At a Glance
- Court
- Los Angeles Superior Court
- Case Type
- Sentencing
- Parties
- People v. James Howard Jackson
- Jurisdiction
- Los Angeles County, California
- Date
- 2022-12-05
- Status
- Sentenced
A Los Angeles judge sentenced James Howard Jackson, 20, to 21 years in California state prison on Dec. 5, 2022, for the February 2021 armed robbery and shooting of dog walker Ryan Fischer near Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Jackson pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder and admitted the allegation of inflicting great bodily injury and to a prior strike, as part of a settlement, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. NPR reported that the motive was the value of the French bulldogs, and detectives do not believe the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the musician.[1]
Jackson was one of three men driving around Los Angeles in February 2021 looking for bulldogs when they came across Fischer walking Lady Gaga's dogs, according to a criminal complaint.[2] Jackson and co-defendant Jaylin White jumped out and attacked Fischer, hitting and choking him, before Jackson pulled out a semiautomatic gun and fired, striking Fischer once.[1] Jackson shot Fischer in the right torso with a .40-caliber handgun.[2] Fischer was walking Lady Gaga's three French bulldogs on the evening of Feb. 24, 2021, when the attackers fled and stole two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.[2]
Fischer addressed the court at sentencing and delivered a victim impact statement. He stated that he is still healing physically and mentally from the shooting, that part of his lung had to be removed, and that he is still undergoing physical therapy.[1] The stolen dogs were returned several days after the attack by Jennifer McBride, who was also charged in the crime.[1] Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for their return.[2]
Jackson is one of five people charged in the attack, including two charged as accessories after the fact. Co-defendant Harold White also pleaded no contest to one count of being an ex-convict in possession of a gun and was set to be sentenced in 2023.[2] Jaylin White, 20, was sentenced to four years in prison earlier in 2022 after pleading no contest to one count of second-degree robbery and admitting that a member of the group was armed during the incident.[2] Lafayette Whaley had driven Jackson and Jaylin White as they searched for the dogs.[1] McBride's case, according to NPR, remained ongoing at the time of sentencing.[1]
Jackson had been accidentally released from custody in April 2022 due to what officials described as a clerical error, but was located and returned to custody in August 2022.[2] The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office stated in a release that "the plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for perpetrating a coldhearted violent act and provides justice for our victim."[2]
References
[1] NPR. (2022, December 6). The man who shot Lady Gaga's dog walker gets 21 years in prison. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140899941/lady-gaga-dog-case-sentencing
[2] CNN. (2022, December 6). Lady Gaga dog walker: Man involved in shooting of Ryan Fischer sentenced to 21 years in prison. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/us/lady-gaga-dog-walker-shooting-james-jackson-sentence/index.html