Jason Meade Found Guilty of Reckless Homicide After Casey Goodson Jr. Was Shot and Killed Carrying Sandwiches Home

Jason Meade was convicted Thursday of reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of Casey Goodson Jr., bringing a partial conclusion to one of Ohio’s most closely watched police shooting cases after years of protests, courtroom battles, and public scrutiny.

Franklin County jurors delivered the verdict inside a Columbus courtroom during Meade’s retrial connected to the December 2020 killing of Goodson, a 23 year old Black man shot while approaching his grandmother’s home carrying sandwiches.

Jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on the more serious murder charge, leading Judge David Young to declare a mistrial on that count. Reckless homicide conviction still represented a major legal development in a case that reshaped conversations surrounding race, policing, and accountability across Ohio.

Goodson was legally licensed to carry a firearm at the time of the shooting, though no witnesses testified to seeing him point a weapon during the confrontation, as reported by NBC4 Columbus. Investigators also acknowledged no body camera or surveillance footage captured the fatal encounter outside the residence.

Meade, a former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy who is White, maintained throughout trial that he acted in self defense after claiming Goodson turned toward him while holding a gun near the doorway of the home.

Prosecutors disputed that account and argued deadly force was unjustified during the encounter. Attorneys representing the state told jurors Goodson posed no immediate threat warranting gunfire as he approached the house carrying food for family members.

Case drew national attention following Goodson’s death because of conflicting narratives surrounding final moments before the shooting. Demonstrators gathered repeatedly in Columbus demanding criminal charges and greater transparency from investigators handling the case.

Tamala Payne, Goodson’s mother, remained present throughout portions of the retrial and was visibly emotional during testimony connected to her son’s death.

Meade previously faced prosecution tied to the shooting before earlier proceedings failed to produce a murder conviction. Retrial renewed public focus on unresolved questions involving use of force, evidence, and witness accounts connected to the incident.

Reckless homicide conviction means jurors concluded Meade acted recklessly in causing Goodson’s death, though panel stopped short of finding him guilty of murder. Sentencing proceedings have not yet been scheduled.

Legal uncertainty surrounding unresolved murder charge remains after mistrial ruling, leaving open questions about whether prosecutors could attempt another trial on that count.

For Goodson’s family, conviction delivered a measure of accountability after more than four years of legal proceedings and public grief. For many residents across Columbus, memory of Goodson carrying sandwiches toward his grandmother’s front door still defines how the shooting is remembered.