COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Dec. 4, 2020, Casey Goodson Jr. was shot six times after former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade claimed Goodson pointed a gun at him.

What You Need To Know

  • Jason Meade has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide

  • Casey Goodson Jr. was shot six times

  • Opening statements for the trial could start as early as Tuesday 

Meade is on trial for the murder of Casey Goodson Jr. Meade was the officer who shot and killed the 23 year old back in December 2020. The incident took place at a time when large parts of the nation were already coming together to demand change in law enforcement practices. These large protests and call for change came after the death of Breonna Taylor and the murder of George Floyd.

On Dec. 4, 2020, Goodson was shot six times after Meade claimed Goodson pointed a gun at him. Goodson's family claims he was holding subway sandwiches and his keys when he was shot. It was also discovered that he had earbuds and his family claims he couldn’t hear Meade when he was asked to “put his hands up." Goodson was shot and killed outside of his grandmother's house.

After the shooting, Meade was immediately put on administrative leave. He was charged with two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide  by a Franklin County grand jury in December 2021 and posted bond within the week. 

In February 2022, the Franklin County Commission allocated funding for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office to purchase body cameras for their deputies. At the time of Goodson's death, deputies did not have access to body camera technology. The body cameras were fully implemented by October 2022. 

A few weeks after Goodson’s death, Andre Hill was shot and killed by then Columbus police officer Adam Coy. While there was body camera footage taken from the incident, there was no audio and officers did not render medical aid after shots were fired. As a result, Columbus City Council passed Andre's Law, which ensures officers properly use body-worn cameras and insist officers either call for medical aid or deliver basic aid while waiting for medical personnel. This law was passed in February 2021 but only applies to Columbus police officers. 

Meade's trial has been postponed a couple of times within the past couple of years, but starting Thursday, a special pool of jurors will be brought in to fill out questionnaires ahead of Monday's jury selection. 

If they can get a set of jurors by Monday, opening statements could start as early as Tuesday morning. 

Meanwhile, Goodson’s family has filed a separate federal civil rights lawsuit against Meade and the Franklin County Sheriff’s office, but the case has been at a standstill the past couple of years.