The man who shot a Black Lives Matter protester in Austin, Texas, over the weekend was released from jail after claiming he fired his weapon in self-defense, according to police.
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said the department released the unnamed man from jail without charges because he believes he acted in self-defense after a protester, Garrett Foster, allegedly pointed an AK-47-style rifle at the man while he was in his vehicle. Police said the incident is still under investigation.
Foster, a 28-year-old man, was at the protest in Austin alongside his fiancee, a quadruple amputee, when he was shot multiple times. The man who shot Foster drove away from the protest but called 911 as he was leaving the area. Manley said the man told police he “shot someone who had approached the driver’s window of their vehicle and pointed a rifle at them.” Foster died from his injuries.
Manley urged the public to share any footage of the shooting with investigators. Manley said that some of the footage that has already been turned over to authorities appeared to show Foster pointing his weapon inside the vehicle.
“During the initial investigation of this incident, it appears that Mr. Foster may have pointed his weapon at the driver of this vehicle prior to being shot,” Manley said. “Mr. Foster — who was holding an AK-47-type assault rifle — approached the driver’s side window as others in the crowd began striking the vehicle.”
A man shot and killed a protester in Austin after driving into a crowd. The suspect was taken into custody but later released.
The victim, Garrett Foster, was a regular attendee of #BlackLivesMatter protests, family said, and was pushing his fiancée’s wheelchair at the time. pic.twitter.com/wTfoAcPpYV
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 27, 2020
Manley said the department was “heartbroken” over Foster’s death. Anna Mayo, who is Foster’s sister, said Foster was a proponent of open carry, which is legal in Texas.
“He always carried his guns with him. … He always would exercise his right to carry, but he would never threaten somebody,” Mayo said. “He was one of the most kindhearted people — that was the whole reason he was out there.”
