AP reports that the five accused dognapping suspects in Lady Gaga’s high-profile case allegedly stalked Hollywood the night of the shooting in February. Prosecutors on the case, in a new felony complaint obtained by AP, claim the suspects had been on the hunt for French Bulldogs, and reiterate that Lady Gaga’s involvement at all was pure coincidence.
The outlet reports that the five people charged in the case—three who were involved in the actual shooting, and two who acted as alleged accomplices— have all pleaded not guilty after they were arrested last week. Among those accused of acting as accomplices is the woman who returned the dogs to the police on February 26. At the time, she claimed she had found them tied to a pole, and is now charged with “receiving stolen property valued above $950,” as well as being an accessory to the shooting and theft.
From the looks of it, prosecutors in the case are also doubling down on the propagandistic “gang violence” angle, and AP describes the suspects in their report as “purported gang members.” This sort of police tactic contributes to disproportionate policing of Black people in Los Angeles, made more apparent after protests last summer—among so many other things—fought to uproot police propaganda from the news media.
Suspects in the case are now being held in jail on bonds totaling over $5 million. Attorneys in the case could not be reached by AP, and Lady Gaga and Ryan Fischer have also not commented publicly on the arrests, although Fischer has documented his recovery from the gunshot wounds on Instagram.
This post will be updated when more information arises.
DISCUSSION
The whole “quick, use this actual terrible crime to whip up anti-BLM sentiment” is so gross! What they actually did was horrible! They stole and terrorized living things, and they shot a guy who almost died and is permanently maimed! They planned it in advance!
All of that on its own is horrendous. The police’s desire to try to lean on the gang angle, whether or not gang affiliation had anything to do with this, takes the focus off the crime itself and turns it into pro-cop propaganda.