Ex-deputy found guilty of reckless homicide in shooting of Black man entering grandmother’s home

COLUMBUS, Ohio– A former sheriff’s deputy was convicted of reckless homicide during his trial Thursday for shooting a black man who was bringing sandwiches to his grandmother’s house.

The murder of Casey Goodson Jr. by Jason Meade in December 2020 caused outrage in Ohio.

Jurors in the trial said they could not agree on the most serious charge of murder, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on that count.

Meade, who is white, said his shooting of Goodson — five times in the back and once in the side — was justified because he saw the 23-year-old holding a gun and turning toward him at the door of the Columbus home. But no one else reported seeing Goodson hold the gun he was licensed to carry, and no cameras recorded the shooting.

This was Meade’s second murder trial after the first ended in a mistrial two years ago. He is now the second white police officer to be convicted of killing a Black man in the state since the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020 sparked national protests.

Tamala Payne, Goodson’s mother, said the guilty verdict gives her family peace and quiet.

“I know now Casey can rest. You know, we’ve been fighting for five and a half years, and Casey sees his family fighting. He knows the stress. He knows the pain. He knows the heartbreak,” she said. “And now, not only can we try to find peace and finally start to truly grieve, but my baby can rest.”

Meade had testified at the first trial that he pursued Goodson after the man brandished a gun at him as they passed each other in their vehicles. According to his family and prosecutors, Goodson was holding a bag of Subway sandwiches in one hand and his keys in the other, and was listening to music through headphones when he was killed.

Meade did not take the stand during his second trial.

Prosecutors also said evidence suggests the gun was not in his hands, but in a flimsy holster under his belt. They said it was found under her body, its safety mechanism still engaged, as Goodson lay mortally wounded on the kitchen floor of his grandmother’s home.

Meade, now 47, retired from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department in 2021. He is also a Baptist minister. His attorney cited Meade’s oral and written accounts of what happened and said the shooting was justified.

Ohio law defines murder as intentionally causing a death, while the lesser charge of reckless murder means the defendant acted recklessly in causing a death. The former carries a sentence of up to life in prison, while the latter carries a maximum prison term of five years.

Judge David Young set sentencing for July 16.

Prosecutors said they were pleased with the guilty verdict on the reckless homicide charge and have not yet decided whether to pursue a third trial on the murder charge — something Payne said she would like to see happen.

Defense attorneys Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens did not speak to the media afterward.

Following the verdict, Brian Steel, president and CEO of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9, said he respected the jury but was “disappointed” in the decision. He added that he hoped the prosecutor’s office would not seek a new murder trial.

“This has been six years. This is the second trial. I hope they’re in the best interest of not only the Meade family, the Goodson family and the community, but I hope we don’t try to do a third trial on this murder charge,” Steel said.

Christopher Corne was driving nearby that day and testified for the prosecution at both trials. He said Goodson appeared to be dancing and singing in his truck shortly before the shooting. He also testified during the first trial that he did not see a gun in Goodson’s hand.

Columbus police officer Samuel Rippey testified at the second trial that while he was administering emergency treatment to Goodson, he saw the gun, with an extended magazine, lying on the ground.

Goodson’s death sparked public outrage in Ohio, as the killings of Black people by white police officers increased demands for police reform following the killing of Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Banners were hung from highway overpasses in Columbus, bearing messages such as “Justice for Casey Goodson Jr.” and “Meade Murderer Convicted.” The judge ordered the banners removed during the trial.

Previous Ohio prosecutions in such cases have led to only one conviction — that of Columbus police officer Adam Coy, who was charged with murder in the 2020 killing of Andre Hill.