A judge has agreed to delay the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Casey Goodson Jr. against the Ohio sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot him in 2020.
Federal Judge Michael Watson sided with attorneys for Jason Meade and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, who wanted the lawsuit pushed back until after the criminal case against Meade is over.
Watson said Monday that Meade has a strong interest in defending himself against a murder charge rather than attending to both the criminal case and civil lawsuit at the same time.
Meade has pleaded not guilty to murder and reckless homicide charges. He is currently free on $250,000 bail.
Meade was charged with murder and reckless homicide last year in the fatal December 2020 shooting of Casey Goodson Jr.
Meade shot Goodson five times in the back on December 4 while Goodson, who was Black near his home although the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear.
According to the U.S. Marshal, Meade was part of a task force carrying out an unsuccessful search for a suspect in the Northland area of Columbus when deputies encountered Goodson, who was reportedly "driving down the street waving a gun." Meade followed Goodson and confronted him at his home.
There is no footage of the shooting, because Meade, like other sheriff's deputies at the time, was not equipped with a body camera. A lawyer for Meade claims that Goodson pointed a gun at the deputy during their encounter, and police say they recovered a gun from Goodson's body after he died.
Goodson's family disputes both allegations, contending that he was carrying a bag of sandwiches while entering his home. Family members also say they did not see a gun in Goodson's hand or near his body.
Meade left the department in July 2021 after taking disability retirement.
