$7 million settlement reached for family of man fatally shot by Ohio sheriff’s deputy

The family of Casey Goodson Jr., a black man who was shot and killed by an Ohio sheriff’s deputy, will receive $7 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit over the December 2020 shooting.

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the deal late last month.

Goodson, 23, was shot multiple times while trying to break into Columbus’ grandmother’s home. His death — one of several black people killed by white police officers in Ohio over the past decade — came at the end of a year in which mass protests have swept the nation over the killing of George Floyd. Goodson’s name has been added to the cries of protest over racial injustice in policing.

Goodson’s family issued a statement calling the settlement historic.

“The settlement allows Casey’s family to resolve their civil claims against Franklin County, allowing them to fully focus on the upcoming murder trial of Michael Jason Meade,” said family attorney Sean Walton. “While no amount of money can ever compensate for the loss of Casey, this settlement is a crucial recognition of the profound impact his death has had on his family and the community at large.”

Meade was charged with murder and involuntary manslaughter, but a mistrial was announced in February when a jury could not agree on a verdict, ending tumultuous proceedings in which four jurors were dismissed. Prosecutors soon announced he would face a retrial, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 31, but have since dropped one of the two counts he faced.

Meade has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys said the prosecutor’s decision to seek a new trial was due to political pressure from local elected officials.

Meade testified that Goodson waved the gun at him as the two passed each other, so he chased Goodson because he said he feared for his life and the lives of the others. He said he eventually shot Goodson because the young man turned on him with a gun.

Goodson’s family and prosecutors said he was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was fatally shot. They do not dispute that Goodson could have carried a weapon and note that he was licensed to carry a firearm.

Goodson’s handgun, which had an extended load, was found on his grandmother’s kitchen floor with the safety engaged.

Meade was not wearing a body camera, so there is no footage of the shooting, and prosecutors repeatedly said during the first trial that Meade was the only person who testified that Goodson had a gun.

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