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 settlement late last month.
Goodson, 23, was shot multiple times in December 2020 as he tried to break into his grandmother’s home in Columbus. His death, one of several involving Black people killed by white law enforcement officers in Ohio over the past decade, sparked national outrage and calls for police reform.
Goodson’s family released a statement calling the settlement historic.
“The agreement allows Casey’s family to settle their civil claims against Franklin County, allowing them to focus fully on the retrial for the murder of Michael Jason Meade,” said family attorney Sean Walton. “While no amount of money can ever make up for Casey’s loss, this agreement is a critical recognition of the profound impact his death had on his family and the broader community.”
Meade was charged with murder and manslaughter, but a mistrial was declared in February when the jury failed to reach a verdict, ending a tumultuous proceeding that saw four jurors dismissed. Prosecutors quickly announced he would face a new trial, set to begin Oct. 31, but they have since 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 men drove past each other. He chased Goodson because he feared for his life and the lives of others. He said he eventually shot Goodson because the young man turned toward him with a gun.
Goodson’s family and prosecutors have 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 may have been carrying a gun and point out that he had a gun permit.
Goodson’s handgun, 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 video footage of the shooting, and prosecutors repeatedly claimed during the first trial that Meade was the only person who testified that Goodson was holding a gun.
