Former Franklin County sheriff's deputy Jason Meade was found guilty Thursday of reckless homicide in the 2020 shooting death of Casey Goodson Jr., a Black man who was bringing sandwiches to his grandmother's home in Columbus, Ohio.
Jurors did not reach a verdict on the murder charge, and the judge declared a mistrial on that count. The conviction came in Meade's retrial after an earlier proceeding ended without a verdict.
Goodson was 23 when he was shot and had just stopped at the dentist and Subway before heading home, family members said. His grandmother told a 911 operator, "My grandson just got shot in the back when he came in the house," and later said he was not a bad kid, had no police record, and worked for a living, according to CNN.
Family attorney Sean Walton said Goodson had put his keys into the door before he was shot and fell into the kitchen. Hours later, the keys were still hanging from the door, which Walton described as a reminder of how close Goodson was to safety.
Police said Goodson was a concealed carry permit holder and was legally armed when he was shot. Walton said he was not accused of any crime, and a review of court records showed only minor traffic-related matters.
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At the time of the shooting, Meade was assigned to a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force that was looking for violent suspects, but police said Goodson was not the person the team was seeking, the Associated Press reported.
Meade testified that he fired because he believed Goodson had a gun and turned toward him in the doorway. No other witness said they saw Goodson holding a gun, and no cameras recorded the shooting.
Goodson's death fueled anger in Ohio and came amid heightened demands for police reform after the killing of George Floyd. Banners hung from Columbus highway overpasses with messages including "Justice for Casey Goodson Jr." and "Convict Murderer Meade," and the judge ordered them removed during the trial.
The sentence is set for Jul. 16, and the judge revoked Meade's bond after the verdict, as per CBS News.
