Columbus, Ohio — A new witness who came forward in the murder trial of a former Ohio sheriff’s deputy testified Tuesday that he saw the man killed not long before the shooting, but that he did not see a gun, leaving the suspect as the only person who said that. Casey Goodson Jr. was armed.
Jason Meade, who is white, is charged with murder and reckless homicide in the December 2020 killing of Goodson, who was Black, in Columbus.
Meade insisted during his testimony that he feared for his life and the lives of others after Goodson waved a gun at him as the two drove past each other. He testified that he chased Goodson in his unmarked vehicle and that Goodson again pointed a gun at him just before the shooting occurred.
According to his family and prosecutors, Goodson was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was fatally shot. They do not dispute that Goodson could have carried a firearm and say he was licensed to carry a firearm.
Christopher Corne, who works for a heating and cooling company, testified for the prosecution Tuesday that he saw Goodson in his truck at an intersection the day of the shooting. Corne said Goodson was “driving erratically” with at least one hand off the wheel. He said Goodson appeared to be singing or dancing to music in the car. But, he testified, he saw nothing in Goodson’s hands.
Meade, a pastor at a Baptist church, shot Goodson, 23, a total of six times, including five in the back, as Goodson tried to enter his grandmother’s home, police said. Goodson fell in his grandmother’s kitchen and his gun was found on the kitchen floor with the safety lock engaged, prosecutors said.
Corne testified that he did not see the shooting, but that he later saw flashing lights and a large police presence. He said he had not stayed in the area or contacted authorities in the days after the shooting.
During cross-examination, Corne admitted that he had changed some details of his story. He initially told prosecutors that Goodson had one hand on the wheel, but he testified in court that Goodson had both hands off.
The trial was suspended late last week after Corne came forward and lawyers argued over whether he could testify. Judge David Young ultimately agreed that he could take the stand.
The jury was told Corne watched television news about the trial and posted about it on Facebook and contacted Goodson’s mother on social media but did not hear back. He said he later deleted his comments and his social media pages.
When asked if he had an agenda and why he came forward, Corne said it was a last-minute decision and that he was concerned about participating in such a high-profile case.
“I just felt like it was the right thing to do,” he said. “I felt like someone needed to hear what I saw and had to say.”