Jason Meade, a former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy, was found guilty of reckless homicide for fatally shooting Casey Goodson Jr. during a 2020 traffic stop. The $7 million settlement with Goodson’s family highlights the case’s legal and financial repercussions. Meade, part of a task force, claimed self-defense after allegedly seeing Goodson wave a firearm while driving erratically. The jury could not reach a verdict on a murder charge, resulting in a mistrial for that count.

Prosecutors argued Meade fired multiple shots at Goodson, who was unarmed and returning home with Subway sandwiches for his family. Defense attorneys asserted Meade acted in self-defense, citing Goodson’s behavior. Goodson, a 23-year-old Black man with a concealed carry permit and no criminal history, was shot in the doorway of his Columbus home in December 2020. The killing sparked protests and intensified scrutiny of police use-of-force policies.

This conviction follows a rare precedent set by Derek Chauvin’s 2022 guilty verdict in George Floyd’s murder, signaling a shift in prosecuting on-duty police violence. Meade’s second trial concluded after a prior mistrial in 2022, with prosecutors dropping one murder charge. He resigned the sheriff’s office in 2021 on disability retirement. The case underscores the challenges of holding law enforcement accountable and the societal demand for transparency in police-involved deaths.