Franklin County officials approved $2.5 million in funding for the Sheriff’s Office to purchase body cameras, less than two weeks after a deputy fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr.
"Body cameras help provide transparency to the public and can also help vindicate deputies when complaints are made against them," said Sheriff Dallas Baldwin in a statement Wednesday.
The Franklin County Commissioners began discussions on funding for body cameras for the Sheriff’s Office following a wave of protests in Columbus in June, in response to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of law enforcement.
Body cameras are already worn by a majority of Columbus Police officers, who are required under department policy to activate them during any enforcement-related interaction with community members.
Movement on the status of funding for the Sheriff's Office, however, began to pick up after Deputy Jason Meade fatally shot Goodson on December 4. The death of Goodson, a 23-year-old Black man, prompted an outcry by the public over the lack of footage.
Law enforcement say no witnesses have come forward yet, and Goodson's family members say they did not overhear their conversation.
The shooting is currently under federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office, in conjunction with Columbus Police and other authorities. Goodson's family has called for Meade to be fired and charged with murder, but no charges have been brought yet in the case.
