A United States Army sergeant who was charged with murder and aggravated assault over the alleged self-defense killing of an armed Black Lives Matter demonstrator had his GoFundMe page taken down by the fundraiser company on Friday.
“I can confirm that this fundraiser was reviewed and found to be in violation of GoFundMe Terms of Service, and subsequently removed. GoFundMe prohibits raising money for the legal defense of a violent crime,” a GoFundMe spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.
The attorney for Sgt. Daniel Perry, who claims he acted in self-defense when he fired at the BLM demonstrator, also confirmed to Fox News the fundraiser was taken down.
“It’s an expensive trial to undertake with the need for expert witnesses and stuff and we had a GoFundMe site that’s been taken down and it’s been weighing on him,” Perry Attorney Clint Broden told Fox News Digital.
Broden said Perry’s father paid a “significant bond” for his release, adding that the situation has taken a “significant toll” on the family.
On July 25, 2020, just before 10:00 p.m., Perry was driving for Uber when he came across BLM demonstrators blocking a busy intersection in downtown Austin, Texas.
Perry’s attorneys said he was swarmed by a group of demonstrators, including one masked man carrying an AK-47 who was later identified as Garrett Foster. Foster was reportedly carrying the firearm in the “ready position” and “pointed his rifle at Daniel Perry’s head” as demonstrators started throwing bricks and banging on Perry’s vehicle.
Fearing for his life, Perry fired the pistol he kept in his car. Another protester fired back, and Foster was fatally wounded in the exchange.
Around a year after the incident, Perry was hit with murder and aggravated assault charges by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, who said prosecutors had over 150 pieces of evidence and testimony from 22 witnesses.
Perry’s attorneys argued their client was acting in self-defense.
“Garrett Foster either intentionally or accidentally pointed his rifle at Daniel Perry’s head and Daniel Perry fired in self-defense,” attorney Doug O’Connell told Fox News Digital. “And as a practical matter he had no ability to retreat nor was he required to.”
“You have the right to defend yourself in a crowd and you feel like you’re in imminent danger of being shot,” Broden added. “That’s what it’s all about. I ask people to put themselves in Sgt. Perry’s position and you have this masked man with an assault rifle ready starting to raise it. I think anybody that had access to a firearm would react the same way.”
Another fundraiser for Perry was created and had raised more than $81,000 on Monday.
