Deputy who killed Casey Goodson Jr. has still not met with investigators
Jason Meade fatally shot Goodson on Dec. 4 while he was returning home.
It’s been two weeks since Black 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. was shot and killed by Deputy Jason Meade outside of his Columbus, Ohio home. Still, The Columbus Dispatch reports, the white Franklin County sheriff’s SWAT deputy has not been questioned by investigators.
On the Dec. 4 incident, Meade had been searching for a violent suspect near Goodson’s home with a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Meade claims he saw Goodson driving by with a gun and followed him home.
Authorities have said that Goodson pointed his gun at the deputy. However, his family says he was only carrying a face mask and Subway sandwiches when Meade shot him on his doorstep. Goodson was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and was not connected to the U.S. Marshals’ mission.
According to the Dispatch, Meade was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting and there were no surrounding witnesses, which means evidence in the investigation will likely be heavily influenced by his account. The 17-year veteran of the department has remained on paid administrative leave since shooting and killing Goodson. The newspaper added that it’s not clear when Meade will finally meet with investigators about the incident.
Meade’s lawyer, Mark Collins, previously claimed Goodson pointed a gun at him.
“At no time did Deputy Meade mistake a sandwich for a gun,” he said in a statement. “Mr. Goodson pointed his gun at Deputy Meade. There has been confirmation that our client gave verbal commands for Mr. Goodson to drop the gun.”
Goodson’s family’s attorneys dismissed the claims, calling them a “classic defense.”
“Despite what Jason Meade now claims were the circumstances surrounding this shooting, the public should not forget that neither the city of Columbus nor any other investigatory agency has alleged that Casey Goodson pointed a gun before Meade pulled the trigger,” a statement from their lawyers read. “With Meade’s statement issued nearly one week after he killed Casey, it is critical to note that this is a classic defense often claimed by police after they shoot and kill someone. It is also critical to remember that often the evidence does not support these claims.”
A few days after the shooting, Goodson’s death was ruled a homicide by the Franklin County Corner. As reported by REVOLT, Peter Tobin of the U.S. Marshals’ Southern District of Ohio recently walked back on his claims that Meade was “justified” in shooting Goodson.