CINCINNATI — An Ohio man charged with killing a sheriff’s deputy with his car is the father of an 18-year-old who was fatally shot a day earlier by a Cincinnati police officer, authorities said.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, crashed into a Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy who was directing traffic during a University of Cincinnati commencement ceremony on May 2, according to authorities. The deputy was outside his vehicle operating a traffic light at an intersection around 1 p.m. local time when he was hit.
The deputy was transported in critical condition to the hospital and later died of his injuries, Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said during a news conference while flanked by at least 30 law enforcement officers. Authorities initially withheld the deputy’s name, citing Marsy’s Law — legislation meant to protect victims of crimes — but later identified him on May 4.
Hinton has been charged with aggravated murder in the deputy’s death and appeared in court on May 3. He is currently being held in a jail in a different county east of Cincinnati for his protection, according to Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Tyrone Yates.
The fatal crash came roughly two hours after the Hinton family reviewed police body camera footage of an officer shooting Hinton’s son, Ryan Hinton, 18, near an apartment complex’s parking lot, said the family’s attorney, Michael Wright.
Wright said he could not speculate on the intentions of the father, but noted that Rodney Hinton became distraught after watching some of the body camera footage of his son’s fatal shooting.
“He couldn’t finish watching the video,” Wright said. “It was very difficult to watch for the family.”
Officials said the Cincinnati Police Department’s traffic and homicide units are handling the investigation into the crash.
Tyre Nichols murder trial is underway. What to know about the deadly traffic stop
Bodycam shows 18-year-old shot, killed after running with gun in direction of officer
Earlier on May 2, Theetge held a separate news conference to discuss details of the shooting of Ryan Hinton. The incident began around 9:30 a.m. on May 1 when officers went to a condominium’s parking lot to investigate reports of a stolen vehicle.
Theetge said uniformed police officers confronted four suspects inside a 2021 Kia Telluride, which had been stolen out of Edgewood, Kentucky, but had GPS capabilities that allowed law enforcement to track the vehicle. All four suspects exited the Kia and started running from police, some in different directions, leaving the officers to decide whom they wanted to pursue, Theetge added.
One officer started chasing the armed suspect, Theetge said, adding the officer saw the suspect’s gun and called out to let others know there was a weapon. That suspect was later identified as Ryan Hinton.
Ryan Hinton tripped but continued to run between two dumpsters with a gun in his hand, before he encountered another officer, authorities said. Theetge said police on the scene reported hearing the handgun fall to the ground, and images showed scrapes on the weapon, likely from when it fell.
The other officer was pursuing someone else when Ryan Hinton emerged from between the dumpsters, according to police. The body camera showed the officer fired four to five rounds at Ryan Hinton as he ran in the officer’s direction.
While it’s unclear from the blurred body camera footage, authorities said, the officer who fired the shots said in interviews that Ryan Hinton pointed the gun at him.
Ryan Hinton was struck twice by gunfire, once in the chest and once in the arm. While there was no indication Ryan Hinton fired off any rounds toward officers, police said the gun was loaded with an extended magazine.
Ryan Hinton died despite officers’ efforts to provide medical aid at the scene, authorities said.
‘We must address police violence’: Video released in fatal police shooting of autistic Idaho teenager
‘This is devastating’
A little more than 24 hours later, police said Ryan Hinton’s father drove his car into the sheriff’s deputy, who was outside of his cruiser operating a traffic light. The vehicle that struck the deputy drove onto a sidewalk and into a light pole, where it came to rest.
While the investigation is ongoing, Theetge said the crash was related to the May 1 shooting. On May 4, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office 4 identified the deputy as Larry Henderson.
Henderson retired in December 2024 after working 33 years with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office, according to a Facebook post from the department. He worked as a bomb technician and was a dive team member who performed water rescues and searches. After retirement, he continued to serve as a special deputy.
He still worked traffic details like the one outside the May 2 commencement ceremony at the University of Cincinnati, where he was fatally struck and killed.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey described him as a “tremendous person.” Others who knew the deputy took to social media to remember his life and public service.
“This is devastating. I had worked with him since we were young cops,” Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan said in a Facebook post. “Always one of the first to check on and help you. You didn’t need to ask for him, he was already there.”
McGuffey previously said there would be a procession for Henderson.
“Our deputy will not be alone,” McGuffey said. “There will be someone with him until the day that he transitions to higher ground.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Father of teen fatally shot by Ohio police charged in deputy’s death
