Rodney Hinton Jr. allegedly killed a random Hamilton County deputy, Larry Henderson, after his son was previously shot dead by police. During a court appearance, chaos broke out in a heated moment, with Hinton seen appearing to confront more than 50 police officers present in the room.
Videos by Suggest
According to NBC News, the latest incident in Hinton’s case occurred during a court hearing on Tuesday, May 6. At one point, Hinton’s brother started yelling, “That’s my brother, that’s my brother.” Deputies proceeded to escort Hinton out of the courtroom, with him staring at the police officers surrounding him.
Ryan Hinton Shot
On Thursday, May 1, Cincinnati police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle. According to authorities, four people were found in the car, but they proceeded to run as police approached them. Among them was Ryan Hinton, 18, Rodney’s son, who, according to the shooting officer, had a gun.
The officer, who remains unidentified, shot at Ryan Hinton multiple times, hitting him twice in the chest and arm as he ran away. According to CNN, while police allege that Ryan pointed a gun at an officer, body camera footage failed to clearly capture said moment.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge told reporters that what Hinton did was unacceptable.
“Let me be very direct: We cannot allow individuals to flee from officers with a loaded firearm aimed at them,” Theetge said. “When this happens, the outcome is almost always tragic. No one wins, and everyone involved is affected.”
Deputy Dead
One day after Ryan Hinton was shot dead, Rodney Hinton Jr., alongside his family, was able to review the body cam footage at a police station, showing his son being shot. In an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer, Hinton’s lawyer said that his client became distraught after reviewing the footage.
“He couldn’t finish watching the video,” Michael Wright, Hinton’s lawyer, said. “It was very difficult to watch for the family.”
As per NBC News, Hinton’s family was concerned about him. They decided to drive him from the station. However, Hinton eventually returned to pick up his vehicle.
“He actually left the parking lot, followed by some family members and another car, and then a few minutes later returned to the parking lot … drove through the parking lot and left the parking lot again,” Cincinnati police officer Carl Beebe said during the Tuesday hearing.
While driving his vehicle, Rodney Hinton Jr. allegedly intentionally sped into Special Deputy Larry Henderson. He was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati, having retired five months before the crash. Henderson was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. He was not the officer who shot Ryan Hinton dead.
Charged
As a result, Hinton was charged with aggravated murder and is currently being held without bond.
Attorney Clyde Bennett argued that Hinton should be “treated as a mentally ill person” instead of a “cop killer.”
“I don’t think he was a cop killer, I think he was not in his right mind, and I think he should be treated like any other mentally ill person that commits a crime,” Bennett said.
Similarly, Theresa Larkin, Hinton’s aunt, believes that something was off with him after Friday morning.
“I’ve known Rodney since I was 15 years old,” Larkin said. “That wasn’t the Rodney that I knew. It was like his soul wasn’t even in his body.”
A procession was held to honor Henderson, where he was remembered as a “well-liked and so well-known” man, as per WLWT. Dozens of Hamilton County Sheriff’s vehicles and Henderson’s fellow deputies were present in the heartfelt moment.