A jury in Ohio returned a guilty verdict Friday against Rodney L. Hinton, an Ohio father who used his vehicle to kill a veteran law enforcement officer hours after viewing video evidence of his own son being shot by police. Hinton was convicted of murder and several other charges related to the May 2025 death of Hamilton County Special Deputy Larry Henderson.
The verdict followed several days of testimony and jury deliberations that began Wednesday morning. Hinton now faces a formal sentencing hearing scheduled for November 16.
The case centers on a tragic sequence of events that began in early May 2025. Just hours before the fatal collision, Hinton had been called to a Cincinnati police station to review body camera footage of the shooting death of his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton. The younger Hinton had been killed during an encounter with Cincinnati police officers who were responding to reports of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex. According to police records, Ryan Hinton was among a group of people in the vehicle who fled as officers arrived. During a foot pursuit involving two officers, police alleged the 18-year-old was armed. Footage released to the public showed an officer pointing a firearm at Ryan Hinton while he appeared to be running away; the officer fired at least four shots. Authorities confirmed a handgun was recovered at the scene.
Prosecutors argued that the emotional toll of viewing the footage did not excuse Hinton’s subsequent actions, but rather provided the motive for a targeted attack. On the day of the crash, Special Deputy Larry Henderson was working a traffic detail near the University of Cincinnati, assisting with the flow of vehicles during graduation ceremonies. Henderson had retired from full-time service with the sheriff’s office only five months prior and was serving in a special deputy capacity.
Assistant Prosecutor Kate Burroughs presented technical evidence during the trial suggesting the crash was no accident. Data from Hinton’s vehicle showed the car accelerated from zero to more than 43 mph in a matter of seconds, with the accelerator pressed to 93.3% of its capacity. Burroughs told the jury that Henderson attempted to evade the oncoming car, but Hinton “tracked him” by steering in the same direction the deputy moved. The impact tossed the deputy into the air, causing fatal injuries.
Throughout the trial, Hinton’s defense attorney, Clyde Bennett II, did not dispute that Hinton was behind the wheel but argued that his client was suffering from a mental health crisis. Bennett cited Hinton’s history of mental health struggles and the specific trauma of watching his son’s death as factors that rendered him legally insane at the time of the crash. A defense expert witness testified that Hinton was unable to distinguish right from wrong during the incident. However, a rebuttal witness for the state countered that while Hinton was clearly grieving and angry, he remained aware of the nature and wrongfulness of his actions.
The trial included emotional testimony from Henderson’s widow, Lori Henderson, who recounted their final conversation. She told the court that their last words to each other were expressions of love as he left for work that day.
With the guilty verdict rendered, the court will now move to the penalty phase. Hinton remains in custody awaiting his November 16 sentencing date.
