Mistrial declared in ex-ohio deputy’s murder trial

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former Ohio sheriff ’s deputy charged in the killing of a Black man remained free Friday, after a jury couldn’t agree on a verdict and the judge twice declared a mistrial, ending tumultuous proceedings that saw four jurors dismissed.

Jason Meade was charged with murder and reckless homicide in the December 2020 killing of Casey Goodson Jr. in Columbus. Meade, who is white, shot Goodson six times, including five times in the back, as the 23-year-old man tried to enter his grandmother’s home.

Judge David Young had already declared a mistrial Friday morning, but retracted it minutes later and commended the jurors for their hard work. Jurors came to Young again to say they couldn’t agree and he instructed them to keep trying. He declared a final mistrial about two hours after that, when jurors said they were deadlocked.

Young will meet with prosecutors and defense lawyers in the near future to decide how to proceed with the case.

Sean Walton, an attorney for the Goodson family, told reporters that while there was indeed a mistrial, there were still jurors who clearly considered all the evidence and thought Meade was guilty.

“There were jurors back there that obviously felt that Jason Meade was responsible for the unjustifiable killing of Casey Goodson. And that should make a statement,” Walton said.

Meade testified that Goodson waved a gun at him as the two drove past each other so he pursued Goodson because he feared for his life and the lives of others. He said he eventually shot Goodson in the doorway of his grandmother’s home because the young man turned toward him with a gun.

Goodson’s family and prosecutors have said he was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was fatally shot.