Daniel Perry murder trial: Police body cam footage shown to jury
AUSTIN, Texas - Daniel Perry’s 911 call moments after he shot Black Lives Matter Protester Garrett Foster played in the courtroom on the fourth day of testimony in his murder trial.
Police body cam footage of officers' first encounter with Perry was also shown.
"I made a wrong turn and I never had to shoot somebody before," Perry told the dispatcher in a 911 call made the night of July 25, 2020.
Perry is accused of shooting and killing Foster on that day. The state says Perry shot him intentionally, but the defense says it was self-defense.
"They were smashing my windows, the guy pointed a freaking weapon at me and I panicked, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do," Perry continued on the 911 call.
Body camera footage was also shown. In it Perry can be heard telling officers "I’m so scared for my life" and "I thought he was going to kill me."
COVERAGE OF DANIEL PERRY MURDER TRIAL:
- Jurors hear witness testimony in Daniel Perry murder trial
- Daniel Perry murder trial: Jury hears from victim's wife, friend who attended protest
- Opening statements begin in murder trial of Sgt. Daniel Perry
One of the first officers who encountered Perry the night of the incident was former APD Officer Joshua Visi. Visi recalled Perry being visibly shaken up.
"He was visibly distraught. It was obvious he was involved in a traumatic incident," said Visi on the witness stand.
In the footage, Visi can be heard multiple times telling Perry to call down. Perry responds with, "sorry, I never shot anyone before."
Perry told the officers protesters attacked his car when he claimed he accidentally turned into the crowd of protesters.
"Why are they so angry?" Perry could be heard asking one of the officers in the body cam footage.
Visi said he saw initial evidence to his vehicle that it had been attacked. He remembers seeing hand prints and two bullet holes on the car.
Perry also told police on the scene he was more focused on the weapon the man was holding than his actual face. He explained he rolled his window down because he thought the man was going to speak to him.
"I didn’t know what he was going to do with the weapon. I just saw it rising up," said Perry on the body cam footage.
Visi admits he originally believed Foster was the primary aggressor based on what he was presented that night.
Dr. Jennifer Dierksen with the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Officer was the one to conduct Garrett Foster’s autopsy the day after the incident. She told the jury she noted four gunshot wounds on his body. Based on the wound placements, she says Foster was most likely leaning towards his left to see in the car.
Trial picks up Monday, April 3 at 9 a.m.