By Jovonne Ledet
Black Information Netwok
Jury deliberations have again commenced in the trial for a former Ohio sheriff’s deputy accused of fatally shooting Casey Goodson Jr., a 23-year-old Black man, per the Associated Press.
Ex-deputy Jason Meade, who is white, is facing charges of murder and reckless homicide in the December 2020 shooting death of Goodson Jr.
Meade shot Goodson Jr. six times, with five of those shots being in the back, as he entered his grandmother’s home, police previously said. The former deputy testified that he pursued Goodson after the 23-year-old allegedly waved a gun at him as they drove past each other. Meade said he opened fire at Goodson in the doorway of his grandmother’s home because he turned toward the officer with the gun.
Goodson’s family and prosecutors have argued that Goodson was holding a sandwich bag and his keys when he was shot by Meade. The family noted that Goodson was licensed to carry a firearm, so he could’ve been carrying a gun.
Authorities discovered Goodson’s weapon on the floor of his grandmother’s kitchen with the safety mechanism engaged.
On Wednesday (February 14), a jury deliberated for over three hours before a male juror was dismissed and replaced by an alternate. The jury restarted its deliberations on Thursday (February 15), but another juror was dismissed and replaced.
It’s unclear why either juror was removed.
At the time of the shooting, Meade wasn’t wearing a body camera, so there’s no video footage of the incident. Meade is the only person who testified that Goodson was holding a gun, according to prosecutors.
