COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Opening statements began Thursday in the retrial of a former Ohio sheriff’s deputy charged with murder and reckless homicide in the 2020 killing of Casey Goodson Jr., who was shot multiple times in the back while entering his grandmother’s house.
The shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. by former Franklin County Deputy Jason Meade, who is white, sparked protests in Columbus and raised significant public concern, particularly as the sheriff’s office did not provide its deputies with body cameras or dash cameras to record the incident.
This retrial follows a prior attempt in which a jury could not reach a verdict, leading to a mistrial declared in 2024. In the earlier trial, Meade testified that Goodson was seen waving a gun as they passed each other, a claim he used to justify pursuing Goodson. He stated that he fired upon Goodson because the 23-year-old turned towards him while holding a firearm. Notably, Goodson was shot six times, with five of those shots to his back.
The incident occurred on December 4, 2020, when Meade was wrapping up a failed search for a fugitive. It is crucial to highlight that Goodson was not the target of that search, and officials from the U.S. Marshals Service clarified that Meade was off-duty at the time of the shooting.
Meade has since retired from the police department. Goodson's family, alongside prosecutors, argue that he was only holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was shot, disputing claims about Goodson's gun possession, although it was found on the kitchen floor of his grandmother’s home with the safety engaged.
The first trial faced juror issues, including a deadlock and the dismissal of several jurors, which led to multiple restartings of deliberations. The cumulative effects of these factors have heightened public interest and emotional responses surrounding this retrial.
