(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- A jury in Columbus, Ohio, reached a partial verdict on Thursday in the retrial of a former Ohio deputy Jason Meade, who was charged in the 2020 shooting death of 23-year-old Casey Goodson, Jr.
The jury found Meade guilty of reckless homicide, but failed to reach a verdict on the murder charge.
“We the jury, upon our oaths and law and evidence in its case find the defendant guilty of reckless homicide,” the judge read after a partial verdict was reached.
The judge said that the jury was hung on the murder charge and he declared a mistrial on that count. He also revoked Meade's bond after the partial verdict was reached. The decision came after the 12-member jury communicated to the judge earlier on Thursday that they were deadlocked and believed it was "impossible" for the group to reach a "unanimous decision" on a verdict. The judge asked them to resume deliberations.
Meade's first trial in Feb. 2024 ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach an agreement.
Goodson's mother, Tamala Payne, welcomed the jury's decision and said that Meade now "has to stand accountable for what he did to Casey." "It gives us closure. It gives us peace. And now I'm sure I speak for my family when I say this, I know now, Casey can rest," she added.
ABC News reached out to Meade's defense attorneys, but requests for comment were not immediately returned.
Brian Steel, the president of the police union that represented Meade, spoke out during a post-verdict press conference, saying that he is "disappointed" in the jury's decision.
Special prosecutor Tim Merkle said that the state is "pleased with the partial verdict."
"We appreciate the hard work the jury did. They have spoken, and we're pleased with that," he added.
Merkle said that while the murder charge remains "unresolved," prosecutors have not made a decision on whether they will pursue a third trial on that charge.
The jury, which is made up of nine women and three men, began deliberations on Wednesday afternoon and resumed on Thursday morning. Meade, who did not take the witness stand during the trial, pleaded not guilty.
On the day of the fatal shooting, Goodson had gone to a dentist appointment, prosecutors said, and was returning to his home while listening to music on his AirPods and carrying a bag of sandwiches when he was fatally shot.
Meade was working with the U.S. Marshals on that day in search of a potential violent fugitive when he fatally shot Goodson. Goodson was not the target of the search.
Meade’s defense team argued during the trial that the former sheriff’s deputy followed Goodson and pursued him after Goodson allegedly pointed a gun at other cars while driving.
At the center of the case was the defense team’s claim that Meade was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot Goodson, claiming that Goodson had pointed a gun at Meade before he was killed. Goodson was entering his home at the time.
Prosecutors disputed this claim and argued that Goodson’s fatal shooting was unjustified and said that the 23-year-old did not pose an “imminent threat” and was killed with his keys in the door as he tried to get inside.
A gun was found in Goodson's possession with the safety on, according to police. Goodson was a legal gun owner and had a concealed carry permit, which was found in his wallet, police said. No body camera video of the incident exists because at the time, Franklin County Sheriff's deputies were not issued body-worn camera equipment.
During the trial, which began with opening statements last week, the state called detectives, law enforcement officers, Goodson's family, a medical examiner, forensic firearms and use of force experts to the stand. Meanwhile, the defense called one witness -- a use-of-force expert -- before resting their case. The jury was shown body camera footage of the aftermath of the shooting, a reenactment video that was produced by the FBI and before the trial began, the jurors visited the scene of the incident.
During the trial, special prosecutor Tim Merkle argued on behalf of the state that this case is about the “six shots in the back” that killed Goodson.
"Six shots in the back," Merkle said. "The evidence will show that on Dec. 4, 2020, the defendant shot Casey Goodson Jr. six times in the back, killing him. At the time Casey had entered his house, he was carrying a bag of Subways and was listening to YouTube music on his AirPods."
Kaitlyn Stephens, a defense attorney for Meade, argued that Meade's fatal shooting of Goodson was a "justified tragedy" that occurred because Meade perceived a "threat" after Goodson "pointed a gun" at the sheriff's deputy -- a claim that prosecutors dispute.
"The evidence will show that Jason Meade was justified -- a justified tragedy as such," Stephens said.
"He's going into the house with a gun. That is not an imminent threat, that is not an immediate threat, that is not a threat," Merkle said. Stephens told jurors that the law requires them to consider the incident from Meade's perspective "as a reasonable" law enforcement officer.
"Our defense will require you to answer two questions. Question one, did Jason believe he was about to be shot when he saw Mr. Goodson point the gun at him?" Stephens said. "And question two was Jason's decision to use deadly force reasonable through the eyes of a reasonable police officer standing in Jason's shoes without 2020 hindsight.”
Goodson's family attended the trial, and his grandmother, Sharon Payne, his sister, Janae Jones and his uncle, Ernest Payne, Jr., testified on behalf of the state.
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