COLUMBUS, Ohio — Prosecutors are looking to drop one of two murder charges against a former Franklin County sheriff's deputy in the shooting death of Casey Goodson Jr., Special Prosecutor Tim Merkle confirmed.
The former sheriff's deputy, Jason Meade, is currently facing two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide for shooting and killing Goodson, a 23-year-old Black man, in December of 2020.
The motion to drop the charge was filed on Friday.
Attorney Sean Walton, who is representing the Goodson family, said the family supports to the move to drop one of the charges in a statement provided to Spectrum News 1:
"The family of Casey Goodson, Jr. fully supports the decision by the special prosecutors to dismiss one of the murder charges against Jason Meade. The prosecutors have prioritized communicating with the family throughout this ordeal, and this request comes as no surprise. The family trusts their judgment and believes in their legal strategy to secure justice for Casey by pursuing a conviction on the remaining murder charge and the reckless homicide charge. The family remains committed to seeing justice served and appreciates the prosecutors' dedication to this case. We understand the complexities involved in this process and stand united with the special prosecutors in their pursuit of accountability for the tragic loss of Casey Goodson, Jr. The family will continue to support all efforts to ensure that Jason Meade is held responsible for his actions."
Attorney Mark Collins, who is representing Meade, released a statement saying "Justice is supposed to be a two-way street":
"The facts are known to the parties and have not changed in three-and-a-half years," Meade wrote in a statement. "Yet, the grand jury process was abused to secure an indictment for purposeful murder. Even knowing all these facts, this is what Mr. Merkle and Mr. Shroyer argued in their closing arguments. These prosecutors subjected Jason Meade to the peril of being convicted of a purposeful murder, a charge that carries a life sentence. Now knowing that the public knows these same facts, the State has chosen to walk away from the purposeful murder count. Justice is supposed to be a two-way street."
His first trial begun in February, and it ended in two mistrials after the jury couldn't come to a decision. At first, the judge had declared a mistrial, then set aside his declaration, then asked the jury to resume deliberations. Then, the jury approached the judge saying they were hung, and then the judge declared another mistrial.
About a week later, prosecutors announced they had planned to seek a new trial, writing in a statement to Spectrum News, "After consulting with the primary investigators, the Special Prosecutors have concluded that it is in the best interest of all involved and the community that they move forward with a second trial on the indictment."
The trial surrounds the incident more than four years ago, when Goodson was heading home in the Clinton Estates neighborhood of north Columbus. Court documents show Goodson had been holding sandwiches when Meade approached him, who was serving a warrant in the area, but not at Goodson's address.
Meade had alleged during the trial that Goodson reached for his gun, and stated that he feared for his life. He also alleged Goodson waved a gun at him when driving past each other.
Documents show that Goodson was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and keys in the other when he was fatally shot. Goodson was shot a total of six times, including five in the back.
If the charges stand, Meade could get life in prison.