April 08, 2022
Lady Gaga Dognapper Released by Mistake — Victim Responds
Update: Ryan Fischer has responded to the error, writing on Instagram, “While I’m deeply concerned at the events that led to his release, I’m confident law enforcement will rectify the error. I ask for Mr. Jackson to turn himself over to the authorities, so resolution to the crime committed against me runs its course, whatever the courts determine that outcome to be. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me during this time.”
A year ago, James Howard Jackson was arrested after allegedly shooting Lady Gaga’s dog walker Ryan Fischer during a dognapping of her two French bulldogs, Gustav and Koji.
On Wednesday, Jackson was inadvertently released from custody “due to a clerical error.” All the charges against him were inadvertently dismissed.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a statement, “The investigation is continuing and the LASD Major Crimes Bureau is actively working to get Mr. Jackson back in custody.”
Last year, Jackson, Jaylin White and Lafayette Whaley were charged with attempted murder and armed robbery.
Two more defendants, Harold White, and Jennifer McBride, were accused of being accessories. They pleaded not guilty and were released after posting bail.
McBride was reportedly the woman who “found” the dogs, and White is Jaylin’s father. Police claim that all but McBride were documented gang members.
Based on jail records, Jackson doesn’t have a lawyer and hasn’t entered a plea to the charges.
In October, Fischer testified in a secret grand jury proceeding, recalling the terrifying dognapping. In an unsealed grand jury transcript, obtained by Rolling Stone, he said, “They pointed down to the dogs, that they wanted the dogs, and I said, ‘No.’ And I started to scream for help and tried to fight back.”
When one of the robbers started choking Fischer on the ground, he hit the man with a bottle of champagne he’d just purchased.
He revealed, “The dog screamed at me, and I reached for [Koji], and then the guy, the man with the gun shot me as I was reaching. I immediately tried to call for help but realized I was bleeding out of my lung and that I was losing more and more air quickly.”
According to Fischer, the bullet went through his lung.
Following the attack, Fischer had to get part of his lung removed. He said, “The top third of my lung being removed as well as the bottom portion as well.”
Fischer is still struggling with “breathing issues.” He explained, “When I go from the ground up to stand, I have to, I still get very close to passing out. So I have to take a moment with that.”
Ryan Fischer Reveals How Lady Gaga Helped Him After Terrifying Dognapping
View StoryMonths ago, Ryan revealed how Lady Gaga helped him through the traumatizing ordeal. During an interview with “CBS This Morning’s” Gayle King, he said, “She’s been a friend for me. After I was attacked, my family was flown out, and I had trauma therapists flown to me. And I stayed at her house for months while friends comforted me and security was around me.”
Fischer had everyone talking about his relationship with Gaga after he started a GoFundMe for a “healing” trip across the United States. He insisted, “LG’s very supportive of my journey right now.”
Ryan emphasized that he didn’t want to keep depending on Lady Gaga. He said, “I think it’s hard for people to understand why someone would go about healing in this way. I grew up in the Catholic Jesuit faith. There’s something about giving up your resources, giving up belongings and to contribute back to society, and I know it doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, but she totally gets it.”