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   The mayor of Columbus, Ohio, criticized a U.S. Marshal on Friday   
   for providing an "inappropriate, uninformed" statement about the   
   death of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr.   
      
   Soon after Goodson was fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy last   
   Friday, U.S. Marshal Peter Tobin made multiple claims that have   
   been disputed by Goodson's family and have not been repeated by   
   authorities investigating the shooting. He has since said his   
   comments were "premature."   
      
   In the aftermath of the December 4 shooting, Tobin told   
   reporters on the scene that the victim "was seen driving down   
   the street waving a gun" before he was confronted by the deputy,   
   who was later identified as Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy   
   Jason Meade.   
      
   Marshals said at least one person told investigators that they   
   heard a deputy demand he drop a gun and that the deputy fired   
   after he refused, according to CBS affiliate WBNS-TV. "My   
   prediction is that it was a justified shooting," Tobin said   
   before noting that the deputy would be thoroughly investigated   
   before he was cleared.   
      
   "U.S. Marshal Pete Tobin said that it appeared the shooting was   
   justified," Mayor Andrew Ginther wrote on Twitter. "He was wrong   
   to make a statement, and his words were inappropriate,   
   uninformed and damaged the public's trust in the investigation."   
      
   Hours after facing criticism from the mayor, Tobin released a   
   statement saying his comments were "premature."   
      
   "I previously provided commentary after arriving at the scene of   
   the incident and made statements based on insufficient   
   information that I received prior to the beginning of the   
   official investigation into the shooting incident," Tobin said   
   in a statement. "It was premature for me to provide any opinion,   
   conclusion, or other information about the facts of the   
   incident."   
      
   The Columbus Division of Police, which has been tasked with   
   investigating the shooting, released its own set of facts in a   
   statement on Sunday. Police said there were "reports of a verbal   
   exchange" before Meade shot Goodson, who was not the person   
   being sought by the task force. Police also said they recovered   
   a gun from Goodson, but did not say he had been waving a gun   
   before he was killed.   
      
   Police said they have not identified any eyewitnesses and the   
   shooting was not captured on body camera footage.   
      
   Columbus police have said that Meade was working on behalf of   
   the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force when the shooting   
   occurred. But Tobin contradicted that claim in his Friday   
   statement, writing that "U.S. Marshals task force operations had   
   concluded, and the officer was acting on his own and in his   
   independent authority as a Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy   
   within his home jurisdiction when he encountered Mr. Goodson,   
   and throughout the subsequent incident leading to Mr. Goodson's   
   death."   
      
   Goodson's family tells a different story. According to family   
   attorney Sean Walton, Goodson was returning home from a dentist   
   appointment with a bag of Subway sandwiches for his family when   
   he was shot on his grandmother's doorstep. Walton said Goodson   
   fell into the home in front of his grandmother and two toddlers.   
      
   A preliminary autopsy report released earlier this week ruled   
   Goodson's death a homicide, and attributed his death to   
   "multiple gunshot wounds to the torso." Meade has been placed on   
   administrative duty for the duration of the investigation.   
      
   In a Thursday statement, Meade's attorneys said Goodson "pointed   
   his gun" at Meade, adding, "There has been confirmation that our   
   client gave verbal commands for Mr. Goodson to drop the gun."   
      
   Walton told CBS News the family did not see a gun at the scene.   
   But he noted that Goodson is a gun owner with the correct   
   license to carry a firearm and that Ohio is an open-carry state.   
      
   "We don't know if he had a gun on him, unfortunately, because we   
   don't have answers at this point about what happened that led   
   Jason Meade to choose to take Casey's life that day," Walton   
   said. "But, you know, if he did have a gun on him, it would not   
   be a surprise because he had every right to have a gun on him   
   that day. And that in itself is not a crime at all."   
      
   The Department of Justice is also reviewing the case to   
   determine if Goodson's civil rights have been violated. Protests   
   are planned in Ohio on Friday and Saturday.   
      
   Mayor Ginther encouraged faith in the investigations in his   
   Friday statement. "The Columbus Division of Police, the U.S.   
   Department of Justice and the FBI are committed to following the   
      
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