An Ohio father who deliberately mowed down and killed a sheriff's deputy just hours after watching bodycam footage of his teenage son being shot dead by police has been convicted of murder.
asserted
who → mow → murder
Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, was found guilty of killing Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson Jr., a 33-year law enforcement veteran who was directing traffic near a University of Cincinnati graduation ceremony on May 2, 2025.
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who → find → May
Friday's verdict followed a trial examining whether the grief-stricken father intentionally targeted the uniformed deputy in retaliation for the death of his son, Ryan Hinton, 19, who had been fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer the previous day.
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who → follow → officer
Jurors ultimately sided with prosecutors, finding Hinton guilty of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault.
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Hinton → side → murder
He now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars, with prosecutors seeking a sentence of 15 years to life when he returns to court on November 16.
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he → face → November
The case began with two deaths barely 24 hours apart that shocked Cincinnati and left two families devastated.
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that → begin → families
Ryan Hinton was shot dead on May 1, 2025, after officers investigating a stolen vehicle encountered four individuals who fled from police at an apartment complex.
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who → shoot → complex
Bodycam footage showed the teenager appearing to stumble and fall as an officer pursued him on foot.
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officer → show → foot
Rodney Hinton Jr., 39, faces 15 years to life in prison after being convicted of murdering a sheriff's deputy in an apparent act of revenge following his teenage son's fatal police shooting
Deputy Larry Henderson Jr., a 33-year law enforcement veteran who had recently retired, was killed while directing traffic near a University of Cincinnati graduation ceremony
Deputy Henderson was a retired officer who had continued to work occasionally for the department.
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who → face → department
He was monitoring traffic for a college graduation when he was killed
Authorities said Ryan had dropped a handgun during the chase before picking it up again, prompting an officer to open fire.
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Ryan → monitor → fire
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge previously explained that the officer believed the teenager was holding a weapon in a threatening manner.
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teenager → explain → manner
'He felt threatened for his life. And that's why he discharged his firearm,' Theetge said at the time.
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Theetge → threaten → time
The officer could be heard shouting 'gun' before firing approximately four shots, two of which struck Ryan.
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two → hear → Ryan
Police acknowledged that the shaky bodycam footage did not clearly capture every moment of the encounter, and there was no indication Ryan had fired his weapon.
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Ryan → acknowledge → weapon
The shooting was subsequently ruled justified.
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shooting → rule → ?
But the following day, Ryan's father watched footage of the deadly encounter.
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father → watch → encounter
Prosecutors say that experience triggered his decision to seek revenge against law enforcement.
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experience → say → enforcement
The fatal crash came a day after Rodney Hinton's son, Ryan, was killed by a police officer after he ran away from cops investigating an alleged stolen vehicle
Dramatic police bodycam footage captures the pursuit of Ryan Hinton, 19, who was fatally shot by a Cincinnati officer on May 1, 2025, one day before his father killed a sheriff's deputy
Ryan Hinton, 19, is seen fleeing past dumpsters as police pursue him during an investigation into a stolen vehicle.
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police → come → vehicle
Officers said he picked up a dropped handgun before being fatally shot
Hours
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he → say → handgun
later, Deputy Henderson was directing traffic near Burnet Woods as crowds gathered for a University of Cincinnati graduation event.
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crowds → direct → event
The veteran deputy had recently retired from full-time service but continued working occasional assignments when needed.
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deputy → retire → assignments
It was during that traffic detail that Hinton drove his vehicle into Henderson, fatally injuring him.
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Hinton → drive → him
Prosecutors maintained the attack was no accident, arguing Hinton recognized the deputy's law enforcement uniform and deliberately struck him in retaliation for his son's death.
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Hinton → maintain → death
They told jurors the evidence demonstrated that Hinton had intentionally targeted Henderson, despite the deputy having played no role in Ryan's shooting.
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deputy → tell → shooting
Hinton's defense attorney, Clyde Bennett, challenged that account, insisting his client had not deliberately aimed his vehicle at the officer.
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client → challenge → officer
Instead, Bennett argued that Hinton was experiencing acute psychotic symptoms and severe mental illness that prevented him from appreciating the wrongfulness of his actions.
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that → argue → actions
The defense maintained that Hinton's psychological condition was central to understanding what happened in the hours after he viewed the footage of his son's death.
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he → maintain → death
But jurors rejected the defense's arguments and convicted him on all three counts.
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jurors → reject → counts
Speaking to reporters following Friday's verdict, Bennett said he was 'disappointed' and suggested the disturbing video evidence showing the crash had played a decisive role in the jury's decision.
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evidence → speak → decision
He announced plans to appeal within 30 days of sentencing.
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He → announce → sentencing
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey welcomed the jury's decision, saying it offered a measure of closure to a police department still struggling with the loss.
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it → welcome → loss
'We do believe that is an appropriate finding,' McGuffey said.
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McGuffey → believe → ?
'Now we can come together and hug each other and tell each other, we're here.
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we → come → other
We have some finality.'
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We → have → finality
Officers found a handgun at the scene that they believe Ryan had on him when he was killed.
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he → find → him
A second magazine was found in his jacket pocket, and another gun was located in a stolen car
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge stood up for the officer who shot and killed Ryan Hinton, arguing that the deputy feared for his life
Prosecutors also acknowledged the lasting devastation suffered by Henderson's loved ones.
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Prosecutors → find → ones
'His family will never truly be able to fill that void, but we hope that today's verdict brings them some sense of justice and peace,' they said.
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they → fill → justice
The deputy's killing had sparked outrage among law enforcement leaders immediately after the crash.
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killing → spark → crash
Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police representative Ken Kober demanded the harshest possible punishment, describing the attack as one of the most disturbing incidents of his career.
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Kober → demand → career
'This horrific and intentional murder of a Hamilton County law enforcement officer is one of the worst things that I've ever seen in my career,' Kober said at the time.
'
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Kober → see → time
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
