The father of an 18-year-old man who was fatally shot by police during an alleged stolen vehicle incident in Cincinnati on Thursday has been charged with hitting and killing a deputy, according to the police chief.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, is accused of hitting a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy on Martin Luther King Drive and Burnet Woods Drive near the University of Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office did not confirm the suspect’s identity or respond to requests for comment.
The recently retired deputy was serving as a special deputy and directing traffic near the university during graduation ceremonies, officials said at a news briefing Friday. Officials did not identify him, citing Marsy’s Law, which prohibits victim names from being disclosed due to privacy concerns.
“He was so well liked and so well known, we could fill this building with law enforcement agencies that respect him, love him, his friends, and his family,” Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said during the briefing. “We are so deeply saddened.”
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge stated that there was a clear link between this incident and Thursday’s police shooting of an 18-year-old, whom she identified as Hinton’s son.
The 18-year-old was fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer who responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex at 2500 Warsaw Ave. around 9 a.m. Thursday, according to police.According to WLWT, police identified the 18-year-old as Ryan Hinton.
The incident happened in a parking lot at the end of a long driveway, Theetge said at another news conference Friday. The vehicle was allegedly stolen in northern Kentucky earlier Thursday morning.
Two officers in police vehicles responded to the scene to apprehend the four people in the car, according to Theetge. When approached by police, all four of them began to flee, some in different directions, prompting the two officers to pursue Hinton and another individual, Theetge explained.
Hinton was armed, Theetge stated.
NBC News reviewed body camera footage from the Cincinnati Police Department, which shows an officer exiting his vehicle and aiming his gun at an 18-year-old who appeared to be running away. According to Theetge, the officer fired at least four times, causing the 18-year-old to fall. It’s unclear from body camera footage whether Hinton aimed a firearm at officers.
“Get the f— down,” the officer could be heard saying later. Theetge believes Ryan was hit by two bullets in the chest and arm.
Footage from the second officer’s body camera shows him running toward the first officer and the 18-year-old, warning fellow officers that someone is armed.
“He has a gun! He’s holding a gun on your right! “On your right,” the officer could be heard saying.
According to Theetge, the gun that Ryan Hinton allegedly had with him was recovered from the scene of the shooting, as was a loaded extended magazine. A second magazine was allegedly discovered in his jacket pocket.
Theetge defended the officer’s shooting of Hinton, claiming that officers are “often compelled to make split-second decisions to protect others and themselves when faced with immediate threats.” The shooting is being investigated.
“Let me be very direct: We cannot allow individuals to flee from officers with a loaded firearm aimed at them,” she explained. “When this occurs, the consequences are almost always tragic. Nobody wins, and everyone is affected.
According to the briefing, the officer who shot Hinton stated that the 18-year-old had the gun pointed at him, making him fearful for his life. Hinton did not fire his gun, according to Theetge, who added, “We do not expect officers to wait until they are fired upon before feeling the need to fire.”
Theetge declined to identify the officers involved in the incident, citing privacy laws, but did say that one of them joined the Cincinnati Police Department in 2014 and the other in 2001. Both were assigned to the fugitive-apprehension squad.
Theetge stated that the entire incident lasted six seconds.
“Six quick seconds,” she said, adding that the officers attempted to provide medical care to Hinton until first responders arrived.
Jurell Austin, 18, and DeAnthony Bullucks, 19, were identified as the other suspects in the alleged car theft. They have been charged with receiving stolen property and felony obstructing official business. A third suspect remains at large.
Theetge said the car incident involving Rodney Hinton and the deputy is still being investigated. A procession will be held to honor the deceased deputy.
In a statement, Attorney General Dave Yost described the deputy’s death as “a cruel reminder of the many officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.”
“My deepest condolences are with this deputy’s family and the entire Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office,” Yost told the crowd.
Hinton was charged with aggravated murder in the deputy’s death and appeared in court on Saturday. A judge set no bond and scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, according to WLWT. According to online records, he is currently being held at the Clermont County Jail.
It’s unclear if Hinton has an attorney currently.
