An Ohio man who killed a deputy with his car just hours after seeing video of his son killed by Cincinnati police was found guilty of murder and other charges on Friday, according to authorities.
Rodney L Hinton, ۴۰, faces between ۱۵ years and life in prison after his convictions in the death of Hamilton county special deputy Larry Henderson. His sentencing is tentatively scheduled for ۱۶ November.
During his ۱۰-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. But jurors rejected that defense after deliberations which began on Wednesday, finding him guilty of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault.
“The senseless murder of Deputy Larry Henderson Jr shattered a family and left a community mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant” who had spent ۳۳ years on the job, Ohio’s attorney general, Andy Wilson, said in a statement. “We are thankful to the jury for its verdict, which accurately reflects the evidence in this case.
Wilson’s statement added that Henderson’s “death is a painful reminder of the risks that law enforcement officers face every day while working to keep us safe”.
Hours before Henderson’s killing, the Cincinnati police department sat down with Hinton’s family and their attorneys to view body-worn camera footage of his son, Ryan Hinton, being shot and killed by the agency’s officers the previous day.
Ryan Hinton, ۱۸, was killed after officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex. Two officers attempted to detain four people, including Ryan, in the reported stollen car – and all of those in the vehicle in question began to run, police said.
Police also said Ryan Hinton was armed.
The body-worn camera footage, which was 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. It’s unclear from the footage if Hinton had aimed a firearm at officers.
After seeing that footage, Rodney Hinton left in his own car and took aim with it at Henderson, according to Cincinnati police.
Officials say Henderson saw the car coming toward him but could not avoid being hit. 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.
Rodney 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.
