Ohio Father Found Guilty of Killing Deputy After Police Fatally Shot His Teenage Son

An Ohio father has been convicted of murder after he fatally struck a sheriff’s deputy with his car just hours after viewing body-camera footage showing the police shooting death of his 18-year-old son.

Rodney Hinton Jr., 40, was found guilty on October 23, 2026, of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault in the death of Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Henderson. The verdict followed a 10-day trial in Cincinnati.

The case began with the death of Hinton’s son, Ryan Hinton, who was fatally shot by Cincinnati police on May 1, 2025, during an investigation involving a reported stolen vehicle. Police said Ryan was armed with a handgun. Body-camera footage showed officers pursuing him as he ran, but the footage did not clearly establish whether he pointed the gun at officers before he was shot.

The following day, Rodney Hinton and other family members met with police to watch footage of the shooting. Later that day, Henderson was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati ahead of a graduation ceremony when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Hinton. The deputy later died from his injuries.

Prosecutors argued that Hinton deliberately drove toward Henderson after watching the footage of his son’s death. They told jurors that the vehicle’s movements showed the collision was intentional.

Hinton’s defense argued that he was experiencing a severe mental health crisis following his son’s death and could not legally distinguish right from wrong at the time. Jurors rejected the insanity defense and found him guilty of the charges.

Henderson had served with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for 33 years before retiring and continuing to work special assignments. His death deeply affected his colleagues and the local law-enforcement community.

Hinton’s attorney said he planned to appeal the verdict. Hinton faces a sentence ranging from 15 years to life in prison, with sentencing tentatively scheduled for November 16, 2026.

The two deaths remain closely linked in public discussion, but they involved separate investigations: one into the police shooting of Ryan Hinton and another into the fatal vehicle collision involving Deputy Henderson.

Source: DAILYMAIL