Two special prosecutors have been appointed in case of Casey Goodson Jr. fatal police shooting

The Franklin County, Ohio, Prosecuting Attorney’s office announced Tuesday it filed the necessary documents to appoint two special prosecutors to assist in its investigation and prosecution involving the fatal shooting of Casey Goodson, Jr., and other cases involving law enforcement use of force.

Goodson, a 23-year-old Black man, was shot and killed in December by a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy in Columbus, Ohio. Goodson’s mother has said he was shot as he was entering his home after returning from the dentist and Subway.

An official autopsy report released in March by attorneys for Goodson’s family shows Goodson was shot in the torso six times from behind. His cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds of the torso and the manner of death to be homicide, according to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office report.

The report says two of the gunshot wounds were to Goodson’s mid-back, two to the left side of his back, one to the right side of his back and one to his buttocks.

The appointment of trial attorneys H. Tim Merkle and Gary S. Shroyer will be effective after approval from the Court of Common Pleas and execution of the contracts, the prosecuting attorney’s office said in a news release.

“We anticipate Mr. Shroyer beginning his service by June 11 and Mr. Merkle starting his service on June 19. Both men have extensive experience as trial attorneys,” the release said.

The office said the appointments “are the appropriate course of action given that the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office serves as legal counsel to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and anticipates defending the County and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in civil matters relating to the shooting death of Casey Goodson, Jr.”

The Columbus Division of Police is handling the investigation into the shooting and the US Attorney’s Office in Southern Ohio also opened a civil rights investigation.

Sheriff’s deputy who shot Goodson to retire next month

Jason Meade, the sheriff’s deputy who shot Goodson, announced he will be leaving the sheriff’s office on disability retirement starting next month, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said in a statement last week.

Meade will begin his retirement effective July 2, the statement said.

“As sheriff, I have no control or input over what the pension system decides with this or any other disability case,” Baldwin said in the statement.

“It is disappointing that Sheriff Dallas Baldwin did not terminate Jason Meade on his own accord, but the news that Meade has decided to retire brings Casey’s family a small sense of relief,” Goodson Jr. family attorney Sean Walton told CNN in a statement.

“Casey’s family remains fully committed to pushing for Meade’s indictment and arrest on murder charges,” Walton added.

What we know about the shooting

Goodson was an Ohio concealed carry permit holder and was legally armed at the time of the shooting, police said. He was not alleged to have committed any crimes, Walton previously told CNN. A review of court records did not show more than minor traffic-related offenses.

Meade was working for the US Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force looking for violent offenders at the time. But Goodson was not the person being sought by the task force, police have said.

During the task force operation in Columbus, Meade reported seeing a man with a gun and was investigating the situation when reportedly there was a verbal exchange prior to the shooting, Columbus police previously said.

Meade’s attorney, Mark Collins, said in December that Goodson pointed a gun at the deputy prior to the shooting.

“At no time did Deputy Meade mistake a sandwich for a gun,” Collins said. “Mr. Goodson pointed his gun at Deputy Meade. There has been confirmation that our client gave verbal commands for Mr. Goodson to drop the gun.”

Attorneys for Goodson’s family have said “neither the City of Columbus nor any other investigatory agency has alleged that Casey Goodson pointed a gun before Meade pulled the trigger.”

Police said no other officers witnessed the shooting, there have been no civilian eyewitnesses identified and there is no body camera footage because Franklin County Sheriff’s task force officers weren’t issued body cameras.

Nearly two weeks after the shooting, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office secured $2.5 million for body cameras and the sheriff said the funding approval would lead to greater transparency.