COLUMBUS – An attorney for the family of the Black man killed by an Ohio deputy says the preliminary autopsy shows clear signs of the victim being shot in the back multiple times.
Attorneys and relatives of Casey Goodson Jr., 23, say he was killed Friday by Franklin Sheriff Deputy Jason Meade in the doorway of his grandmother’s house in Columbus as he walked through the front door.
Final autopsy results aren’t expected for at least three months. The family announced Thursday that they will also be conducting their own, independent autopsy.
An attorney for Meade says his client has given authorities full cooperation and disputes claims made by Goodson’s family.
Meanwhile, Columbus Chief of Police Thomas Quinlan issued a statement promising a thorough, transparent investigation but asked for patience.
“We hear your questions. We hear your cries for more information and more answers. We hear your demands for justice. The difficult reality is, very often in police work, information and answers are necessarily, unavoidably slow to come. That is not in the interest of secrecy- it is in the interest of justice…As we confirm new details that do not jeopardize the investigation, we have and will continue to share them. But please understand- fast answers cannot take priority over complete answers.” -Chief Thomas Quinlan
Because the shooting happened in the city of Columbus but did not involve a Columbus officer, the Columbus Division of Police is conducting the investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice and FBI are also investigating to determine if Goodson’s civil rights were violated.