Columbus, Ohio – The murder trial of former Ohio sheriff’s deputy, Jason Meade, has begun with allegations that he fatally shot 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. in the back in 2020. Prosecutors revealed new details, stating that Goodson’s handgun was found in his kitchen with the safety on, contradicting Meade’s claim that the victim was waving the gun at him. Meade, who pleaded not guilty to murder and reckless homicide, shot Goodson as he entered his grandmother’s house. Goodson, who was Black, was shot six times, with five shots hitting him in the back.
The jury hearing the case was seated Tuesday, and testimony was expected to start Thursday. Jurors made a brief visit Wednesday afternoon to the scene of the shooting, as prosecutor Gary Shroyer emphasized numerous times that Goodson was holding a bag of sandwiches in one hand and his keys in the other at the time he was shot. He also had his Airpods in his ears. Shroyer reiterated that while Goodson may have been carrying a gun, he also had a license to carry a firearm.
Meade’s defense team maintained that Goodson waved and pointed a firearm at Meade from his vehicle as Meade drove by. They claimed that Meade pursued Goodson to his grandmother’s home, and that Goodson did not heed warnings to stop and drop his weapon. The defense argued that Meade feared for his safety and the safety of others, justifying his use of deadly force.
A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Goodson’s family alleges that the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office failed to investigate claims of unreasonable force against Black residents and failed to properly train deputies on firing guns at civilians, particularly African Americans. However, a federal judge has paused the lawsuit against Meade and Franklin County until after the criminal case, ruling that the murder case must remain in state court.
Meade’s attorneys had sought to have his case tried in federal court as a step toward having the state charges dismissed, but the federal judge ruled that Meade was not acting in his role as a deputized U.S. marshal at the time of the shooting. Meade was a full-time Franklin County Sheriff’s Department deputy on a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force immediately before the shooting. The case continues to raise questions about use of force and racial bias within law enforcement agencies.