Casey Goodson Shot In The Back Multiple Times By Columbus Police, Coroner’s Report Reveals
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office is revealing their findings surrounding Casey Goodson Jr.’s death by Columbus, Ohio police.
According to WBNS 10TV, the 23-year-old’s family attorney Sean Walton released the coroner’s report stating Goodson was shot six times – five times in the back and once in his buttocks.
On December 4, 2020, Goodson was shot by Franklin County deputy Jason Meade in Northeast Columbus while he was walking to his home with food. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Franklin County Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz in December said Goodson’s manner of death is a homicide based on the autopsy and medical death investigation findings.
On December 4, a U.S. Marshals task force were searching for fugitives when officials claimed Goodson drove by waving a gun. He was confronted by Franklin County Sheriff's deputies, who allegedly ordered him to drop the weapon. Franklin County Sheriff's S.W.A.T. Deputy Jason Meade opened fire when Goodson Jr. allegedly did not comply.
Goodson was never the intended target of the search.
Goodson’s family has confirmed that he was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, the Columbus Dispatch reports. But when he was shot, the family says he was actually carrying submarine sandwiches as he was trying to enter his home after returning from a dental appointment.
Officials say a weapon was recovered at the scene, but have not clarified where the weapon was found. His family also says he was shot three times in the back, although that has not been officially confirmed.
In a December 10 statement, Meade’s attorney Mark Collins said, “At no time did Deputy Meade mistake a sandwich for a gun. Mr. Goodson pointed his gun at Deputy Meade."
The FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are joining the Columbus Police Dept.’s Critical Incident Response Team to “review the facts and circumstances” of the incident, according to a DOJ statement.
