COLUMBUS, Ohio — Special prosecutors in the murder trial of former Franklin County deputy Jason Meade will seek a new trial date.
The prosecutors released a statement Thursday afternoon saying they "look forward to presenting what they believe is a strong and compelling evidentiary case in support of all the criminal charges against Mr. Meade."
A Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge declared a mistrial last week after the jury could not come to a decision on two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide. The special prosecutors will try Meade again on the same charges.
Meade shot and killed 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. at his grandmother's home in December 2020.
During the trial, Meade testified that Goodson waved a gun and aimed it at him as they drove by one another. Meade testified that he then pursued Goodson in his unmarked vehicle to Goodson's grandmother's home where the man turned to face him with a gun in his hand.
Meade shot Goodson six times with an assault-style rifle, including five times in the back. When asked why he fired his weapon, Meade said, "Because he pointed a gun at me, and I thought I was going to die."
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 as he tried to enter the side door of his grandmother’s house. They say he was also wearing AirPods at the time of his death, suggesting he couldn't hear Meade's commands.
Meade's defense attorneys released a statement saying, in part, "The political pressure to move forward with this case is palpable and will impede the ability of Jason Meade to get a fair trial."
A status hearing is schedule June 6.