Murder charge for Ohio deputy in Casey Goodson Jr. shooting

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio sheriff’s lawman who changeable Casey Goodson Jr. successful the backmost 5 times was charged with execution Thursday, arsenic Goodson’s household besides filed a national civilian rights suit and the now-retired lawman publically shared details of what happened from his position for the archetypal time.

The December 2020 shooting of Goodson, who was Black, by longtime lawman Jason Meade, who is white, led to protests successful Columbus and galore lingering questions, successful portion due to the fact that the sidesplitting wasn’t recorded connected assemblage oregon dash camera footage.

Meade’s lawyer says the lawman fired erstwhile Goodson pointed a weapon astatine him. Goodson’s household has ne'er denied that Goodson mightiness person been carrying a gun, but has noted helium besides had a licence to transportation a firearm.

Goodson's household says Goodson was opening the doorway to his grandmother’s location holding a container of sandwiches astatine the clip helium was shot. Investigators said a weapon was recovered from the country but person not provided further details.

The lawsuit remains nether transgression probe by the U.S. attorney’s bureau with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Goodson’s mother, Tamala Payne, said she was “overwhelmed with joy” astatine connection of the indictment Thursday.

“It’s been a twelvemonth of sadness, it’s been a twelvemonth of grief, it’s been a twelvemonth of pain,” Payne said astatine a precocious greeting quality conference, surrounded by respective relatives. “But I cognize that each time of this year, that my household and I aftermath up and conscionable combat for what’s right.”

The Dec. 4, 2020 shooting happened arsenic Meade, a 17-year subordinate of the sheriff's office, was finishing an unsuccessful hunt for a fugitive arsenic portion of his enactment for a U.S. Marshals Service task force. Goodson was not the taxable of the fugitive hunt and the Marshals person said Meade wasn't performing a ngo for them astatine the clip of the shooting.

The lawman began a pursuit of Goodson aft helium said helium saw him pointing a weapon astatine different operator and past astatine Meade, according to a lengthy relationship from Meade's position released by lawyer Mark Collins Thursday. Meade himself has not spoken publically astir the shooting.

Meade successful his car followed Goodson, whom the lawman said was “waving the firearm erratically,” and past parked and enactment connected a tactical vest identifying himself arsenic a subordinate of the Marshals' task force, according to the statement.

Meade followed Goodson connected ft arsenic Goodson walked toward a house, with Goodson carrying a weapon successful his close manus and a integrative container successful his left, the connection said. Meade identified himself arsenic an serviceman and ordered Goodson to amusement his hands, according to Meade's account. He thought Goodson was astir to comply erstwhile Goodson turned and lifted his close limb back, pointing the weapon astatine the deputy, the connection said.

Meade "commanded Mr. Goodson to erstwhile again 'drop the gun,' and erstwhile that bid was ignored, and portion the weapon was pointing astatine Mr. Meade, he, successful fearfulness for his beingness arsenic good arsenic those wrong the house, fired his limb astatine Mr. Goodson," the connection said.

The Franklin County coroner said successful March that Goodson had been changeable 5 times successful the back.

A justice scheduled an archetypal proceeding Friday for Meade, who volition plead not guilty, Collins said.

“We mean to litigate this lawsuit successful a mode to guarantee that each stones are turned implicit and Jason gets the process he’s due,” Collins said.

Also Thursday, lawyer Sean Walton announced the family's wrongful-death suit against Meade and the sheriff's office.

The suit claims Meade received hundreds of hours connected firearms and SWAT grooming but small connected unit deescalation techniques, contempt subpar performances arsenic a deputy, including being placed connected “no inmate interaction status” for astir 4 years. The suit did not supply details of the reasons for that placement.

The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office, representing the sheriff's office, doesn't remark connected pending lawsuits, said spokesperson Kayla Merchant.

Although the shooting did not impact Columbus police, it came astatine a clip of heightened hostility implicit erstwhile shootings of Black people by officers successful Ohio’s capital, a concern made worse little than 3 weeks aboriginal erstwhile a achromatic Columbus constabulary serviceman changeable and killed 47-year-old Andre Hill arsenic helium emerged from a store holding a cellphone.

That officer, Adam Coy, who was subsequently fired, has pleaded not blameworthy to execution and is scheduled for proceedings adjacent year.

Large protests followed Goodson’s shooting, with radical shouting “Justice for Casey” arsenic they blocked downtown streets.

Meade retired July 2 connected disability. The lawman had been connected administrative permission from the sheriff’s bureau since the shooting.

Sheriff Dallas Baldwin had antecedently said that the autopsy did not "provide each of the facts needed,” and that helium volition hold until the transgression probe is implicit earlier pursuing immoderate disciplinary enactment against Meade.

Baldwin said Thursday that helium has asked his unit to reappraisal the probe erstwhile possible, to spot what the bureau tin learn.

“This bureau has a nonrecreational work to bash everything successful its powerfulness to guarantee the assemblage and our deputies are kept safe,” helium said successful a statement. “As I’ve said from the precise beginning, I commune for everyone progressive successful this tragedy.”

In June, Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack appointed 2 extracurricular prosecutors to investigate, since the region prosecutor’s bureau serves arsenic ineligible counsel to the sheriff’s bureau and anticipates having to support the region and the instrumentality enforcement bureau successful this case.

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