Latest news with #McGuffey
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
'It's hard to let go of Larry'. Sheriff remarks on deputy's life after 2 days of services
After two days of ceremonies honoring the life and public service of a Hamilton County Sheriff's deputy prosecutors say was "targeted and killed,' Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said his courage 'reached beyond Hamilton County, beyond the state of Ohio.' McGuffey, wearing a ceremonial uniform, spoke briefly to reporters on May 9 shortly after the end of Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Ray Henderson Jr.'s funeral service at Spring Grove Cemetery. 'He was courageous. He was honored. He was a deputy that all deputies aspire to be,' McGuffey said. She also expressed gratitude for the messages of support that have come from people across the nation. Family, friends and fellow law enforcement officers gathered for a final time around Henderson, who was struck by a car and killed May 2 while directing traffic outside the University of Cincinnati's commencement ceremony. Henderson was honored during a public visitation and service at Xavier University's Cintas Center, followed by a graveside ceremony and burial at Spring Grove. Strangers paying their respects to Henderson stood quietly while lining the street outside Spring Grove to view the procession as it drove through the cemetery gates early in the afternoon. It included police officers from agencies all across Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. 'This was a horrible tragedy,' said Don Garrett, a 77-year-old Vietnam War veteran who lives in Finneytown. The final service featured a flyover, a ceremonial flag folding and a 21-gun salute, all time-honored traditions meant to show reverence for Henderson's life and service, McGuffey said. 'When I presented the flag to his family, I noted that it was on the behalf of a grateful nation and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department that I present that flag for Larry's courageous career,' McGuffey said. Henderson, a Marine Corps veteran, served 33 years with the sheriff's office before retiring in December 2024. Henderson even volunteered to work in a specialized unit diffusing bombs, McGuffey said. Henderson continued to work as a special deputy after his retirement, taking assignments like the traffic detail he was working on the day of his death. 'It's hard to let go of Larry,' McGuffey said. 'It's very hard to let go.' The man charged in Henderson's death, Rodney Hinton Jr., is accused of intentionally driving his car into Henderson in apparent retaliation for the shooting death of his 18-year-old son, Ryan. The young man was shot and killed May 1 by a Cincinnati police officer while running from a stolen car with a gun. Hinton is charged with aggravated murder and could face the death penalty if convicted. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Larry Henderson funeral: Sheriff says 'it's very hard to let go'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sheriff says 'no law being violated' by swastika flyers in Evendale, residents furious and on edge
More than 150 people packed the Lincoln Heights village council chambers Monday, demanding answers about the police response to a white supremacist demonstration Friday afternoon atop the Interstate 75 overpass between Evendale and Lincoln Heights. The community town hall did little to quell resident's concerns. Some residents are on edge and taking their safety into their own hands after an armed group flew swastika flags on the border of the historically Black village last week. Residents questioned why police did not arrest or cite anyone from the group, who witnesses said arrived on the overpass in the back of a U-Haul truck wearing all black and armed with AR-15-style rifles. They also expressed concerns about continued sightings and crime in the area over the weekend, saying the group has continued to antagonize the community with little action by law enforcement. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, whose deputies patrol Lincoln Heights, and the Evendale Police Department were at the center of the overpass demonstration, keeping residents separated from the demonstrators. Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey condemned the group's actions during the town hall – repeatedly calling them Nazis − but pushed back as residents insisted the demonstrators broke the law. Sheriff's lieutenant Mike Steers said there was "no law being violated" by the group. Steers said that the Ohio law only prohibits passengers younger than 16 years old from riding in the back of a U-Haul without a seatbelt. Evendale police, whose chief was not at the town hall, said in a statement Friday that because the protest was on the sidewalk, it was not unlawful. The sheriff said an investigation is ongoing and her office is "talking to the FBI" to try and identify the demonstrators. They have impounded a demonstrator's Jeep and are inventorying it, McGuffey said. McGuffey declined to answer questions from The Enquirer after the town hall about next steps or whether the demonstrators would face charges. Evendale Police Chief Tim Holloway did not return a text asking why he was not at the town hall. After Friday, Lincoln Height's residents said during the town hall they're concerned about the demonstrators driving through the neighborhood and causing damage or harm. Carlton Collins told The Enquirer he feels like the community is not getting the protection it needs. He said several car windows were smashed in a parking lot Saturday and there have been sightings of cars driving through with swastika flags throughout the weekend. Instead of relying solely on the sheriff's office, some residents have turned toward one another. At a prayer march Sunday, community members armed with shotguns, rifles and other guns stood on the perimeter keeping watch. Ahead of the town hall, men armed with rifles stood on the edge of town watching. McGuffey said the sheriff's office has started increased patrols of the area since Friday. She also said she will create a task force with Lincoln Heights leaders and others to address these issues going forward. Eric Ruffin, whose office is off the exit where the demonstration was Friday, said he became concerned for his safety and that of his daughter after being accosted by the group at a stoplight. Ruffin said the demonstrators began yelling racial slurs at him while he sat at the light. "People refuse to understand this is a precursor to something more. I was by myself, but what if it was my daughter alone? It makes me feel helpless," Ruffin said. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'No law being violated' by swastika flyers on Friday. Lincoln Heights left on edge
