Man in ‘S-Town’ podcast is shot and killed in Alabama standoff
WOODSTOCK, Ala. — Joseph Tyler Goodson, 32, of Woodstock, Alabama was shot and killed by police during a weekend standoff in the town, authorities said Monday.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency reported that Goodson barricaded himself inside a home and brandished a gun at officers early Sunday. This led to a confrontation during which he was shot and subsequently pronounced dead.
The state agency is reviewing the shooting and will turn its findings over to the Bibb County district attorney.
Goodson was previously featured in the hit podcast “S-Town,” which told the story of an Alabama man named John B. McLemore. The podcast won a Peabody Award and focused on McLemore, a restorer of antique clocks, and his relationship with the town of Woodstock. Goodson played a part in the story, expressing his admiration for McLemore during an episode of the podcast.
Woodstock Mayor Jeff Dodson released a statement, calling for the community to remember Goodson as more than just a character from the podcast. “This young man was a father, son, brother and friend to many,” the mayor said in the statement.
Julie Synder, the executive producer of “S-Town,” declined to immediately comment when reached by email.
Goodson had previously been involved in legal issues, including receiving a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to burglary and theft charges related to items taken from McLemore’s property following his death.
In 2017, Goodson told The Associated Press that the podcast had brought unwanted attention to him and the town, saying, “It’s a sad story, especially if you’re part of it.”
The shooting of Goodson is part of an ongoing investigation, and authorities are working to determine the events that led to the standoff.
Woodstock, with a population of about 1,500 people, is located about 35 miles southwest of the major city of Birmingham.