Ohio father convicted of killing deputy hours after seeing footage of his son’s fatal police shooting. Prosecutors say he targeted the officer for a reason

An Ohio man has been convicted of killing a sheriff’s deputy with his car, hours after watching body camera footage of the police shooting that killed his teenage son.

Rodney Hinton Jr. was found guilty on Oct. 23 of murder, reckless homicide, and felonious assault over the death of Special Deputy Larry Henderson Jr. The incident happened on May 2, 2025, near the University of Cincinnati campus.

According to People, Henderson, 57, was directing traffic for a university graduation ceremony when Hinton drove into the intersection and hit him. Prosecutors argued that Hinton struck the deputy deliberately.

He was accused of his car into a weapon

Henderson was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center but died from his injuries. Assistant Prosecutor Heidi Rosales told the court that Hinton had targeted him because he was a uniformed law enforcement officer.

The prosecution relied on traffic footage and eyewitness accounts to support its case. Prosecutors said Hinton did not brake or swerve to avoid Henderson, arguing that he had turned his car into a weapon.

But the defense pointed to what Hinton had experienced earlier that day. Before the crash, he had met with investigators and watched body camera footage of the fatal shooting of his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton.

A Cincinnati police officer shot Ryan during a foot pursuit and that officer said the teenager pointed a firearm at him while trying to escape. The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office later determined that the shooting was justified.

Hinton’s attorney, Clyde Bennett II, argued that his client should be found not guilty by reason of insanity. He said Hinton was suffering a severe psychological crisis and had been trying to provoke police into killing him, rather than deliberately targeting a deputy. The defense argued that seeing footage of his son’s death had pushed Hinton into an emotional breakdown. According to Bennett, Hinton was unable to understand the nature or wrongfulness of his actions at the time.

The jury rejected that argument and returned guilty verdicts on the charges. Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said she hoped the decision would bring some comfort to Henderson’s family. Her office would continue pursuing a sentence that reflected the seriousness of the crime, she said.

Henderson had spent three decades in law enforcement before retiring in December 2024. He later returned to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, working part-time as a special deputy. Family members and colleagues remembered him for his infectious laughter and dedication to public safety. Hinton remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 16, 2026. He faces a mandatory prison sentence of 15 years to life.