In less than 24 hours, Ohio was rocked by two tragic incidents involving a father and son. Cincinnati police fatally shot a teenager, and his father is now facing charges for allegedly running over a retired sheriff’s deputy with his car after viewing footage of his son’s death, according to the family’s attorney.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, was arraigned on Saturday on an aggravated murder charge in connection with the death of the retired deputy, as per the prosecutors. The incident occurred on Friday morning, just two hours after Hinton Jr. and his family had met with Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge to review police body camera footage of his son Ryan’s death.
Ryan Hinton and three others were suspected of car theft in the East Price Hill area of Cincinnati on Thursday. The stolen vehicle, equipped with a tracking device by the owner, was approached by officers. The teenagers attempted to flee, and police opened fire, believing that 18-year-old Ryan Hinton was armed, according to the Hinton family’s lawyer, Michael Wright.
Wright stated that Rodney Hinton Jr. left the room before the video of his son’s death concluded. He was reportedly extremely distressed. The officer who shot Ryan claimed that the teenager had pointed a weapon at him. Ryan was shot twice, in the chest and arm, and although his weapon was loaded, there was no evidence that he had fired at the police, as per Chief Theetge.
The officer involved in the shooting of Ryan Hinton is currently on paid administrative leave for a week while the department conducts a review of the incident. Wright, who is also a close associate of civil rights attorney Ben Crump, was hired by the Hinton family to investigate the shooting. He stated that the family had only seen a brief portion of the incident.
The Hinton family is African-American, while the retired deputy sheriff, who passed away in the hospital on Friday, is believed to be white. The deputy had retired in December but had returned to direct traffic near the University of Cincinnati campus during graduation ceremonies when he was struck and killed by Rodney Hinton Jr., according to Cincinnati police.
The courtroom was filled with other deputies on Saturday, showing their support for their deceased colleague, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Judge Tyrone Yates denied bail for Hinton Jr., who is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday.