The family of an Ohio man who was shot and killed by a former sheriff 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 agreement late last month.
Casey Goodson Jr., 23, was shot multiple times in December 2020 while trying to enter his grandmother’s house in Colombo. Her death — one of several involving black people killed by white Ohio police officers in the past decade — sparked national outrage and cries for police reform.
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 Michael Jason Meade murder retrial,” said family attorney Sean Walton. “While no amount of money can compensate for the loss of Casey, this settlement is a crucial recognition of the profound impact his death had on his family and the broader community.”
Meade was accused of murder and reckless homicidebut the mistrial was announced in February, when a jury couldn’t agree in a verdict, ending tumultuous proceedings that resulted in the dismissal of four jurors. Prosecutors soon announced that he would face a new trial, scheduled to begin on October 31, but since then dropped one of the two murder charges he faced.
Meade has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said the prosecution’s decision to seek another trial was due to political pressure from local elected officials.
Meade testified that Goodson pointed a gun at him as the two walked past each other, so he chased Goodson because he said he feared for his life and the lives of others. He said he ended up shooting 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 keys in the other when he was shot to death. They do not dispute that Goodson may have been carrying a gun and note that he had a license to carry a firearm.
Goodson’s gun, which had an extended magazine, was found on his grandmother’s kitchen floor with the safety mechanism engaged.
Meade was not wearing a body camera, so there is no footage of the shooting, and prosecutors repeatedly stated during the first trial that Meade was the only person who testified that Goodson was holding a gun.
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