Retrial begins for former Ohio sheriff's deputy charged with murder of Casey Goodson, Jr.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered opening statements in the re-trial of Jason Meade on Thursday morning as the former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy faces charges of murder and reckless homicide in the fatal 2020 shooting of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr.
Opening statements began after a jury panel, made up of nine women and three men, was seated in a Columbus, Ohio, courtroom on Wednesday afternoon, according to ABC Columbus station WSYX.
Meade's second trial comes more than two years after his first trial ended in a mistrial in February 2024, as jurors failed to reach an agreement on the verdict. He has pleaded not guilty.
Special prosecutor Tim Merkle delivered opening statements for the state, telling the panel of 12 jurors about the “six shots in the back” that killed Goodson.
"Six shots in the back," Merkle said. "The evidence will show that on Dec. 4, 2020 the defendant shot Casey Goodson Jr. six times in the back, killing him. At the time Casey was - had entered his house, he was carrying a bag of Subways and was listening to YouTube music on his airpods."
Kaitlyn Stephens, a defense attorney for Meade, delivered opening statements for the defense, arguing that Meade's fatal shooting of Goodson was a "justified tragedy" that occurred because Meade perceived a "threat" after Goodson "pointed a gun" at the sheriff's deputy -- a claim that prosecutors dispute.
"The evidence will show that Jason Meade was justified -- a justified tragedy as such," Stephens said.
Merkle claimed the Meade’s own words to another officer, who arrived on the scene after the fatal shooting, will contradict the claim previously made by Meade and his defense team that he shot Goodson because he pointed a gun at Meade.
"Mr. Meade stated to another officer on that day that Casey was going into the house with a gun as he was pulling up," Merkle said. "Notably absent from that statement was any talk about Casey pointing the gun at Mr. Meade prior to him shooting."
Meade, who testified during his first trial, claimed that he shot Goodson on Dec. 4, 2020, because he said the man waved a gun at him. Goodson's family said that he was shot while returning from a dentist appointment and was walking into his grandmother's home with a Subway sandwich in his hand.
A gun was found in Goodson's possession with the safety on, according to police. Goodson was a legal gun owner and had a concealed carry permit, which was found in his wallet, police said.
Merkle argued that at the time of the shooting Goodson, who was a legal gun owner, had his "safety" on the weapon and was unlocking the door to his home and was walking in and "that is not a threat."
"He's going into the house with a gun. That is not an imminent threat, that is not an immediate threat, that is not a threat," Merkle said. Stephens told jurors that the law requires them to consider the incident from Meade's perspective "as a reasonable" law enforcement officer.
"Our defense will require you to answer two questions. Question one, did Jason believe he was about to be shot when he saw Mr. Goodson point the gun at him?" Stephens said. "And question two was Jason's decision to use deadly force reasonable through the eyes of a reasonable police officer standing in Jason's shoes without 2020 hindsight.” No body camera video of the incident exists because at the time Franklin County Sheriff's deputies were not issued body-worn camera equipment.
Meade was working with the U.S. Marshals in search for a potential violent fugitive when he fatally shot Goodson.
Goodson was not the target of the search.
The Franklin County Coroner's Office found that Goodson had been shot six times from behind, including five times in his back.
A judge ruled ahead of the trial that Meade will be allowed to argue self-defense during his second trial, according to WSYX.
Prosecutors had argued that Meade should not be able to claim self-defense because he caused the situation that led to Goodson's death, WSYX reported, but the judge ruled that Meade does have the option to argue self-defense because no evidence has been presented yet in this new trial.
Sean Walton, an attorney representing Goodson's family, told ABC News on Wednesday that the family has endured "years of coordinated lies and distortions" as they cope with Goodson's death.
"The only evidence that Casey Goodson, Jr. did anything to contribute to his own death comes from Jason Meade, and Jason Meade alone," Walton said. "No independent witness. No footage. Just the word of the man who shot him in the back. And yet, despite everything Meade has claimed, the facts and evidence were strong enough to indict him and nearly convict him at the end of the last trial."
Brian Steel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 9 -- the union that represents Meade -- has supported him and claimed that shooting was justified.
"We just want the facts of this case to get out there, and where the jury lands, the jury lands," Steel told WSYX.
"The reality is, he was not just an innocent person with a subway sandwich; he was an individual with a gun, pointed a gun at a cop, and the cop reacted," Steel added.
ABC News reached out to Meade's attorneys for comment.
Meade was charged with two counts of murder and one court of reckless homicide in Dec. 2, 2021, and was indicted by a grand jury.
Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Gary Tyack appointed two special prosecutors in June 2021 to investigate the case, citing a potential conflict of interest with his office, which has represented the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in legal proceedings.
The charges against Meade were brought by special prosecutors Tim Merkle and Gary Shroyer following an investigation by the Columbus Division of Police and the local branch of the FBI.
Meade was placed on administrative leave amid the investigation before retiring on disability on July 2, 2021.
This case led to widespread outrage and fueled pressure for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office to equip deputies with body-worn cameras -- a new policy that was rolled out in 2022, WSYX reported.
