Updated December 3, 2021, 5:30 P.M. ET
The former Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy charged with murder in the shooting death of Casey Goodson Jr. pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him.
Jason Meade, 43, appeared in court Friday via a live video conference from jail and arraigned on two charges of murder and one count of reckless homicide.
Meade shot Goodson six times with a rifle as Goodson was entering his home in the Northland area one year ago Saturday.
Meade posted $250,000 bond and was released from jail Friday afternoon. He is prohibited from possessing a firearm or passport, traveling outside of Ohio or having any contact with Goodson's family.
Sean Walton, an attorney representing Goodson's family, said the bond amount was disappointing.
"There are real questions to ask here," said Walton. "The first question that came to mind to me, and it came to me with some extreme despair and sadness, is what is a Black life worth in this justice system in America?"
Meade has said Goodson pointed a gun at him before the shooting, but prosecutors said Friday that an investigation found no evidence that Goodson presented a threat to Meade.
"Our heart goes out to the Goodson family," said Meade's attorney, Mark Collins.
"Any time there's a loss of life, it's a tragedy, but when we have law enforcement officers who are supposed to carry weapons and are supposed to enforce the laws, and when they're placed in these situations where they have to make snap-second decisions based on their training, and their experience, this is this is a situation that you're confronted with," said Collins.
