Candlelight vigil held for Casey Goodson Jr.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus community came together for a candlelight vigil on Saturday, Dec. 4th to remember the life of Casey Goodson Jr. on the one-year anniversary of his death.
Goodson, a 23-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade.
"We're celebrating his life, not the day that he passed," said Goodson's mother, Tamala Payne.
Payne, said the vigil is not for mourning, but rather a call for justice over her son's death.
"We have double murder charges and a reckless homicide charge, so I'm elated, can't nothing steal my joy right now," she said.
Earlier this week, Meade was arrested and charged with Goodson's murder. He is currently out on bond.
Meade, a 17-year member of the sheriff’s office, was coming off an assignment with the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force when he spotted Goodson on December 4th of last year.
Meade’s attorney has said that Goodson waved a firearm and refused commands to drop it. Goodson's family says he was only trying to unlock a door to his grandmother's house while carrying a bag of sandwiches.
"Our ultimate goal is the conviction and we're still looking toward that," said Sean Walton, attorney for Goodson's family.
Walton says the vigil has only further inspired him and this community — a community Payne says she is continually grateful for having.
"They have stood with us and they have rolled with us from the very beginning," she said. "It means a lot."
The Goodson family has also filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Meade and Franklin County.