Callous Subway remark tortures Goodson’s family
“This guy was not picking up Subway sandwiches.” Those are the words Fraternal Order of Police Executive Vice President Brian A. Steel used in a WSYX ABC 6 interview as he justified the latest police involved shooting by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Those are the words that I keep hearing in my head over and over again, an insensitive and constant reminder of how my son was snatched away from me by the same Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Steel was once again defending.
“This guy was not picking up Subway sandwiches.”
“This guy was not picking up Subway sandwiches.”
“This guy was not picking up Subway sandwiches.” He had no reason to bring up Casey as he gave his news interview but doing so in such a callous way was just another reminder of the murder everyone knows occurred, yet no one wants to accept responsibility for.
It is no different from the days following Casey’s death, when U.S. Marshall Pete Tobin first said the slaying looked justified, before having to issue a retraction and an apology.
It is no different from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Columbus Police Department playing hot potato with the murder investigation.
It is no different from Sheriff Dallas Baldwin saying that had he known Jason Meade was acting as a sheriff’s deputy he would have acted sooner.
Baldwin never actually took any action at all, never investigating Meade, never firing him, and allowing him to retire with his pension intact.
It is no different from the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office waiting six months before taking any action at all regarding my son’s death, only to bring on special prosecutors who then finally began working towards the accountability we so deserve.
It is no different than that same prosecutor’s office now defending Jason Meade in our civil lawsuit against him and Franklin County, forcing us to fight for murder charges for a crime we know was committed.
A grand grand jury has since indicted Meade on multiple counts of murder.
Casey Goodson, Jr. was maliciously gunned down by Michael Jason Meade, and everyone knows it and acknowledges it but refuses to accept responsibility and simply do what is right.
It is that same arrogant admission by Brian Steel, recognizing that carrying Subway sandwiches is an innocent act that should not result in death, that reminds me of how my family suffers daily, waiting and waiting and waiting for those in power to decide that Casey’s life mattered – and to show us just how much his life mattered.
Some call it gaslighting.
We call it torture.
Every day we live in a hell where Casey is no longer with us, and everyone knows that he was taken from us unjustly, yet we see no one with power fighting for our justice.
My family thanks those leaders like Councilwoman Shayla Favor, who have given us peace and love through initiatives like the Casey Goodson, Jr. CDL Training Program.
She has used her power with purpose and given us hope.
We have heard from so many people who support us behind the scenes – police officers, sheriff’s deputies, politicians – who tell us how they have our back and support us. Yet do not use their power with any purpose.
It hurts.
It is painful.
Without the power of the people who come together to support us I am not sure how we would have made it this far.
And yet we keep fighting.
We fight against people in power such as Brian Steel, who would rather gloat and taunt us about Subway sandwiches and standing with their brothers in the sheriff’s office, than to stand for what is right alongside the people they have sworn to protect and serve.
We fight against people in power such as Gary Tyack, who would rather defend and delay our lawsuit than allow us our prompt day in court and the accountability we deserve.
They would rather wait and hope it goes away than to allow us to heal.
Most importantly, we fight for Casey. For Casey’s siblings. For Casey’s family and friends. We fight for the people who have tragically been in Casey’s shoes, and we fight so that no one else is. And until people in power such as Steel and Tyack fight for us, we will continue our fight. We are just praying that one day soon, our fight can end and our healing can begin.
Tamala Payne is the mother of the late Casey Goodson. Goodson, 23, was shot and killed by Franklin County Sheriff’s office Deputy Jason Meade as he walked into his home on Columbus’ Northeast Side on Dec. 4, 2020. Meade faces charges of murder and reckless homicide.