Lady Gaga Dog Walker Shooter Suspect Mistakenly Released From Jail: Report
James Howard Jackson, accused in court papers of firing shot during theft of the pop star’s dogs last year, was freed from custody on Wednesday
Lady Gaga arrives at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The alleged shooter in the attempted murder of Lady Gaga’s dog walker was released from jail Wednesday in an apparent mistake, online records show.
James Howard Jackson, 19, was sprung from custody at 3:38 p.m. Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department website states, with the reason for the release listed as his case being “dismissed.”
A sheriff’s spokesman had no immediate comment late Thursday. Attempts to reach the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney on the case, Michele Hanisee, Thursday night were not immediately successful.
Sources told NBC Los Angeles that the release was related to an administrative error stemming from an issue where the initial case was meant to be replaced by a new one.
It was at a hearing last month that prosecutors discussed the possible need to file a new case due to a technicality involving an amended indictment related to the two co-defendants on Jackson’s initial indictment: Harold White, the father of one of the alleged dognappers; and Jennifer McBride, the woman who returned Gaga’s two dogs.
Jackson had been in custody for nearly a year and was being held in lieu of more than $3 million bail before his release.
At a secret grand jury proceeding last October, Hanisee told grand jurors that Jackson shot Gaga’s dog walker Ryan Fischer the night of Feb. 24, 2021 because Fischer refused to hand over the pop star’s three French bulldogs.
She said Jackson was with co-defendants Jaylin White and Lafayette Whaley when the trio targeted Fischer and the French bulldogs due to the value of the breed. She said there was no evidence the men knew the dogs belonged to the superstar singer.
From Rolling Stone US.
