|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
CINCINNATI (BFMG) — A Hamilton County grand jury has indicted Rodney Hinton Jr. on multiple charges, including aggravated murder, in the deliberate killing of a sheriff’s deputy earlier this month, Prosecutor Connie Pillich announced Tuesday.
Hinton, 38, faces two counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder, and two counts of felonious assault. The aggravated murder charges carry the possibility of the death penalty.
On May 2, authorities say Hinton purposefully struck and killed Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Henderson with his vehicle. Henderson, a retired deputy, was working a special traffic detail for the University of Cincinnati’s graduation ceremony when he was hit.
“This was a targeted killing of an innocent deputy who was working to protect and serve his community,” Pillich said. “Additionally, Hinton put in danger the lives of many innocent people celebrating a momentous occasion in their lives – college graduation.”
Earlier that day, Hinton had been at the Cincinnati Police Department, where officers informed him that his son had died during a police encounter involving a stolen vehicle and a firearm. Hinton viewed body-worn camera footage related to the incident before leaving the department visibly distraught.
Investigators tracked Hinton’s movements before the crash:
- 9:33 a.m.: Arrived at the police station
- 9:51 a.m.: Left the building
- 10:37 a.m.: Left the area with family, leaving his vehicle behind
- 12:41 p.m.: Returned to retrieve his car
- 12:49 p.m.: Circulated the police parking lot
- 12:50 p.m.: Drove away again
Roughly 15 minutes later, at about 1:05 p.m., Hinton was driving on Martin Luther King Drive when he allegedly paused, waited for traffic to clear, and then accelerated across several lanes, hitting Deputy Henderson, who was clearly identifiable in uniform and a reflective vest. Hinton’s vehicle then collided with a utility pole.
Deputy Henderson was transported to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries later that night.
Hinton is currently being held without bond. The investigation into the death of Hinton’s son is being handled separately, Pillich said.
“Please be patient as we review all the evidence,” she added.
