Ex-sheriff charged in slay of Black man

A former Ohio deputy sheriff was charged Thursday with the murder of a 23-year-old Black man shot five times in the back nearly a year ago.

Former Franklin County sheriff’s office Deputy Jason Meade, 44, was indicted on two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide just two days before the one-year anniversary of Casey Goodson’s death.

Meade, then a member of the SWAT team and a 17-year veteran of the force, was unsuccessfully searching for a fugitive when he encountered Goodson on Dec. 4, 2020, authorities said.

Goodson was not the subject of the search. Meade’s lawyer claims that Goodson pointed a gun at the officer. Meade then allegedly chased Goodson to the front of his grandmother’s house.

That’s when Meade shot six times, hitting Goodson in the back with five bullets.

Goodson was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The victim’s family said he was simply on his way home from the dentist, picking up Subway sandwiches and trying to get home when Meade shot him. Goodson’s keys were still in the front door.

Goodson had a permit to carry a gun and one was found at the scene. But police have never specified where the firearm was discovered.

Meade was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting.

“As law enforcement officers we must meet this higher standard because of the immense trust we ask the community to place in us. It’s vital to maintain that trust, which is why I’ve tasked members of my staff to review the facts from the independent investigation when we’re able to fully access them and determine how this agency can best learn from this tragedy,” Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said in a statement .

“This office has a professional obligation to do everything in its power to ensure the community and our deputies are kept safe. As I’ve said from the very beginning, I pray for everyone involved in this tragedy.”

Meade retired July 2 on disability. Shortly after Meade’s indictment Thursday, Goodson’s family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the former officer, alleging excessive force and wrongful death.

“Casey did not present a threat to the safety to defendant Meade or to any other person at any time,” reads the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also accused Meade of being a “religious zealot,” citing a 2018 video in which he said the Bible grants him the right to use force.

At a 2018 convention for the Ohio Association for Freewill Baptists, Meade allegedly said his job with the sheriff’s office was “to hunt people,” according to the lawsuit.

The cop-involved shooting of Goodson took place during the summer of 2020 when racial tensions were high, triggered by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May.

Three weeks after Goodson’s death, a white Columbus police officer shot 47-year-old Andre Hill while he was holding a cell phone.