Former Ohio Deputy Faces Retrial in 2020 Fatal Shooting of Casey Goodson Jr.
Opening statements begin as jury revisits scene of controversial killing
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The retrial of Jason Meade, a former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy accused of killing 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. in December 2020, began Thursday with emotional testimony and starkly conflicting narratives about what led to the fatal shooting.
Meade, who faces charges of murder and reckless homicide, was granted a mistrial in 2024 after a deadlocked jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Now, nearly five years after Goodson’s death, the case has reignited debates over police use of force and accountability.
A Friendship Remembered
For Brylan DeMarco, who met Goodson in sixth grade, the trial reopening old wounds. “Missing a friend—we had a real, real close connection ever since middle school,” DeMarco told reporters outside the courthouse. “Casey was always the class clown. I never even saw him get into an argument—not once.”
Goodson was shot six times in the back while entering his grandmother’s home, carrying a bag of Subway sandwiches and listening to music through AirPods, according to prosecutors. His family and friends insist he posed no threat.
Clashing Accounts of the Shooting
The defense argues Meade acted in self-defense, claiming Goodson pointed a gun at him.
“He sees the driver get out of the car—a bag in his left hand, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine in his right,” defense attorney Kaitlyn Stephens told jurors. She emphasized that Meade saw the weapon multiple times and felt his life was in danger.
But prosecutors sharply dispute this version of events.
“The defendant shot Casey Goodson Jr. six times in the back, killing him,” said state prosecutor Howard Merkle. “He was entering his home, unarmed, with food for his family.”
An autopsy report showing the bullets struck Goodson from behind has been a key point in the prosecution’s case.
Jury Visits Scene as Trial Begins
After opening arguments, jurors toured the neighborhood where the shooting occurred, retracing the moments before Goodson’s death. The trial is expected to last three weeks, with prosecutors set to call their first witness Friday.
Under Ohio law, the burden rests entirely on the state to prove Meade’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt—a high legal threshold that previously led to a hung jury.
A Community Still Seeking Answers
For DeMarco and others who knew Goodson, the case represents more than a legal battle—it’s about justice for a young man whose life was cut short.
“He was simply walking into his house to give his family food,” DeMarco said. “We all know that situation was wrong.”
As the retrial unfolds, the nation watches closely, awaiting a resolution to a case that has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over policing and racial justice.
— Reported by Nexio News
