COLUMBUS, Ohio — Day six of the murder trial for former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade has wrapped up with Meade finishing his testimony and two more individuals being called to the stand.
“I see Jason Meade's truck pull a turn. He pulled up to the side of my truck, Jason had a panicked look on his face,” said Columbus Division of Police Officer Ryan Rosser, who was the secondary responding officer on the day of the shooting.
Rosser said the officers were driving away from the home of the intended target the team was looking for, when suddenly Meade pulled a U-turn and rolled down his window to tell Rosser, "we've gotta go he's got a gun."
He said that after he arrived at Meade's location, he heard Meade yell, "show me your hands" to a man and then heard gunshots.
Special Prosecutor Gary Shroyer asked Meade, “What was your concern to get to Casey quickly?”
Meade responded, “To detain him, he just pointed a gun at me. This is a matter of moments. He is going into a home I don't know and he bypassed the front door.”
Shroyer asked Meade to detail step-by-step what happened from the moment he saw Goodson in the intersection while they both were driving.
Defense attorneys followed up by asking Meade what his intentions were throughout the incident.
Shroyer then asked where Goodson's gun was found after Meade shot him.
Meade answered, “His torso.”
Meade, who is a pastor at a Baptist church, was a speaker at a retreat in 2018. The defense asked Meade about statements he made about explaining to attendees that he "hunted people."
Shroyer asked Meade about a specific statement at that retreat.
“You know I ain't never been hit clean in the face one time. It's not because I'm good, it's because I throw the first punch. I know it's justified. The people I hit, you wish you could hit,” Shroyer read from the statement.
Meade responded to the comment and said, “In light of the situation, I was working with a group of men, the people we go after are rapists. The 300-plus men understood.”
Defense attorney Mark Collins asked Meade to clarify those statements explaining the comments were based on the story of David versus Goliath and that it was David who threw the first punch.
“I said you don't have to wait to throw the first punch against the devil,” Meade said.
The defense also called a use of force expert, retired Akron police officer Kevin Davis, who testified about whether or not the shooting was justified.