COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The attorney for the Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr. in Ohio said that Jason Meade fired only after Goodson pointed a gun at him.
A statement was released Thursday afternoon from attorney Mark Collins, whose firm is representing Meade, a deputy who was on assignment with the U.S. Marshall’s Service when the shooting occurred last Friday.
In the statement, Collins responds to several points related to Goodson’s death that have come from media reports or members of Goodson’s family. Those responses include:
- At no time did Meade mistake a sandwich for a gun.
- Goodson pointed his gun at Meade.
- There has been confirmation that Meade gave verbal commands for Goodson to drop the gun.
- There have been no eyewitnesses to the shooting identified.
- The released 911 call makes it clear nobody witnessed the shooting from inside the house.
- A gun was recovered from Goodson.
The statement comes shortly after Tamala Payne, Goodson’s mother, spoke at a news conference with her attorneys. Payne also spoke with NewsNation affiliate WCMH-TV on Wednesday and called for a murder charge in the death of her son.
During comments Thursday, Payne and her attorney said that law enforcement officers present in the aftermath of Goodson’s shooting used derogatory language toward the family. In response Thursday afternoon, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said he would investigate those charges.
Baldwin’s statement read:
I listened carefully and with compassion when Ms. Payne described deputies at the scene use the word “b—-.” I am aware there was a large, multi-agency response to the scene, but if one of my deputies used such language at the scene of any tragedy, it would be unacceptable and unbecoming of a law enforcement officer. I am directing internal affairs professionals to do an immediate internal review to determine if such language was used and who may have used it. This will include interviewing these family members if their lawyers permit it. No grieving family deserves to be insulted.
Goodson’s death is being investigated by the FBI and Columbus police, and results will be turned over to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office for presentation to a grand jury to determine if charges will be filed.