Death of Casey Goodson Jr.: Opening statements delivered in Jason Meade murder trial

NBC4 is covering Jason Meade’s murder trial from gavel to gavel. Viewer discretion is advised.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Opening statements revealed new details in the murder trial of a former sheriff’s deputy who killed a Black man in the door of his grandmother’s house in Columbus.

Jurors heard from the state and defense about the crucial moments before and after former Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Meade fatally shot 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. in December 2020. Meade faces two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide for shooting Goodson on Columbus’ northwest side.

From the state, jurors heard of Goodson’s good spirits at a dentist appointment hours before he was shot, his training to carry a concealed handgun and his goals for the future. From the defense, they heard how Meade, without his bulletproof vest on and fearing for his life, pursued Goodson to the side door of his grandmother’s house after seeing Goodson with a gun, and his unheeded commands to Goodson to drop the gun.

After breaking for lunch, the jury briefly visited the scene on Estates Place, where Meade shot Goodson.

What did the prosecution say during opening statements?

Special prosecutor Gary Shroyer painted a picture of Goodson’s day before he was shot that afternoon. He went to the dentist in a “great mood,” despite the amount of work he needed done. When leaving at about noon, Goodson hugged the dental hygienist, who will later testify to Goodson’s demeanor.

Above, hear special prosecutor Gary Shroyer describe the moment Jason Meade shot Casey Goodson Jr.

Goodson picked up three Subway sandwiches before heading home, Shroyer said. Meade and Goodson first spot each other as Goodson turned from Karl Road onto Ferris Road, near St. Francis DeSales High School.

Goodson parked outside his grandmother’s house on Estates Place, on the wrong side of the street — which was typical for the family to do, Shroyer noted. Bag of sandwiches and keys in hand, Shroyer described as Goodson walked through the fence gate to the side door of the house, opened the metal storm door and began unlocking the door to enter the kitchen.

After spotting Goodson in the car, Meade, having come freshly off an assignment with the U.S. Marshals Service, turned around to pursue Goodson. Meade followed Goodson to the fence gate, armed with an automatic rifle.

“He shoots Casey six times in the back, killing him. All the shots passed through the storm door, breaking the glass, with three shots passing through that metal mesh, one striking the top of the frame,” Shroyer said. “Casey’s back is towards the direction the shots, the bullets, were fired in. His back is towards the defendant.”

Goodson fell facedown into the kitchen, where one of his relatives, a young child, was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of oatmeal. Shroyer said none of Goodson’s family members, including his sister and grandmother, saw the shooting — but they heard the “pandemonium” and came running.

Lying in the kitchen near Goodson was the bag of sandwiches and his handgun, which Shroyer said had been in a cloth holster with the safety on. Goodson had obtained a concealed carry permit about two years before. His keys hung from the door. He had AirPods in his ears.

Goodson’s injuries were “devastating,” Shroyer said. One of Goodson’s family members began to cry as Shroyer described the damage: One bullet struck Goodson’s heart, while others hit his left lung, his pancreas and other organs. The blast from the automatic rifle fractured Goodson’s spine, causing him to hemorrhage. He died shortly after being taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Shroyer preemptively cast doubt on the defense’s claim that Meade feared for his life, saying Goodson was not holding his gun when Meade shot him. Shroyer said body camera footage from a fellow officer captured Meade’s initial reaction to shooting Goodson, and it wasn’t that of fear.

“‘He came out the street, gun in his hand, going to the side door. He was going in with a gun in his hand,'” Shroyer said, quoting Meade. “What he didn’t say was, ‘I was afraid. I was in fear for my life. I was feared for someone else’s life.’ Silence speaks louder words.”

What did the defense say during opening statements?

Kaitlyn Stephens, one of three attorneys representing Meade, emphatically denied Shroyer’s characterization of the moments leading up to Goodson’s death.

Above, hear defense attorney Kaitlyn Stephens describe the burden of proof the defense must overcome to demonstrate that Jason Meade was justified in shooting Casey Goodson Jr.

Meade and other officers with the U.S. Marshals task force had wrapped up an operation on Estates Place that afternoon. Meade placed his bulletproof vest and pistol in the back of his unmarked Marshals truck, placing the automatic rifle in the back seat. Two officers followed Meade in another truck.

At the intersection of Karl and Ferris roads, where Meade was stopped at a red light, Stephens said Meade saw Goodson waving his gun from his vehicle, eventually pointing it at Meade.

Meade radioed to other officers what he saw before turning around to pursue Goodson. He parked on Estates Place, where Goodson was already parked on the wrong side of the street.

“Jason turns his lights on to initiate a lawful, investigatory stop. The gunman proceeds to get out of the car, looks at my client, takes off running, gun in tow, plastic bag in tow,” Stephens said.

Meade watched Goodson run to the side of the house, Stephens said, noting Meade could not have known that it was typical for the family to park on the wrong side of the street or use the side door instead of the front door. All he knew, Stephens said, was that Goodson was running from an officer after waving a gun.

Meade yelled to Goodson repeatedly that he was with the U.S. Marshals service, ordering Goodson to drop his gun. He didn’t, and instead turned to point it at Meade, Stephens said.

That’s when Meade, fearing that he would be shot, pulled the trigger once on his rifle, Stephens said. The automatic weapon fired six shots in rapid succession.

Meade did what he was trained to do, Stephens said: shoot until the threat “was over.”

“Officers on the beat are not afforded the luxury of hindsight, of armchair reflection,” Stephens said. “Every single day, our men and our women on the police force, put their uniforms on, not knowing if they’ll return home to their families or their armchairs, not knowing whether or not they’ll come home because of their job.”

From Goodson exiting his car to Meade shooting Goodson took seconds, Stephens said. She said Meade made split-second decisions to save his life and was justified in doing so.

Who is the jury, and what are they tasked with?

Jury selection dragged late into the afternoon Tuesday, with prosecutors and the defense taking hours to question a slate of prospective jurors about their jobs, their reasoning skills and potential biases. The prosecution asked potential jurors about whether they listened to music with headphones and how that affected how they heard their surroundings, alluding to the wireless earbuds Goodson wore during the shooting. The defense asked if jurors would be able to abandon their personal experiences to objectively evaluate evidence and if they understood the different burdens of proof.

Both sides asked prospective jurors if they were comfortable viewing – and possibly handling – guns as part of the evidence, including an automatic rifle.

Round after round of questioning and juror exclusions were broken up by brief interludes throughout the afternoon. But by 4:30 p.m., a pool of dozens of Franklin County residents was whittled down to 12 jurors and four alternates. Eight women and four men were named to the jury, while three women and one man were sworn in as alternates.

What is disputed is whether Meade’s actions were justified by his fear for his life, and whether that fear was reasonable. Without footage of the incident – sheriff’s deputies didn’t wear body cameras at the time – the jurors will be left to decide which version of events is more compelling.

For Meade to be convicted on all charges, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Meade knowingly, intentionally and recklessly shot Goodson. The jury could choose to convict Meade on any of the charges — or none at all.

The defense must prove, beyond a preponderance of the evidence — the lowest evidentiary standard that equates to “more likely than not” — that Meade both had a subjective fear for his life, and that fear was objectively reasonable. The defense asked the jury to step into Meade’s shoes and evaluate his decisions.

It is undisputed that Meade shot Goodson six times on Dec. 4, 2020, near the front door of Goodson’s grandmother’s house.

Meade and other officers were leaving an operation with the U.S. Marshalls’ Office when Meade spotted Goodson in a car. Meade’s attorneys claim Goodson waved a gun at Meade from the car and failed to heed directions. Before walking into his grandmother’s house, Meade’s attorney has previously said that Goodson turned around and pointed a gun at the deputy.

Goodson’s family asserts a different scenario unfolded that afternoon. Goodson was returning from a dentist appointment with Subway sandwiches in his hand, not a gun. He had earbuds in and wouldn’t have been able to hear Meade’s commands, the family has said. While a gun was recovered from the scene, Goodson’s family said he had a concealed carry permit and took responsible gun ownership very seriously.

Tuesday would have been Goodson’s 27th birthday. His mother, Tamala Payne, said it felt right to her that the trial would coincide with his birthday — it “was our confirmation.”

“He’s definitely here,” Payne said. “I’m calm, I’m at ease, I’m not having any anxiety, I’m not going crazy, I’m fine.”

Mark Collins, representing Meade, declined to comment until the conclusion of the trial.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.