Jury convicts Ohio man of murder in deputy's death

Hinton faces 15 years to life; sentencing tentatively scheduled for Nov. 16

A jury convicted Rodney L Hinton, 40, on Friday of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault in the death of Hamilton County special deputy Larry Henderson, according to authorities. Henderson died after Hinton struck him with his car hours after viewing body-worn camera footage of his son, Ryan Hinton, 18, being shot and killed by Cincinnati police officers the previous day.

Hinton faces between 15 years and life in prison. His sentencing is tentatively scheduled for 16 November.

Hours before Henderson’s death, the Cincinnati police department sat down with Hinton’s family and their attorneys to view the footage of Ryan Hinton being shot and killed by the agency’s officers the previous day. After seeing it, Hinton left in his own car and took aim at Henderson with it, according to Cincinnati police. Officials said Henderson saw the car coming toward him but could not avoid being hit.

Rodney Hinton Sr., father of Rodney Hinton and grandfather of Ryan Hinton, spoke at a news conference on 5 May 2025 in Cincinnati, according to a photograph caption published with the article.

Ryan Hinton was killed after officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex. Police said two officers attempted to detain four people, including Ryan Hinton, who were in the reported stolen car, and that all of those in the vehicle began to run. Police said Ryan Hinton was armed.

The body-worn camera footage, published by NBC News, showed an officer exiting his vehicle and aiming his gun at Ryan Hinton, who appeared to be running away. Another recording captured an officer saying, “He’s got a gun!” The firearm was reportedly recovered at the scene. The officer who shot Ryan Hinton fired about four times, and it is unclear from the footage whether Ryan Hinton had aimed a firearm at officers.

Prosecutors contended that Hinton “tracked” Henderson. “He turned his wheel the same direction that Larry moved, and the car struck Larry, throwing him, tossing him into the air, twisting him until he landed,” assistant prosecutor Kate Burroughs said in closing arguments on Wednesday.

During the 10-day trial, Hinton’s defense argued that he was so distressed over his son’s killing that he could not legally distinguish between right and wrong at the time of Henderson’s killing. Jurors, who began deliberating on Wednesday, rejected that defense.

“The senseless murder of Deputy Larry Henderson Jr shattered a family and left a community mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said in a statement. Wilson said Henderson had spent 33 years on the job. “We are thankful to the jury for its verdict, which accurately reflects the evidence in this case,” Wilson said. Henderson’s “death is a painful reminder of the risks that law enforcement officers face every day while working to keep us safe,” Wilson added.

Hinton’s attorney, Clyde Bennett II, had asked jurors to find the defendant not guilty of all charges by reason of insanity. Bennett told reporters after the verdict that Hinton planned to pursue an appeal. “The fight is not over,” Bennett said in remarks recorded by Cincinnati news station WLWT.