Two tragic events that took place a day and several neighborhoods apart share a family link, Cincinnati police say.
CPD Chief Teresa Theetge said at a news conference Friday evening that the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy earlier that day is the father of a person who Cincinnati police shot and killed Thursday morning as he fled from a stolen vehicle.
Theetge said Rodney Hinton, Jr., 38, drove his vehicle off Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive at Burnet Woods Drive, striking deputy Larry Henderson, who was working a traffic detail during the University of Cincinnati's commencement ceremonies. Henderson died a short time later. Hinton has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder, police say.
The Deputy
The Hamilton County Sheriffs Office did not initially release the deputy's name. Officials with the department confirmed Henderson was the deceased deputy Sunday evening.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said Henderson was a 33-year-veteran of the department who served on its dive team, bomb squad, FBI task force and other specialized roles. He had recently retired and was beloved by his colleagues, McGuffey said.
“In Deputy Henderson’s early tenure as a Sheriff’s Deputy, I recognized his talent for teaching and presentation," McGuffey said in a statement. "Larry began his journey as a Sheriff’s Office trainer early in his career. He developed an expertise and became an excellent trainer. Subsequently, he trained divisions of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office that included hundreds of deputy sheriffs. His ability to relate to and touch officers’ lives was extraordinary. We will continue to honor Larry’s life of service.”
The Driver
Authorities allege Hinton steered his vehicle to hit Henderson on purpose after learning his son, Ryan Hinton, had been shot and killed by Cincinnati Police the day prior.
Attorneys representing the Hinton family released a statement Saturday afternoon saying the family was "heartbroken" by the death of the deputy. The attorneys with the Cochran Firm and Pierson and Pierson say they're in the beginning stages of an investigation into Ryan Hinton's death.
"[Friday], we attended a meeting between the family and members of the Cincinnati Police Department to view body camera video of Ryan Hinton's shooting death," the statement reads. "Ryan Hinton's family, including Ryan's father, was present at the meeting and they were understandably distraught as they watched the bodycam video. After the meeting with the police department, Ryan Hinton's father left in his own vehicle and that was the last we heard from him until learning about the tragic incident involving a law enforcement officer who was working a traffic detail near the University of Cincinnati."
Police shooting
CPD held a news conference Friday to discuss the shooting death of Ryan Hinton.
At that news conference, Theetge said the younger Hinton was one of four people to exit a stolen vehicle reported at an East Price Hill apartment complex Thursday morning. The four suspects ran in different directions. Theetge said officers saw Hinton with a gun.
Police showed body camera footage of the incident at the news conference. The footage is blurry. It is hard to see if Hinton has a gun as he runs from one officer between two dumpsters while another officer approaches from the other direction. The first officer shouts to the second that the suspect has a gun.
In the footage, Hinton falls briefly, then gets up and runs between the dumpsters. Officers said in interviews afterward they heard the clink of the metal gun hit the pavement. Seconds after Hinton emerges from the other side, the second officer fires four rounds, hitting him twice.
Theetge said Hinton was shot once in the chest and once through the arm and side. Aid was rendered at the scene, but Hinton died. Police say they found a semi-automatic pistol next to Hinton with a full magazine in it. Theetge displayed photos of the weapon during the news conference. Another magazine was found in Hinton's sweatshirt, officers say. Theetge said there isn't evidence Hinton fired the weapon.
The chase transpired quickly, with about six seconds elapsing between when the officer who shot Hinton leaves his cruiser and when he fires his gun. Theetge acknowledged the footage is blurry, but said the officer reported Hinton had pointed the gun at him as he emerged from behind the dumpsters.
CPD policy prohibits officers from using deadly force on fleeing suspects because it is unconstitutional unless the person escaping poses immediate danger to those around them. Theetge said the officer expressed fear for his life.
"If they feel like their life or somebody else's life is in danger, they have a responsibility to stop that threat," she said. "I cannot answer how every situation should be resolved. It's based on the officers, and some of that includes their training, their experience, their tenure."
CPD is not identifying the officer, citing Marsy's Law. Theetge said responding officers were uniformed police, some members of the department's fugitive apprehension squad.
What's next
It's still unclear how exactly the two incidents are linked. Hinton was arraigned Saturday morning and is being held in Clermont County Jail until his bond hearing Tuesday. Dozens of sheriff's deputies attended the Saturday hearing.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich released a statement Friday urging the community to have patience and let the facts come out.
"The investigation is ongoing, but if the facts show this act was intentional, as the [aggravated murder] charge suggests, I will throw the full force of the law at the perpetrator," the statement said. "I implore people not to act rashly so there is not another tragedy."
This story has been updated.