A former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy has been charged with murder after he shot and killed a man who was on the doorstep of his home.
The Dec. 4 2020 killing of a young Black man by a Franklin County deputy sheriff sparked protests in Columbus after he put five shots from his rifle into the back of the young man.
They are, left to right, Casey Goodson and Jason Meade. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has a family photo.
Goodson's family and advocates for justice had been waiting for signs that the now-retired deputy might be charged with a crime.
On Thursday, the day after the charges were announced, Meade pleaded not guilty during a video court appearance to two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide.
He was released from jail on Friday.
Goodson's mother was overwhelmed with joy after last week's indictment announcement.
Sharon Payne, Goodson's grandmother, made a call to the Columbus Division of Police moments after the shooting to report that her grandson had been shot in the back. I don't know if he's okay or not.
She said no when asked if anyone saw the shooting. He came home after going to the dentist. There is a lot of gunfire. He is not a bad kid. He does not have a police record. He works. I don't know what happened.
The initial reports on the killing said that the deputy was in the field that day looking for violent offenders.
Goodson was not a target of the task force.
Goodson drove by the parking lot where the law enforcement team was gathered for its wind-down after the task force had finished searching for fugitives.
The deputy followed Goodson to his home after he waved a gun as he drove by, according to officials. The marshals service says that Meade was not acting on behalf of the task force. The man claimed that he ordered Goodson to drop his gun and fired when the young man pointed a gun at him.
Goodson had put the key in the kitchen door lock and was carrying only Subway sandwiches for his siblings when he was hit by the gunfire.
The shooting was not captured on a body camera or a dash camera, as Franklin County sheriff's officers do not carry body cameras.
After the indictment, Mark Collins released a more detailed account of his client's version of events.
Collins said that he saw Goodson point a gun at another driver and that he followed Goodson to his grandmother's neighborhood. He put on a tactical vest and said he was a law enforcement officer.
He followed Goodson on foot to Payne's residence. Goodson had a gun in his right hand and a plastic bag in his left. He said that he ordered Goodson to show him his hands after he identified himself as a member of law enforcement. The lawyer said that he saw him raise his gun.
When Mr. Goodson ignored the deputy's command to drop the gun, the deputy fired his weapon at Mr. Goodson, who was in fear for his life as well as those inside the house.
The family emphatically disputes this account. They contend that Goodson was not holding a weapon at the time of the shooting. The gun was recovered at the scene, but investigators have not said where it was found.
Goodson was shot from behind while walking into his own home. On that day, he was just trying to get home.
It has been a year of sadness, grief, and pain, according to Tamala Payne. Every day this year, my family and I wake up and fight for what is right.
Since the shooting, which took place a year ago, the man who took a disability retirement from the sheriff's office has come under scrutiny for his past statements about use of force.
He talked about the intersection of his faith and his work from the pulpit to his Free Will Baptist Church congregation.
He preached that there are times for righteous release when we use force.
You have to use force every now and then. We don't have to look for it because we don't have to. There are lots of people who will give you that opportunity. We don't have to be mean to look for it. That is the reason I say it is a righteous release.
After a former deputy from his office was indicted, the Franklin County Sheriff urged his officers to not rush to judgement. He told his staff that while everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the standards for being a Franklin County Sheriff's deputy must be higher than that of the criminal justice system.
He said that law enforcement officers must meet this higher standard because of the trust they have in the community. I have asked my staff to review the facts from the independent investigation when we are able to determine how this agency can best learn from the tragedy.
Goodson's mother thinks that deputy Meade did not give her son the courtesy he deserved. She wants a life sentence for the man who took her son's life.
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