A column published by one of Ohio's most powerful gun rights organizations says Second Amendment supporters should demand answers about the shooting death of a Black man in Columbus.
Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade shot and killed 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. on December 4, claiming he was waving a handgun. Goodson's family says he was holding a bag of sandwiches and unlocking the door of his home. Law enforcement says Meade never mistook a sandwich for a gun.
While hundreds of people have rallied in downtown Columbus demanding answers, Chad Baus with the Buckeye Firearms Association believes gun owners should be seeking those answers as well.
“I am encouraging Second Amendment rights people to join in the call that we get all the facts and we get a fair and impartial investigation in this thing, because Casey deserves that as much as any other concealed handgun licensed holder,” he says.
Goodson did possess an up-to-date concealed carry license. Sean Walton, a lawyer representing Goodson's family, said Goodson eagerly educated his family about gun safety and laws.
Baus says that people who advocate for gun rights can be hesitant to weigh in on police-involved shootings.
“We’re very pro-law enforcement. We realize that the law enforcement officers are trying to keep us safe – that’s why they exist,” he says. “So oftentimes the Second Amendment community seems really hesitant to speak into these situations too soon, because we don’t have all the information.”
Baus says the shooting brings to light questions surrounding the right to legally carry a gun and a person's skin color.
“There are many people who are concerned about even being able to exercise their Second Amendment right because of the color of their skin and because of their fears about how that interaction could go if they have to interact with law enforcement,” he says.
Baus notes this is not the first time a Black man, licensed to carry a gun, has died at the hands of law enforcement. He thinks it’s an issue the entire community needs to address.
“We are one big family, we always like to talk about that, so let’s be a big family and let’s talk about [the fact] that part of our family is suffering,” he says.
