Feds join investigation into death of Ohio Black man shot 'multiple times' by deputy

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Casey Goodson Jr. died after being shot "multiple times in the torso," and preliminary information indicated his death was a result of a homicide, a coroner in Ohio announced Wednesday.

Goodson, a 23-year-old Black man, was shot outside his Columbus home by a Franklin County sheriff's deputy last week.

Franklin County Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz announced the preliminary autopsy information Wednesday but said the final report, which expects to take 12 to 14 weeks, will include the exact number of wounds, their location and trajectory.

Goodson's family had said through an attorney that Goodson had been shot three times in the back. 

Law enforcement has faced criticism for Goodson's death, and key questions about the incident have gone unanswered. Authorities and family members tell conflicting stories about the events that led to his death, specifically whether he waved a gun.

Goodson's family thanked Ortiz on Wednesday evening for sharing information from his autopsy with them and making a public statement, but said the release "does not answer key questions," in a statement issued through two Columbus law firms now representing them, Walton + Brown and Friedman & Gilbert. 

His mother, Tamala Payne, said her family is "shattered" in a statement.

"We want justice," she said. "If it was any one of us, we would be in jail today trying to pay a bond, if we had one. The only threat my son was, was being a Black man in America.”

USA TODAY Network:What we know about the fatal shooting of Casey Goodson Jr.

Feds join investigation

Federal authorities announced Tuesday that they were joining Columbus police in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney David DeVillers announced Tuesday that the FBI, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the Columbus Police Critical Incident Response Team will "review the facts and circumstances" surrounding the shooting death of Goodson by Franklin County Sheriff's SWAT deputy Jason Meade.

DeVillers said in a statement that appropriate action will be taken "if the evidence indicates any federal civil rights laws were violated." 

Columbus police said they would investigate whether Meade, a 17-year sheriff's office veteran, was legally justified in the shooting.

"I believe a federal investigation is warranted," DeVillers said. 

The announcement came 24 hours after an exchange between Columbus police and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost over who would lead the investigation. 

In Columbus:Ohio State basketball player kneels during national anthem to honor late friend Casey Goodson

Goodson was shot by Meade about 12:15 p.m. EST Friday after an unsuccessful search for a fugitive involving a U.S. Marshals task force. 

Law enforcement officials have said Goodson drove by after deputies and agents had finished their unrelated operation on the Northeast Side. Goodson was waving a firearm at police, according to their narrative of events. When confronted, Goodson did not drop the firearm and Meade shot him, they said.

Goodson's family has said that he had a valid license to carry a concealed weapon, which Columbus police confirmed, and that he was carrying sub sandwiches while walking into his home when he was shot. 

Casey Goodson Jr.: Questions surround death of Black man shot by veteran SWAT officer

Columbus police have said a firearm belonging to Goodson was recovered at the scene, but information about where exactly the firearm was found has not yet been released.

The conflicting narratives have drawn statewide and national attention to the case since Friday afternoon, including from Ohio's Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. 

The senator posted on social media about the case on Monday evening. His daughter, Columbus City Council President Pro Tempore Elizabeth Brown, has also spoken about the case on social media. 

Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's office confirmed Tuesday that Ginther had specifically directed Chief Thomas Quinlan to request the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take over the investigation. 

The request began a carousel of communication about whether or not BCI would take the case. 

Columbus police said Monday afternoon that the Ohio bureau had agreed to take over the investigation, which was confirmed by Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Ginther. 

Hours later, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued a statement saying the Ohio bureau would not take the case because Columbus police had waited three days to call them. 

Bethany McCorkle, a spokeswoman for Yost, said Tuesday that the bureau never formally accepted the case. She said the agency has handled more than 50 officer-involved shooting investigations statewide in 2020 but has been on the scene for all of those.

"We're typically the first call because we're the subject matter experts," McCorkle said. 

Ginther's office did not directly respond to questions about whether he trusted Columbus police to conduct a thorough investigation. 

"We want a thorough, complete, transparent investigation," Ginther spokeswoman Robin Davis said. "It is critically important we get it right." 

Davis said the Division of Police must ensure that the public has full confidence in the investigation. When asked if the mayor had confidence in the investigation and would publicly say that, Davis said the entire process is to "build the community's trust in the process."

"The mayor asking for another agency to lead the investigation is not a reflection on CPD's ability to do it," she said. 

Columbus police have received multiple threats regarding the investigation, Sgt. James Fuqua said. The threats have come from social media and calls to the division. 

Because officer-involved shootings are a separate category for reporting crime data to federal agencies, Goodson's death is not considered part of the city's overall homicide total for the year.

Meade remains on paid administrative leave, as is the sheriff's office policy after any deputy-involved shooting while the matter is investigated. 

Meade's personnel file from the sheriff's office shows no significant disciplinary action. He was given an oral reprimand in 2019 for not properly reporting the use of a Taser to dispatchers or supervisors. 

Meade was also one of seven deputies to be involved in the shooting of a man in Pike County in 2018 after an hours-long standoff. No deputies were found to be at fault in the incident, which Franklin County SWAT officers responded to in order to assist Pike County.

Protests are planned in Columbus on Friday and Saturday, according to social media. 

Follow Bethany Bruner on Twitter: @bethany_bruner