A Cincinnati man allegedly killed a police officer after running him over with his car the day after law enforcement shot and killed his son.
Prosecuting attorney Ryan Nelson discussed the incident during the defendant’s arraignment, saying Rodney Hinton, the alleged driver, “in a way that was calculated and premeditated lined up his car, deliberately accelerated his car and purposely caused the death of an on-duty deputy sheriff.”
From CNN:
Prosecutors are seeking an indictment for aggravated murder, Nelson said.
The defendant, Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, is the father of a man who was fatally shot by Cincinnati police on Thursday morning, Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said. On Friday night, police identified the 18-year-old as Ryan Hinton, according to CNN affiliate WCPO.
Authorities have not said whether the suspect had any connection to the deputy.
Ryan Hinton turned 18 a few weeks ago, family attorney Michael Wright said, who described him as a “fun, loving and good kid,” adding, “The circumstances surrounding his interaction with the police there, you know, they [the family] are surprised that occurred.”
Police officers confronted 18-year-old Ryan Hinton with some of his friends who were allegedly sitting in a stolen car. The individuals fled when the officers approached.
Bodycam footage appeared to show Hinton running from police. It appears Hinton may have been holding a firearm, but it is not certain whether this was the case due to the quality of the video. Reports suggest that a firearm was found at the scene. The officer claimed that Hinton pointed a firearm at them, prompting him to open fire.
Police recovered a handgun with an extended clip they say the 18-year-old was carrying. Theetge said the gun had not been fired.
The officer who opened fire has been with the Cincinnati Police Department for more than 10 years and was assigned to the Fugitive Apprehension Squad in the department’s Special Investigations Section, Theetge said.
The chief said the officers tried “to save this gentleman’s life” by administering “different variations of medical aid” until other emergency officials arrived. She defended the officer’s actions, stressing how quickly the scene unfolded.
“I want to point out…from the time they bailed from the vehicle and police were chasing them to the time the individual was shot – six seconds. Six quick seconds,” Theetge said, calling it “unreasonable” to expect the officers “to process and determine a different course of action” in such a short time.
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Here’s a slow-mo of the video.
— I Came, I Saw, They died 🇺🇸📢🇺🇸 (@4ortunefame) May 4, 2025
It appears there was a white sticker on the dumpster and a white design on Ryan Hinton’s shirt before Cincinnati police officer shot at him pic.twitter.com/fuTxgXQcvv
A father in Ohio has been charged with killing a cop hours after he watched the bodycam footage of cops killing his teenage son, 18-year-old Ryan Hinton.
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) May 5, 2025
Police killed 1,260 people in 2024 alone, while an average of 48 officers are killed on duty each year. pic.twitter.com/Ug57jwypoE
A father in Ohio has been charged with killing a cop hours after he watched the bodycam footage of cops killing his teenage son, 18-year-old Ryan Hinton.
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) May 5, 2025
Police killed 1,260 people in 2024 alone, while an average of 48 officers are killed on duty each year. pic.twitter.com/Ug57jwypoE
The family reviewed the footage on Friday. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the father was “very distraught” after watching the video. Michael Wright of the Cochran Law Firm said, “He couldn’t finish watching the video,” and that “It was very difficult to watch for the family.”
Hinton left the station in his vehicle and later struck the deputy sheriffs, the authorities alleged. "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 Cincinnati police said in a statement.
The shooting remains under investigation.
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