An Ohio father has been convicted of murder after prosecutors said he intentionally drove over and killed a sheriff’s deputy hours after viewing body-camera footage of his teenage son being fatally shot by police.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, was found guilty in the death of 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.
Friday’s verdict centered on whether Hinton, overwhelmed by grief, deliberately targeted the uniformed deputy in retaliation for the death of his 19-year-old son, Ryan Hinton. The teenager had been shot by a Cincinnati police officer the previous day.
Jurors agreed with prosecutors and convicted Hinton of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault.
Hinton could spend the rest of his life in prison. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 15 years to life when he returns to court for sentencing on November 16.
The case began with two deaths less than 24 hours apart, a sequence of events that stunned Cincinnati and devastated both families.
Ryan Hinton was killed on May 1, 2025, after officers investigating a reported stolen vehicle encountered four people who fled from an apartment complex.
Body-camera video showed the teenager apparently stumble and fall while an officer chased him on foot.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 39, could receive 15 years to life in prison after his conviction for murdering a sheriff’s deputy in an apparent revenge attack following the fatal police shooting of his teenage son
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 had retired but continued working occasional assignments for the department. He was handling traffic near a college graduation when he was killed
Authorities said Ryan dropped a handgun during the pursuit, then picked it up again, leading an officer to fire.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge previously said the officer believed the teenager was holding the weapon in a threatening way.
“He felt threatened for his life. And that’s why he discharged his firearm,” Theetge said at the time.
The officer could be heard yelling “gun” before firing about four shots. Two of the bullets struck Ryan.
Police acknowledged that the shaky body-camera video did not clearly show every part of the confrontation, and authorities found no indication that Ryan had fired the weapon.
The shooting was later determined to be justified.
The next day, Ryan’s father watched the video of the fatal encounter.
Prosecutors argued that seeing the footage drove Hinton to seek revenge against law enforcement.
The deadly crash occurred one day after Rodney Hinton’s son, Ryan, was shot by a police officer after fleeing from officers 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. Officers said he picked up a dropped handgun before being fatally shot
Hours later, Deputy Henderson was directing traffic near Burnet Woods as crowds gathered for a University of Cincinnati graduation event.
The veteran deputy had recently retired from full-time service but continued working occasional assignments when needed.
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It was during that traffic detail that Hinton drove his vehicle into Henderson, fatally injuring 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.
They told jurors the evidence demonstrated that Hinton had intentionally targeted Henderson, despite the deputy having played no role in Ryan’s shooting.
Hinton’s defense attorney, Clyde Bennett, challenged that account, insisting his client had not deliberately aimed his vehicle at the 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.
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.
But jurors rejected the defense’s arguments and convicted him on all three 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.
He announced plans to appeal within 30 days of 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.
‘We do believe that is an appropriate finding,’ McGuffey said. ‘Now we can come together and hug each other and tell each other, we’re here. We have some finality.’
Officers found a handgun at the scene that they believe Ryan had on him when he was killed. 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.
‘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.
The deputy’s killing had sparked outrage among law enforcement leaders immediately after the 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.
‘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.
‘There’s no room for anything less than the death penalty and we call on Prosecutor Pillich to confirm she will seek it,’ he added.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson also welcomed the guilty verdict, paying tribute to Henderson’s decades of public service.
‘The senseless murder of Deputy Larry Henderson Jr. shattered a family and left a community mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant,’ Wilson said.
‘We are thankful to the jury for its verdict, which accurately reflects the evidence in this case.’
He added: ‘Deputy Henderson spent 33 years honorably serving his community in law enforcement. He died fulfilling his duty.’
