Latest news with #LarryHenderson
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
A Black father killed a cop after seeing his son shot dead in a police chase. People have donated tens of thousands of dollars to his cause
The day after learning his 18-year-old son had been killed by Cincinnati police, Rodney Hinton Jr. sat down with his family to watch the body cam footage of the teenager's final moments. Too distraught to watch it in full, Hinton left the police station before the video ended. A few hours later, according to prosecutors, he drove his car at high speed towards officer Larry Henderson, who was directing college graduation traffic at an intersection, killing him. Henderson, a 57-year-old father of five, had retired last December after over three decades as a Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy, but returned occasionally for special duty. He didn't have anything to do with the teen's death, and seems to have been chosen simply because he was a police officer. In the weeks since Hinton carried out the car attack, he has attracted thousands of supporters online, fan edits of his court appearances have gone viral with millions of views, and nearly $100,000 has been donated to support his defense and his family. Hinton's defenders have sought to place his actions in the context of institutional police violence against Black people. 'A lot of African Americans are tired of the police seemingly unjustifiably killing Black individuals without recourse or without punishment," Clyde Bennett, Hinton's attorney, told The Independent. Some say they understood how the pain of losing a son at the hands of police could have caused Hinton to lash out in the way that he did. Others compare it to the alleged killing of a healthcare executive by Luigi Mangione, who is often depicted as a cult hero standing up against the health insurance industry. Hinton's 'actions have been received and accepted by a lot of people because they can identify and relate to his experience, and they believe that they can understand why he did what he did, because they may have done the same thing in similar circumstances,' Bennett added. Hinton faces the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted on charges of two counts of aggravated murder of the retired deputy. Bennett said his client intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, explaining that seeing the video of his son's death triggered a psychiatric episode. 'I've got the medical records to prove it — he was not in his right frame of mind when he committed the act that he did. He did not understand the wrongfulness of his conduct because of his mental condition. I think he was insane at the time,' Bennett said. The investigation into the police killing of Ryan Hinton is ongoing. Police bodycam footage from May 2 in the East Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati shows officers arriving at a stolen vehicle parked on a dead-end street, and four men running from the vehicle. A man later identified as Ryan Hinton is seen dashing out from between two dumpsters and away from the officers. As he does so, one of the officers shouts 'He's got a gun!' several times. Another officer opens fire and continues firing as Hinton runs past him. If you're Team Luigi Mangione, you should be Team Rodney Hinton Jr. too. Both men were pushed to the brink by violent systems Leslie Vargas, writing for Afropunk Police later showed photographs of a loaded gun they say Hinton was holding. A coroner said the round that likely killed Hinton entered just under his armpit, ricocheted off a rib, hit his heart, and exited the front through his chest. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge defended the officer who fired the shots. 'Based on the officer's interviews, the officer who did discharge his firearm said that when the individual came out between the dumpsters, he had the firearm in front of him. He was in like a bladed position, and [the gun] was pointed at the officer, and he felt threatened for his life. And that's why he discharged his firearm," Theetge said. The day after the shooting, Hinton and the rest of Ryan Hinton's family were invited into the police station to watch the footage of the incident for themselves. Theetge met with the family at 9:30 a.m. to review the footage. After just 20 minutes, Hinton 'was so upset he left the building,' Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said at a press conference. Hinton's family was worried about his mental state in the hours after he had seen the footage. Just after 1 p.m., Hinton pulled over into a middle lane and looked down a hill where Henderson, a marine veteran, was directing traffic at an intersection for the University of Cincinnati's spring graduation ceremony. Henderson was standing just off the road, underneath a tree for shade. Hinton then 'floors the vehicle,' according to Pillich, crossed into traffic lanes, and drove directly at Henderson, hitting him. 'He never veers off course, he never slows down,' she said. Hinton appeared in court for his arraignment the day after. The courtroom was packed with local police officers, together with a sizeable number of Hinton Jr.'s family members. Soon after, videos of that appearance began appearing on TikTok and other social media. One video, liked more than 412,000 times, showed a slow-motion clip of Hinton walking past a long line of police officers in the courtroom set to Sam Cooke's civil rights anthem 'A Change is Gonna Come.' Another version of the same clip, captioned 'the hate in their eyes' — referring to the police officers — had been liked 1.6 million times. T-shirts, yard signs and mugs for $20 a piece emblazoned with the image of Hinton in an orange jumpsuit walking by the police officers in the courtroom, with the words 'Free Rodney Hinton Jr.', are available to buy online. In Cincinnati, Hinton's actions were largely condemned. But online, they sparked a debate about the lasting impact of police violence on Black Americans. 'Rodney Hinton Jr. doing what he did was absolutely a direct reaction to watching the body cam footage of his son. But I also feel like DECADES of watching Black people suffer at the hands of police brutality, and be failed by the justice system, played a role in his actions too,' wrote Cindy Noir, a podcaster and commentator. Another writer compared the killing to that of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 'If you're Team Luigi Mangione, you should be Team Rodney Hinton Jr. too. Both men were pushed to the brink by violent systems—one by health insurance, the other by the murder of his child at the hands of police,' Leslie Vargas wrote for Afropunk. 'But only one is treated with sympathy. America always finds compassion for white rage while criminalizing Black grief. This isn't about what's justifiable—it's about who gets to be seen as human. Justice in this country still depends on the color of your skin,' she continued. In the days after the incident, the Black Panthers held a meeting in Cincinnati to organize in support of the father. 'We want to cause an epidemic towards the thinking that was expressed by Rodney Hinton," said Mmoja Ajabu, a Black Panther leader, said at the meeting. Online fundraising GoFundMe removed more than a dozen campaigns set up for him in the days after his arrest to help pay for legal fees quickly raised $5,000. That was shut down after protests from police unions, but another fundraiser on a different website set up by Hinton's sister has raised over $53,000 at the time of writing. A separate fundraiser set up by his wife now stands at $48,000. 'Dylan Roof, Kyle Rittenhouse, Derek Chauvin and the rest of those racist bigots had go fund me after killing black men for no reason so we can donate to our people,' wrote one donor on the fundraiser page. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called a press conference on Tuesday, calling for the website that is hosting those fundraisers, GiveSendGo, to take them down. 'We shouldn't be crowdfunding an evildoer," Yost said, while conceding that the company was not breaking any laws. Bennett, Hinton's attorney, said the case had split public opinion. 'You got a certain part of the community that believes that what he did was evil and retaliatory, and it was done with a sane mind. And then you got another half of the community that says I understand how he might be triggered and have a psychiatric episode as a result of seeing his son killed,' he told The Independent. Meanwhile, Hinton's family is distancing themselves from the online debate. 'Everybody is hurting off this,' said Rodney Hinton Sr, Ryan's grandfather, at an emotional press conference, 'the family, the officer, the mother.' 'I was crying about what happened to the officer, you know, so that's what it was all about. It's all about healing each other. Everybody makes mistakes. It was an emotional mistake," he added. Anna Booker-Hinton, Hinton Jr.'s wife, hit out at media coverage of the case on the fundraising page for her husband. 'The media is twisting this devastating incident, trying to portray Rodney—an African American father in pain—as an angry man lashing out. But I know without a shadow of a doubt: Rodney did not act out of retaliation. He was a grieving father in unimaginable pain,' she wrote. Hundreds gathered for Henderson's funeral service on 9 May, including dozens of police cruisers from across the state. Ryan Hinton was laid to rest just over a week later with mourners wearing red, his favorite color, in tribute.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Deputy hit, killed by vehicle honored at Peace Officers Memorial Service
A sheriff's deputy who was killed after being hit by a car earlier this month was honored at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Vice President JD Vance paid tribute to Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson on Thursday as he honored officers who died in 2024. 'We mourn officers like Hamilton County Special Deputy Sheriff Larry Henderson,' he said. 'Deputy Henderson was an exemplary public servant to southwestern Ohio.' As previously reported by News Center 7, Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson died on May 2 after Rodney Hinton Jr allegedly crashed a vehicle into him while Henderson worked a traffic detail at the University of Cincinnati's spring commencement, according to our news partner, WCPO in Cincinnati. It happened one day after Hinton's 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, was shot and killed by a Cincinnati police officer. TRENDING STORIES: Risk for severe storms; damaging winds, hail, brief tornado possible today Police searching for 'possibly armed,' endangered missing 46-year-old man 'He loved life;' Community gathers to remember 16-year-old shot, killed in Springfield Vance said Deputy Henderson devoted his career to protecting lives. 'He dedicated 33 years of his life to protecting the people of Hamilton County, Ohio,' he said. 'But even after having retired recently from the force, Deputy Henderson continued to step up and serve his community.' Vance concluded his speech by thanking the law enforcement. 'We love you and we're grateful to you,' he said. WCPO says the shooting of Ryan Hinton remains under investigation. Rodney Hinton pleaded not guilty Tuesday after being charged with two felony counts each of aggravated murder and felonious assault, and a felony count of murder. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Ark Encounter offers free police training while critics twist the story
Stephen Kees, a local dentist and supporter of the Ark Encounter, hit the nail on the head when he said, "No good deed goes unpunished," about the recent hit-piece in the Enquirer regarding public safety training at the Ark. Law enforcement departments have used our sprawling attraction south of Cincinnati to train canine officers and their dogs to be more effective in supporting public safety in their communities. The Ark seeks to be a good citizen by hosting the event, but when the atheist group, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, hears about it and goes into a frenzy, it writes threatening legal letters to police agencies that attended − and catches the eye of the Enquirer. More: Kentucky police agencies paid for proselytizing canine training at Ark Encounter Buried deep in the article is a quote from a law enforcement agency about optional talks for officers to attend. Before each day of training, as well as at the end of the day, Bible studies were offered for those who wanted to attend in their personal time. Such studies were not a part of the actual course and were not mandatory. The article falsely suggests that officers had to attend and hear messages about the Ark and other religious topics. Some of the best training a canine officer could receive occurs on the grounds of the Ark Encounter. The conference, led by one of our officers, founder of the Police and Professional Dog Training Association and a world-renowned dog handler, helps canine handlers from law enforcement enhance their dogs' training, handling and performance. The Ark's own canine department (eight units) also benefits from the training as it fulfills a commitment to the safety of the one million-plus guests who visit annually. This is the same public safety department at the Ark and Creation Museum that regularly loans out its specialized services to counties nearby for search/rescue and other tasks. In 2024, we received 34 calls for service. Our canine units have even helped clear public schools when there have been bomb threats. All these services were offered at no charge. Opinion: When police lose support, we lose morale and good people like Larry Henderson Also, canine officers from law enforcement departments representing Boone and Grant counties attend the safety training at no charge since we have a good relationship with these agencies in our backyard. A law enforcement agency anywhere in the East would be foolish not to consider having canine training here. It's our honor to be of service to them. Ken Ham is the co-founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis, a Christian apologetics organization that operates the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. Mark Looy is the co-founder and chief communications officer of Answers in Genesis. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio police benefit from Ark training. Why the controversy? | Opinion
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hating the police does not excuse celebrating Deputy Larry Henderson's death
Like many Cincinnatians, I am upset at the death of Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson. While I am happy that many are honoring the legacy of this fine servant of the people, some make me want to hang my head in Friday, May 9, I tuned in to watch one of the many livestreams that covered his funeral, as a family member was part of the department's Pipe and Drums Corp., who played at his service. However, upon opening the livestream, I was taken aback by the many hurtful, disgusting, and appalling comments in the livestream's chat. More: Moreno introduces Larry Henderson Act to toughen penalties for assaults on officers Phrases such as "One down, many more to go" and "Gang members take care of themselves" were among the many disparaging comments posted while the community was trying to honor a fallen civil servant, who died while trying to protect graduating students and parents alike as they made their way to the University of Cincinnati's commencement ceremony. I understand that in today's day and age, the police are not looked at with the same reverence and respect that they were 20-plus years ago when they were risking their lives to save people trapped in the collapsing towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11, but the audacity of some indivuduals to cheer and celebrate the death of a police officer is beyond any possible excuse of grief and frustration. Opinion: When police lose support, we lose morale and good people like Larry Henderson Even if you dislike the police as a whole, you should not be actively cheering for the death of individual officers who have sworn to protect and serve the citizens of this city at the risk of their well-being and lives. If you take great joy in the death of Henderson, then the problem isn't with the failure of the police system; it's with you. Dennis Daniel, Norwood This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: No justification for cheering Deputy Henderson's death | Letter
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moreno introduces Larry Henderson Act to toughen penalties for assaults on officers
The death of Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson sparked an Ohio Republican senator to introduce a bill to toughen penalties for anyone found guilty of assault on a federal officer. Sen. Bernie Moreno, on Monday, announced the Larry Henderson Act to set a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison for an assault on a federal officer. Henderson was killed on May 2 by a man who prosecutors say intentionally drove into him. The suspect, Rodney Hinton Jr., faces the death penalty. Moreno, in a statement, said Henderson inspired the legislation. Under current federal penalties anyone who resists, impedes, intimidates, interferes or assaults a federal officer faces 1-8 years in prison, depending on the severity. Moreno's legislation would increase that to a minimum of 20 years, according to Fox News. "Enough is enough. Anyone who assaults one of our men or women in blue needs to face severe consequences, period," Moreno said in the release. "Deputy Larry Henderson should be alive today, and that's why I'm introducing legislation, in his honor, to protect our law enforcement officers." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What would the Larry Henderson Act do?
