Photo: Getty Images
After 363 days, a former Ohio police officer is now facing murder charges in the shooting death of Casey Goodson, Jr.
On Thursday (December 2), former Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Meade was indicted on two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide.
Meade shot 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. in the back five times on December 4, 2020 as he opened the door of his grandmother's house.
Body camera footage of the fatal police encounter does not exist as Meade, a 17-year law enforcement veteran, was working on a case with the US Marshall fugitive task force, and wasn't required to wear a body camera.
Meade was reported to have been working nearby on task force investigation at the time –– which Goodson was not a part of or involved in.
Officials initially said that Goodson had waved a gun at Meade but later retracted the statement because it was based on "insufficient information." Goodson's family says the 23-year-old had a sandwich in his hand, not a gun. Additionally, they said that even if he had a gun at the time, he was licensed to carry one.
The incident remains under investigation by the Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights and US Attorney's office.
Goodson's killing came just weeks before police in Columbus Ohio killed 47-year-old Andre Hill as he walked out of a garage holding a cellphone. That officer, Adam Coy, has pleaded not guilty and is due to stand trial next year.
Protests were fueled by the continued police-involved killings, which continued months later when 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant was gunned down by a Columbus cop, prompting advocates to get the DOJ involved in investigating Ohio's police departments and practices.
According to reports, Meade is due in court as early as Friday (December 3).
Photo: Getty Images
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