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Cincinnati (BFMG) — The family of a Cincinnati man accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy in a suspected act of revenge is speaking publicly for the first time after the fatal police shooting of his teenage son just one day earlier.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, is charged with aggravated murder in the death of a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy Friday afternoon. Authorities say Hinton struck the deputy with his vehicle near the University of Cincinnati shortly after attending a meeting with police to view body camera footage of his son’s fatal encounter with officers.
Eighteen-year-old Ryan Hinton was shot and killed Thursday morning by a Cincinnati police officer after a brief foot chase involving a reportedly stolen Kia. Officers with the department’s fugitive apprehension unit located the vehicle at an apartment complex on Warsaw Avenue around 10 a.m. When officers approached, four individuals fled the scene. Body camera footage released the following day shows officers yelling, “He’s got a gun,” before multiple gunshots were fired.
Police say Hinton dropped a weapon while running between dumpsters before an officer fired four to five rounds, striking him in the chest and arm. A gun with an extended magazine was recovered near his body, and another firearm was found inside the vehicle.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said the entire encounter lasted about six seconds. “There’s no indication the suspect fired his weapon,” she said. “But our officers are trained to stop the threat. We don’t expect them to wait until they’re shot at.”
Two of the other individuals who fled the scene, 19-year-old Deanthony Bullocks and 18-year-old Jurell Austin, were apprehended and arraigned Friday. A fourth suspect, 18-year-old Cynsere Grigsby, was arrested Saturday. Charges against Grigsby have not yet been disclosed.
Attorneys representing the Hinton family say Rodney Hinton Jr. left Friday’s meeting with police in a highly emotional state. Not long after, he allegedly drove into a sheriff’s deputy near Martin Luther King Drive and Burnet Woods Drive, where university commencement ceremonies were underway.
The Cochran Firm, along with Pierson and Pierson, LLC, is representing the Hinton family. In a statement, attorneys described the family as “distraught” over Ryan’s death and confirmed that their investigation into the police shooting is ongoing.
The two officers involved in the shooting have not been publicly identified, in accordance with Marsy’s Law. One has served since 2001, the other since 2014.
Rodney Hinton Jr. remains in custody without bond as both cases continue to unfold.
