Defendant Accused of Shooting ‘Drunk, Machete-Weilding’ Neighbor Pleads Guilty

By Andrew Michaels - March 21, 2024
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

A 47-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to assault and weapons charges on March 21 for shooting a neighbor who he claimed attacked him and his dog with a machete during an argument.

Nicole Jackson, also known as Prince Jackson, was accused of shooting his neighbor on Aug. 18, 2022, after an argument became physical outside his home on the 500 block of North Rose Street. The defendant was later charged with attempted murder, assault and seven weapons charges in addition to drug possession and has been incarcerated since the day of the incident.

According to court documents, Jackson told Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers that the victim was harassing him at which point he stood up and said, “What’s up? What’re you going to do now?” The victim then retrieved a machete from his car and began waving it at the defendant and his dog.

Jackson told police he went inside his home to get a gun, came back outside and fired two shots at the victim, striking him once in his left arm.

On Thursday, Jackson and his attorney, Mauricio Barreiro, appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John A. Howard. The defendant accepted the prosecution’s plea offer of 25 years, suspending all but five years, and three years of supervised probation for first-degree assault and a concurrent five years without parole for firearm use in a felony or violent crime. Jackson must also register as a gun offender and stay away from the victim.

“This was just a matter of a fella drinking all day,” Barreiro said, referring to the victim’s drunken state at the time of the shooting. “…This was not a situation created by Mr. Jackson, but he is going to accept responsibility.”

Judge Howard agreed to the terms of the plea and sentenced Jackson to five years incarceration.