C&P Newswire
A tragic chain of events has rocked Cincinnati after a man allegedly drove his car into a sheriff’s deputy just one day after his teenage son was fatally shot by police.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder Friday following a crash that killed a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy who was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati on graduation day. Authorities believe the act was intentional.
“This appears to be a deliberate attack,” Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said during a press briefing. “The investigation is ongoing, but early evidence supports the charge.”
Hinton appeared in court Saturday, where prosecutors argued he intentionally drove into the deputy. A wall of deputies stood at the back of the courtroom as a judge ordered Hinton held without bond pending another hearing scheduled for Tuesday. His defense attorney noted that Hinton has no prior felony convictions and acknowledged the seriousness of the charge.
The alleged attack occurred just hours after Hinton and his family had viewed body camera footage of his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, being shot and killed by a Cincinnati police officer on Thursday. Police said Ryan was a suspect in a stolen car case and had pointed a firearm at officers during a chase.
Michael Wright, an attorney representing Ryan Hinton’s family, said Rodney was visibly shaken by the footage and left the room before it ended. “He was distraught, he was upset,” Wright said Saturday. Wright is not representing Rodney Hinton in the criminal case related to the deputy’s death.
In a statement released by Wright’s firm on behalf of the Hinton family, they expressed condolences to the deputy’s loved ones. “This is an unimaginable tragedy for our community,” the statement read. “The family is heartbroken by the events and devastated for the deputy’s family.”
Authorities have not yet released the name of the deputy, who had recently retired but was working an off-duty security detail at the time of the incident. Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey described him as a beloved figure in the department.
“He was so well-liked and so well-known,” McGuffey said. “What a tremendous loss we have all suffered.”
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine also issued a statement expressing his grief, calling the incident “an intentional act of violence” and saying he was “sickened” by what had occurred.
Ryan Hinton was shot twice during a foot chase on Thursday. Cincinnati Police Chief Theetge said an officer reported that Ryan pointed a gun at him while running behind an apartment building. Police released a blurred body camera video of the shooting, along with photos of a semiautomatic handgun allegedly found with Ryan and another in the car he was driving.
Though the video does not clearly show Ryan pointing the weapon, Theetge said the officer believed his life was in danger. No evidence has yet surfaced indicating Ryan fired the weapon before he was shot.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich emphasized that her office will pursue justice for the deputy. “If the facts confirm that this was a premeditated act, we will prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law,” she said.
As the community reels from the dual tragedies, both families now face profound and devastating loss.
