Latest news with #RodneyHinton
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.
Black America Web
12-05-2025
- Black America Web
The Tragic Case Of Rodney Hinton Jr. And The Trauma Of Black Grief In America
Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty When you're Black in America, justice is rarely served—it's endured. It is a word we're taught to believe in but often experience as a double entendre: a promise for others, a punishment for us. The heartbreaking and complex case of Rodney Hinton Jr. reminds us just how devastatingly true that can be. Rodney Hinton is not a monster. He's a father. A man. A human being who, on May 1, watched the bodycam footage of Cincinnati police officers killing his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton. Less than 24 hours later, Hinton was accused of using his vehicle to kill Deputy Larry Henderson in what prosecutors are calling a 'targeted attack.' But to simply label this as a calculated act of violence is to ignore the gaping emotional wound behind it—and the systemic rot that helped inflict it. Let's be clear: the killing of anyone, especially in a moment that endangers others, is not to be celebrated. But we cannot ignore the context in which this tragedy unfolded, because context is everything. The criminal legal system would have us compartmentalize grief, especially Black grief, into something manageable, something acceptable. But what does acceptable look like when you've just watched your baby be executed on tape? Rodney Hinton snapped, and while that may not be a legal justification, it is a human explanation. The Trauma of Losing a Child to Police Violence Source: Angelo Merendino / Getty The loss of a child is often described as the most excruciating pain a person can endure. According to research from the American Psychological Association, parents who lose children, particularly to violent, traumatic causes, face higher rates of PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and even suicidal ideation. For Black parents, that trauma is compounded by centuries of systemic racism, policing that disproportionately targets their children, and a justice system that rarely holds officers accountable. Watching the footage of Ryan Hinton being shot by police — after he allegedly ran from a stolen car while armed — was undoubtedly a triggering event. Hinton's attorney confirmed he has a history of mental illness and experienced a psychiatric episode after seeing the footage. That's not an excuse; it's a reality. And while many are quick to dismiss 'mental illness' in Black defendants, it's important to remember that trauma, especially racial trauma, is cumulative. It builds, silently, beneath the surface until it explodes. Whether or not Hinton was in full control of his faculties will be determined in court, but mental health experts already know this kind of psychological break isn't rare—it's tragically predictable. The Weaponization of Grief GoFundMe, the platform many turn to for support in crisis, swiftly removed all campaigns created to support Hinton after demands from the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police. They apologized for the 'misuse' of the platform. And yet, platforms like GiveSendGo have hosted campaigns for individuals caught on camera spewing racial slurs at children and even accused murderers. Why the double standard? Because in this country, Black rage—especially when it follows Black death—is not allowed. We are expected to mourn silently, to protest peacefully, to bury our children with poise and dignity. Anything more, and the full weight of the system comes crashing down. Hinton's grief wasn't quiet. It wasn't palatable. It was real. And now, the state is seeking to kill him for it. A System Stacked Against Us The facts speak for themselves. According to Mapping Police Violence, Black people are nearly three times more likely to be killed by police than white people, and more likely to be unarmed at the time of their death. In 2023 alone, police in the U.S. killed over 1,200 people, and Black individuals made up a disproportionate percentage of those deaths. Since the Trump administration, the risks have only grown. Under Trump, federal oversight of local police departments was effectively neutered. Consent decrees—agreements between the DOJ and police departments to address misconduct—were rolled back or ignored. Trump's Justice Department ended investigations into departments with a history of racial abuse, sending a clear message: police would not be held accountable on his watch. In 2017, Trump even told a room full of officers not to be 'too nice' when handling suspects, indirectly encouraging aggressive and often violent behavior. And when the federal government refuses to check police power, we get the kind of horror that Rodney Hinton had to watch: his child, gunned down by the people sworn to serve and protect. A Legal System Built on Punishment, Not Compassion Now, Rodney Hinton faces the possibility of the death penalty—the only charge in Ohio that allows for it. And while prosecutors paint this as a premeditated, cold-blooded killing, his defense insists that Hinton was experiencing a psychiatric episode and could not fully comprehend the consequences of his actions. As his attorney rightly pointed out, 'an indictment is not indicative of guilt.' In fact, death penalty cases in Ohio rarely end in execution. The last time someone was executed in the state was in 2018. There are 113 people currently sitting on death row, and many have been there for decades. Why? Because Ohio, like many states, is facing increasing moral, legal, and logistical challenges in carrying out executions. Pharmaceutical companies no longer want their drugs used for lethal injections, and public sentiment continues to shift away from capital punishment. Yet, here we are again—using the threat of state-sanctioned death against a Black man whose real crime, some would argue, was loving his son too much to let his murder go unanswered. Justice for Whom? Source: WISH-TV / WISH-TV Rodney Hinton's case will make headlines, stir debates, and likely polarize communities. But it should also make us ask hard questions: What does justice look like in a system that produces this kind of pain? What resources exist for families who suffer violent losses at the hands of police, and why are we more comfortable condemning the broken response of a grieving father than we are in confronting the broken system that put him there? There are no winners in this story. Deputy Henderson should still be alive. Ryan Hinton should still be alive. Rodney Hinton should not be sitting in a jail cell, staring down the possibility of death. But this is what happens when we refuse to address the root causes—when we let racism, unchecked policing, and disregard for mental health run our justice system. The truth is, justice in America was never built to protect Black people. It was built to police us, punish us, and parade us as warnings. And until we confront that reality, until we stop expecting grieving parents to act like saints while burying their babies, there will be more Rodney Hintons. And more broken hearts that no courtroom can heal. SEE ALSO: Sean Combs' Legal Team Claims 'Mutual Abuse' In Relationship With Cassie Ventura Trump Administration's Push To Suspend Habeas Corpus Is Fascist SEE ALSO The Tragic Case Of Rodney Hinton Jr. And The Trauma Of Black Grief In America was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Fox News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
'Enough is enough': GOP senator unleashes bill with severe consequences for harming police
FIRST ON FOX: Ohio freshman GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno has introduced legislation that would increase the criminal penalties for harming a police officer after a sheriff's deputy was killed in the line of duty in Cincinnati, Ohio, earlier this month. Moreno's Larry Henderson Act, being introduced this week, would update existing law stating that anyone who forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any law enforcement officer engaged in official duties be required to face one to eight years in prison, depending on the severity. Moreno's bill would up that mandatory minimum to 20 years. The bill also "establishes federal jurisdiction over these crimes as exclusive and preemptive, superseding state or local prosecution for federal officers." "Enough is enough," Moreno told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Anyone who assaults one of our men or women in blue needs to face severe consequences, period. Deputy Larry Henderson should be alive today, and that's why I'm introducing legislation – in his honor – to protect our law enforcement officers." The bill is named after Hamilton County, Ohio, Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson, who was killed when he was struck by a car while directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati during a graduation ceremony. Authorities have charged Rodney Hinton with attempted murder and say he intentionally struck Henderson shortly after Hinton's 18-year-old son was shot and killed by officers after allegedly fleeing in a stolen car while armed, according to prosecutors. Ohio Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Jay McDonald said in a statement that Ryan's father, Rodney Hinton Jr., "intentionally murdered a retired deputy who was working special duty at a graduation just because he was a police officer." Henderson was a 33-year officer with the HCSO and had served in multiple specialized units since 1991, including the dive team, HCPA SWAT, FBI Task Force Officer and the HCSO Bomb Unit. "In Deputy Henderson's early tenure as a Sheriff's Deputy, I recognized his talent for teaching and presentation," Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said in a statement after Henderson's death. "Larry began his journey as a Sheriff's Office trainer early in his career. He developed an expertise and became an excellent trainer. Subsequently, he trained divisions of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office that included hundreds of deputy sheriffs. His ability to relate to and touch officers' lives was extraordinary. We will continue to honor Larry's life of service."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Community to pay final respects to fallen sheriff's deputy
A community will gather to pay their final respects to a sheriff's deputy who died in the line of duty. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A visitation for retired Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson will be today at 9 a.m. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, according to a sheriff's office spokesperson. As previously reported by News Center 7, Henderson was operating a traffic detail at the University of Cincinnati's spring commencement when a driver hit and killed. TRENDING STORIES: 'It might explode;' Woman arrested after leaving purse at Ohio restaurant 87-year-old man dies after being hit by pickup truck crossing street Discount market planned for Miami Township Rodney Hinton Jr. has been indicted on several felonies, including two counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder, and two counts of felonious assault in Henderson's death, according to our news partner, WCPO in Cincinnati. Authorities say his 18-year-old son was shot and killed by a Cincinnati police officer last week. Henderson was struck the next day. Investigators say Hinton hit him on purpose, WCPO said. Henderson retired from the sheriff's office in December after 33 years of service. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich to hold news conference at 3 p.m.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich has scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. A news release from Pillich's office did not say what the news conference is about, however a grand jury was scheduled to meet before May 12 in the case against Rodney Hinton Jr. Hinton, 38, is accused of killing Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson by intentionally driving his car into him on May 2, as Henderson was working traffic control near the University of Cincinnati campus. The Enquirer will be at the news conference. Check back for updates. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hamilton County Prosecutor to hold news conference at 3 p.m.
