Former Police Officer Found Guilty

May 8, 2026, 19:17
USPolitics

Introduction

Jason Meade was a police officer. A court says he killed Casey Goodson Jr. in 2020.

Main Body

Jason Meade had two trials. The first trial did not finish. In the second trial, the jury said he was guilty of reckless homicide. This means he was very careless. He can go to prison for five years. Meade said the man had a gun and was dangerous. But the other lawyers said the man had food and keys in his hands. The man's gun was in a holder and it was not ready to fire. This is a rare case in Ohio. Meade is only the second white officer to be guilty of killing a Black man since 2020. Many people watched this case. Some people protested outside the court.

Conclusion

The judge will decide the punishment on July 16. Lawyers are thinking about a new trial for murder.

Learning

🕒 The 'Past' Pattern

Look at how we talk about things that already happened. We use simple words to change the time.

The Magic 'ED' Ending When a word ends in -ed, it usually means it happened before now:

  • Watch →\rightarrow Watched
  • Protest →\rightarrow Protested

The Rule-Breakers (Special Words) Some words change completely. You just have to remember them:

  • Is →\rightarrow Was
  • Say →\rightarrow Said
  • Have →\rightarrow Had

Example from the text: "Jason Meade was a police officer." →\rightarrow He is not an officer now.

💡 Quick Tip: 'Did Not' To say 'no' in the past, use did not + the normal word:

  • Correct: The trial did not finish.
  • Wrong: The trial did not finished.

Vocabulary Learning

police
the group of people who enforce laws
Example:The police arrived quickly after the accident.
officer
a person who works for the police or other public service
Example:He is a police officer who helps keep the streets safe.
court
a place where judges hear cases
Example:The case was held in a federal court downtown.
trial
a legal examination of evidence to decide guilt
Example:The trial lasted three days with many witnesses.
jury
a group of people who decide if someone is guilty
Example:The jury found the defendant guilty after a long discussion.
guilty
found to have committed a crime
Example:He was declared guilty of reckless driving.
careless
not paying attention, making mistakes
Example:She was careless with the fragile vase and it broke.
prison
a place where criminals are kept
Example:He will serve his sentence in state prison.
dangerous
able to cause harm or injury
Example:The road was dangerous because of the sharp turns.
lawyer
a person who helps people with legal matters
Example:The lawyer advised her to sign the document carefully.
keys
small metal objects that open locks
Example:He left his keys on the kitchen counter.
fire
to shoot a gun or to start a flame
Example:The gun did not fire because it was jammed.