By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A Hamilton County, Ohio, jury on Friday convicted Rodney Hinton Jr. of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault in the May 2025 death of retired Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson.
- Jurors rejected Hinton’s not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity defense after more than two days of deliberations.
- They did not convict him of aggravated murder, instead finding him guilty of reckless homicide on those counts.
- Prosecutors said Hinton intentionally struck Henderson with his car hours after viewing police body camera video of the fatal shooting of his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, by Cincinnati police.
- Hinton is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 16 at 9 a.m., and his attorney said he plans to appeal.
HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio — A jury convicted an Ohio father of murder on Friday for striking and killing a retired sheriff’s deputy who was directing traffic, hours after the father viewed police video of his teenage son’s fatal shooting, according to cleveland.com and local news outlets.
Rodney Hinton Jr. was also found guilty of reckless homicide and felonious assault in the May 2025 death of Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson. Jurors deliberated for more than two days, rejected the not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity defense and declined to convict Hinton of aggravated murder.
The case grew out of the May 1, 2025, shooting of Hinton’s 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, by Cincinnati police, who were investigating a reported stolen vehicle. Police said Ryan had a gun. The officer who fired was not charged.
According to reports on the trial, Hinton viewed body camera footage of the shooting, and hours later his car struck Henderson, who was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati during graduation activities. Henderson had retired from the sheriff’s office months earlier but continued to work special assignments.
Hinton’s mental health was a central issue at trial. His attorney, Clyde Bennett II, argued that Hinton suffered from serious mental illness and could not understand that his actions were wrong. Prosecutors argued that Hinton was grieving but still knew right from wrong and deliberately drove toward Henderson.
Hinton is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 16 at 9 a.m. His attorney said he plans to appeal the conviction.