry to lower the window. Sgt. Perry complied, thinking at first that this was a legitimate law enforcement officer.

At that point, according to the same statement, Foster took direct aim at Sgt. Perry, and Perry responded in kind by opening fire on Foster. Immediately after firing, Sgt. Perry drove a short distance and called 911.

According to KVUE, Broden's statement read: "We urge the public to allow the police to conduct a full investigation. We also need to correct statements that have been reported by the press. First, Sgt. Perry never left his vehicle preceding or immediately following the shooting.

"Second, Sgt. Perry did not 'flee' but immediately called police upon getting to safety. Finally, and most importantly, police have interviewed witnesses who were demonstrating with Mr. Foster and these witnesses have confirmed that Mr. Foster raised his assault rifle in a direct threat to Sgt. Perry’s life."

The statement also asked people to consider the circumstances of being in a car, surrounded by hostile people.

Austin police have confirmed the 911 call, while also stating that shortly after the incident, both Sgt. Perry and the other shooter were detained briefly and quickly released.

Like many cities in the US, Austin has become embroiled in protests since the death of George Floyd in late May.

Prior to this, Austin, and the state of Texas in general, has been considered an excellent destination for both Americans from other states and even some Canadians and Canadian companies looking to escape the high taxes and over regulatory business environment.