John Pearson, a 38-year-old man, was found dead on December 11, 2021, in Pflugerville, Texas. The incident occurred outside a home on Walnut Street, where Pearson was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. The shooting was the result of a dispute involving stolen property. Thomas Jackert, 41, and Joshua Dry, 36, were both charged in connection with Pearson's death.
Jackert was charged with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony, while Dry was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.
The altercation began when Dry approached Jackert's home, holding Jackert's dog in one hand and pointing a gun at Jackert with the other. Dry demanded the return of his stolen property, including IDs and a passport. Pearson, who was driving a Toyota Tundra truck, arrived at the scene and aimed a gun through the driver's side window at Jackert. In response, Jackert drew a 9 mm gun from a shoulder holster and fired three shots at Pearson, who was still in the truck. The truck then crossed the street and struck a house. Jackert and Dry exchanged gunfire, with Dry sustaining a gunshot wound to his left shoulder. Jackert's dog was also shot and killed during the incident.
The police investigation revealed that all parties involved knew each other. Jackert claimed that Dry and Pearson had threatened him and his dog, leading to the fatal shooting. Dry, on the other hand, stated that Jackert had stolen his property and that he did not threaten Jackert or his dog. The case was resolved swiftly due to the diligence and teamwork of the officers in the Pflugerville Police Department's Patrol and Criminal Investigation divisions. Both Jackert and Dry were taken into custody and held at the Travis County Jail with bail set at $50,000 each.
