Ex-Ohio Cop Who Killed Casey Goodson Jr. Found Guilty Of Reckless Homicide

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In December 2020, a white police officer in Columbus, Ohio, shot and killed a Black man while he was bringing sandwiches to his grandmother’s house. On Thursday, that now-former officer, who retired the year after the killing occurred, was found guilty of reckless homicide, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years, meaning a cop took a man’s life for no discernible reason, and, at best, he’ll lose his freedom for half a decade.

According to the Associated Press, Jason Meade, the ex-Ohio officer who fatally shot 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. six times in the back, was found guilty of reckless homicide, but, for the second time, jurors said they couldn’t agree on the more serious charge of murder, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on that count. Meade has now been tried for murder twice in the last two years, with both trials ending in mistrials.

So, why are juries having such a difficult time convicting the ex-cop of murder? Well, as usual, the ex-cop has claimed his victim was armed with a gun in hand, who then turned that gun toward him, while no other witnesses to the event saw said gun.

From AP:

Meade, who is white, said his shooting of Goodson — five times in the back and once in the side — was justified because he saw the 23-year-old holding a gun and turning toward him in the doorway of the house in Columbus. But no one else testified they saw Goodson holding the gun he was licensed to carry, and no cameras recorded the shooting.

Meade had testified in the first trial that he pursued Goodson after the man waved a gun at him as they passed each other in their vehicles. According to his family and prosecutors, Goodson was holding a bag of Subway sandwiches in one hand and his keys in the other, and was listening to music through earbuds when he was killed.

Meade did not take the stand at his second trial.

Prosecutors also said the evidence suggests the gun wasn’t in his hands, but in a flimsy holder under his belt. They added it was found under his body, its safety mechanism still engaged, as Goodson laid mortally wounded on the kitchen floor of his grandmother’s house.

So, essentially, we’re just talking about a different version of “I was in fear for my life,” a cop’s get-out-of-jail-free expression, used most frequently after they have committed the extrajudicial execution of a Black person. We know, factually, from witness testimony that Goodson was bringing sandwiches to his grandmother’s house. We’d have to take a killer cop at face value in order to believe Goodson waved a gun at a cop for no reason while their cars were passing each other, and then later, turned toward the cop with a gun in his hand right in front of his grandmother’s home, again, for no reason.

But, as AP noted: “Ohio law defines murder as the purposeful causing of a death, while the lesser charge of reckless murder means the defendant acted recklessly in causing a death. The former is punishable by up to life in prison, while the latter carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.” So, basically, in accordance with Ohio law, Meade simply saying his victim was armed and appeared to be threatening him with the gun was enough to earn him the benefit of the doubt, which, unfortunately, cops tend to get regardless of what the law says.

And, of course, no matter what the circumstances were under which a cop killed an innocent civilian, especially a Black one, police unions are always there to hold the blue line.

More from AP:

Following the verdict, Brian Steel, president and chief executive of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9, said he respects the jury but was “disappointed” with the decision. He said he hopes the prosecutor’s office does not seek a retrial on the murder charge.

“This was long six years drawn out. This is the second trial. I hope they’re for the sake of not only the Meade family, the Goodson family and the community, I hope we don’t try to do a third trial on this murder charge,” Steel said.

And this is why cops are annoying.

First of all, Steel doesn’t care about Goodson’s family, and it’s not his place to decide how long is too long for the family to seek justice. Also, if he did have sincere concern over how the family felt, it might matter to him that, while Goodson’s loved ones are relieved that Meade was at least convicted of something, they still want him convicted of murder.

“You know, we’d all like to see him be found guilty of murder because what he did is murder Casey,” Goodson’s mother, Tamala Payne, said after the verdict, according to 10 WBNS. “I don’t even like to say he murdered Casey — he executed Casey.”

According to AP, prosecutors said they were pleased with the guilty verdict on the reckless homicide charge and haven’t decided yet whether to pursue a third trial on the murder charge.

Meanwhile, Meade’s sentencing has been scheduled for July 16.

Ex-Ohio Cop Who Killed Casey Goodson Jr. Found Guilty Of Reckless Homicide was originally published on newsone.com