A man accused of murdering a sheriff’s deputy is the father of a teenage boy who was shot and killed by a police officer the day before, police said.
Rodney Hinton Jr. has been charged with aggravated murder in the death of a sheriff’s deputy who was hit by a car on Friday, May 2, while directing traffic in Ohio, according to police.
Cincinnati Police said Hinton is the father of 18-year-old Ryan Hinton, who was shot and killed by a police officer the day before.
Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies packed a courtroom on Saturday to support their deceased colleague, according to WCPO. Hinton Jr’s attorney stated that the defendant faces a “very serious, very terrible charge,” but that he has no prior felonies.
“I understand that this is an emotionally charged situation,” the attorney explained. “I understand that there is a lot of sadness and anger in this room right now, and in the community at large,” he said, referring to Hinton’s son’s death.
Prosecuting attorney Ryan Nelson claimed that Hinton Jr.’s movements in his car on Friday were “calculated and premeditated.” He went further: “He lined up his car, deliberately accelerated his car and purposely caused the death of an on-duty deputy sheriff.”
ABCNews reports that the judge ordered Hinton Jr. to be held without bond until his next hearing on May 6.
Attorneys Michael Wright, Shean Williams, and Robert Gresham of The Cochran Firm, as well as Anthony Pierson of Pierson and Pierson, LLC, who represent the Hinton family, said in a statement on Saturday that they had been hired to investigate Ryan Hinton’s death.
Rodney Hinton and other family members met with Cincinnati police on Friday to review body camera footage from his death, according to the statement. “Ryan Hinton’s family, including Ryan’s father, attended the meeting and were understandably upset as they watched the bodycam video.
“After the meeting with the police department, Ryan Hinton’s father left in his own vehicle and that was the last we heard from him until learning about the tragic incident involving a law enforcement officer who was working a traffic detail near the University of Cincinnati.”
The statement continued: “This is an unimaginable tragedy for this community. Ryan Hinton’s family is heartbroken by this tragic turn of events, and we are all devastated for the officer who was killed.”
The deputy cannot be publicly identified because of an Ohio law that protects the privacy of victims and their families. Police said the deputy had recently retired and was working in a special capacity for the department.
