Meade murder trial breaks until Tuesday. Here's a recap of the last witness testimony
Jurors in the murder trial of former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade for the fatal 2020 shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. were sent home Thursday and the trial will not resume until Tuesday.
Witness testimony never really got going Thursday, with the prosecuting and defense attorneys engaged in closed-door discussions with the judge right into the lunch hour.
Meade is charged in Franklin County Common Pleas Court with two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide in the Dec. 4, 2020, shooting death of 23-year-old Goodson at the home where Goodson resided on Estates Place in Columbus' North Linden neighborhood.
Jurors Wednesday heard further testimony from Meade as well as from another responding officer and a former Akron police officer whom the defense called as an expert in police use of force. Jurors were sent home for the day Thursday for reasons that were not explained.
On Wednesday, special prosecutors played video that showed Meade turning on his flashing lights after the shooting — not during the pursuit like his defense team previously stated. Special prosecutors also questioned for the first time whether Goodson would have recognized Meade as a law enforcement officer when Meade alleges Goodson looked at him from about a football field distance away and then fled.
Follow our live coverage: Few witnesses left to testify in Casey Goodson Jr. shooting trial
The defense's expert, Kevin Davis, testified that under the law, only Meade's perspective of the situation at the time of the shooting can be considered. In his opinion, Davis said Meade acted like a reasonable officer would under the circumstances.
"What about Mr. Goodson?" Kaitlyn Stephens, one of Meade's attorneys said. "Doesn't his perspective count?"
"No, Mr. Goodson created the circumstances which led to the shooting," Davis replied.
Meade testified that he saw Goodson drive by while waving a gun and pointing it at his unmarked truck and another motorist. Meade said he pursued Goodson a short distance, stopping near an intersection on Estates Place and pulled on his tactical vest.
At that point, Meade said, Goodson was standing by his car parked on the wrong side of the road and holding a gun. Meade alleged Goodson saw him and fled.
When Meade caught up to Goodson near a side door of his home, Meade said Goodson again pointed his gun at him, prompting Meade to shoot for fear of being killed. Six bullets struck Goodson, five in the back and one on the side, some of which passed through the storm door Goodson opened while putting his keys into the door lock while carrying sandwiches and his registered handgun, according to testimony during the trial. He was also wearing ear buds.
Special prosecutors raised frequent objections during Davis' testimony, leading to a multitude of sidebars discussions with the judge. On cross-examination, Montgomery County Assistant Prosecutor Josh Shaw, who is assisting special prosecutors Gary Shroyer and Tim Merkle in the case, sparred with Davis.
Shaw asked questions of Davis about whether Goodson would have believed Meade was a law enforcement officer. Prosecutors had not alleged before Wednesday, including in their opening statements, that Goodson had not believed that Meade was an officer.
Shaw pointed to a map of Estates place. According to Google Maps, the intersection that Meade said he parked near and put on his "US Marshals" vest on the front and back is more than 100 yards away from Goodson's home.
"Mr. Meade all the way up here just wearing that little placard that says US Marshal, that gave him reasonable grounds to conclude that when Casey Goodson looked and walked away, he was evading a police officer, that's your opinion?" Shaw asked rhetorically.
Also Wednesday, Columbus police officer Ryan Rosser, who was working that day with Meade on a U.S. Marshals Service federal fugitive apprehension task force, testified that he saw Goodson "pick up speed" as if to evade officers.
"It was a sprint at the very end," Rosser said of Goodson.
Earlier Wednesday, while cross-examining Meade, special prosecutor Gary Shroyer asked Meade about flashing emergency lights on his unmarked truck.
Shroyer asked Meade if he knew whether the lights on the truck were on when Meade parked outside the Estates Place home. Shroyer then played video appearing to show Meade going to the truck and the lights coming on.
"I don't remember that," Meade said.
During opening statements, Stephens alleged that Meade turned on his lights to pursue Goodson, implying that would have indicated to Goodson that Meade was an officer.
jlaird@dispatch.com
@LairdWrites
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Testimony wrapping up in Jason Meade trial for Casey Goodson shooting
