The family and local Ohio activists of 23-year-old Black man Casey Goodson Jr. are demanding justice after he was killed by a Veteran Ohio SWAT deputy. Casey was fatally shot and killed Friday afternoon when he arrived home. Activists and Casey’s family members say that he was carrying a Subway sandwich and was on his way back from the dentist’s office when he was shot in the back three times by a Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy, according to USAToday.
The community has come together to honor Casey’s life by holding a candlelight vigil on Friday night. The deputy, Jason Meade, was also a SWAT member and assigned to a U.S. Marshal’s office fugitive task force.
Columbus police are currently investigating the shooting, and did not release publicly identified Casey until today — more than 48 hours after the shooting. Heather Johnson, a family friend, told The Dispatch of the USA TODAY Network that “Casey was 23 years old, he never had any type of crimes. He was good, he worked at the Gap, he loved his family. He just enjoyed being a big brother and enjoyed being with his family. He loved them very much.”
Pete Tobin, the US Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, said the task force had just finished their work in the area when Casey allegedly drove past them waving a gun. “He was seen driving down the street waving a gun,” Tobin said, according to the outlet. “That’s when the deputy, at some point after that, he confronted him. And it went badly.”
Casey’s mother, Tamala Payne is refuting the claims about her son. Tamala said, “Police shot him in the back three times through the door.” She continued saying Casey was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, doesn’t have any warrants, and has never been in trouble in his life.
Roommates, we will keep you updated as more information develops.
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