CIRCLEVILLE, OH — A Pickaway County jury has found 42-year-old Jaison McLean of Columbus not guilty in connection with a 2024 shooting that left one man dead outside McLean’s towing business in Circleville.
The verdict was delivered Thursday, October 23, 2025, following a multi-day trial in the Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas. McLean had faced charges of voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, and involuntary manslaughter stemming from the August 13, 2024 incident that occurred on Corwin Street.
Emergency responders were called to the scene around 5:00 p.m. that day, where they found 44-year-old David Raines suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Raines was transported to Berger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
According to testimony and police reports, the shooting followed an altercation that may have begun as a road rage incident in the Logan Elm area. McLean, the owner of Amnesty Towing, told investigators that Raines followed him to his business and confronted him while McLean’s children were present.
McLean claimed that Raines became physically aggressive, forcing him to draw his firearm in self-defense. During the struggle, Raines was shot near McLean’s truck, which was parked in front of the towing company. McLean immediately called 911 and remained on scene until police arrived.
The defense argued throughout the trial that McLean acted in self-defense, while prosecutors maintained that his actions constituted reckless use of deadly force. After deliberating, jurors sided with the defense, acquitting McLean on all counts.
Ohio’s castle doctrine, which expanded to include occupied vehicles under its “stand your ground” law, means you do not have a duty to retreat before using self-defense, including deadly force, if you are lawfully in your vehicle. There is a legal presumption of self-defense if you use deadly force against someone who is unlawfully entering or has entered your vehicle, but this presumption can be disproven. This law requires a person to fear for their life or serious physical harm, not just protect property. The state must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that your use of force was not justified, to overcome the legal presumption of self-defense.
McLean’s vehicle was parked in front of his Business on Corwin Street.
The Pickaway County Prosecutor’s Office has not indicated whether it will seek further legal action in the case.
