By: Staff Reports
The Columbus Dispatch
https://www.dispatch.com
The shooting Friday, Dec. 4, of a 23-year-old Black man by a Franklin County deputy assigned to a U.S. Marshals task force in Columbus has drawn attention and criticism across Ohio and beyond.
Casey Goodson Jr. was fatally shot outside his Northland home. The initial report from the officer involved conflicts with what family members say they know about Goodson. As a result, much is still uncertain the events that led up to his death, most importantly whether or not he waved a gun.
The incident comes at the end of a year that has seen communities across the nation protest law enforcement in response to several high-profile incidents, including the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
The shooting of Goodson was followed less than three weeks later by the fatal shooting of another Black man by Columbus police. That victim, who has not yet been identified, was unarmed.
The investigation into Goodson’s death is ongoing, but here is what is known so far:
Who was involved in the shooting?
The Franklin County sheriff’s office identified the deputy involved as Jason Meade, a 17-year veteran. Meade, part of the county’s SWAT team, was assigned full-time to work with a U.S. Marshal’s office fugitive task force.
Jason Meade’s history: Deputy who killed Casey Goodson has used faith to justify use of force before
Columbus police had no involvement in events leading up to the shooting. They are leading the investigation now, with help from federal authorities.
Who was Casey Goodson?
When Casey Goodson Jr. mused about his future, the 23-year-old talked about how he wanted his life to be more than ordinary; he wanted to make an impact on the world, his family and friends said.
At his funeral Wednesday, Dec. 23, at First Church of God on the Southeast Side, his family and others said they will make sure his life isn’t ordinary.
“I believe Casey’s purpose is to change the world,” his mother, Tamala Payne, said from the pulpit. “I believe Casey’s name will save many other Black and brown boys who are not safe from the racist police, I believe my son’s name will ring across the mountains …
“His name is already changing things.”
Goodson was very protective of his family and was the eldest of 10 children, the family’s lawyer, Sean Walton, said in the days after the shooting. Goodson had a concealed-carry license to protect his family and was a gun-rights advocate, Walton said.
Gun rights: Casey Goodson had a concealed handgun license. Here’s what that means
Goodson’s mother has said in a series of interviews with national media outlets that the loss is profound and the demand for answers and justice is great.
“My son was an amazing little boy. He was still a little boy to me because he’s always gonna be my baby,” Tamala Payne told national ABC News anchor Linsey Davis through tears. “I had Casey when I was 16 years old. We grew up together so he was more than a son. He was like a little brother. We were tight, you know what I mean? He always had my back. He always had his siblings’ back. I could call on him for anything at any time.”
More: Mother demands justice for her son, Casey Goodson Jr.: ‘He always had my back’
What was the initial account of the shooting?
Peter Tobin, the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, gave the initial account of what happened the day of the shooting, but said a week later that he had acted prematurely.
That reversal adds even more uncertainty in the narrative of what happened.
More: U.S. Marshal’s new statement muddies details in Casey Goodson Jr. shooting case
As part of Tobin’s remarks on Dec. 4, he said that Goodson waved a gun at a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy, Meade, as he drove by in a plain vehicle.
He also said Meade confronted Goodson, who had by this point gotten out of his vehicle. Meade told the gunman to drop his handgun, a command heard by at least one witness, Tobin said.
When Goodson did not drop his handgun, Tobin said Meade shot him. Goodson was transported to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he later died.
Goodson was not the target of the fugitive operation Meade had been working on, and court records indicate he has no criminal record in Franklin County.
Meade’s lawyer has said since the shooting that Meade acting properly in the situation.
Were those initial reports untrue?
It’s not clear at this time.
In his later statement, Tobin did not say what parts, if any, of his statement at the press briefing on Dec. 4 were accurate or unknown. Repeated attempts to reach Tobin for clarification by The Dispatch have so far been unsuccessful.
Meade has not given his own account of events since the day of the shooting.
More: Deputy has yet to meet with investigators as confusion clouds Casey Goodson shooting probe
Tobin said in his statement, however, that the task force to which Meade was attached had finished its work Dec. 4 before the shooting. He said Meade was acting on his own as a sheriff’s deputy when the shooting happened, and not as part of the task force.
More: Franklin County Sheriff frustrated by U.S. Marshal’s comments over Casey Goodson shooting
What do Goodson’s family and loved ones say happened?
Family members and activists say that Goodson, 23, had driven his grandmother’s vehicle to the dentist’s office and was carrying a Subway sandwich and the keys to his residence when he was fatally shot. They say he was shot in the back.Sean Walton, the family’s attorney, said the original telling of events left out key details, including that Goodson had a concealed-carry permit. The family doesn’t believe Goodson would’ve waved a gun at officers, as law enforcement said, Walton said.
“He was very safe and respectful when it came to guns. He was a licensed gun holder,” Walton said of Goodson. “That allegation does not line up with who Casey was, just because of the level of gun safety he tried to maintain.”
More: Questions surround death of Casey Goodson, Black man shot by veteran SWAT officer
In a news release issued Sunday, Walton said that Goodson’s death was witnessed by his 72-year-old grandmother and two toddlers who were near the door.
But in a 911 call obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request, Goodson’s grandmother told a dispatcher she did not see the shooting first-hand.
Police have said there were no witnesses to the shooting and that Meade did not have a bodycam because Franklin County sheriff’s deputies do not have bodycams.
From the Dispatch Editorial Board:Body cameras are long overdue for sheriff’s office
What will happen to the deputy involved?
Payne, who has so far not responded to requests to speak with The Dispatch directly, said in a press conference Thursday that she wants justice for her son. She says that includes prosecuting the deputy who shot him.
“I want Jason Meade arrested. I want Jason Meade charged. I want his badge taken,” she said.
More: Casey Goodson’s mother wants deputy arrested; deputy’s attorney says he acted properly
Mark Collins, a local attorney who is representing Meade, released a statement for the first time Thursday, saying his client acted properly under the circumstances.
“At no time did Deputy Meade mistake a sandwich for a gun,” Collins said. “Mr. Goodson pointed his gun at Deputy Meade.”
The Franklin County Sheriff’s office has said Meade is on administrative leave, as is policy in deputy-involved shootings, and is not currently working any patrol job.
He has not yet met with investigators to give his side of the story.
Historically, officers involved in these shootings meet with investigators without a week after consulting with lawyers. Meade has not yet done so, and it’s not clear why.
More: Deputy has yet to meet with investigators as confusion clouds Casey Goodson shooting probe
What has the community reaction to the shooting been like?
Locally, there has been much support for Goodson’s family and frustration over the shooting.
There were protests on Dec. 11 and 12, when Payne spoke about her need for justice, urging protesters to remain peaceful.
“We are here to take a stand for Casey because he was murdered. And he was murdered by the hands of law enforcement,” Payne said Friday. “We cannot fight evil with evil. That’s what’s wrong with the world now. That’s why Casey is no longer with us, because an evil soul took his life for nothing.”
