An Ohio father was convicted of murder Friday for killing a deputy with his car hours after watching body-camera footage of Cincinnati police shoot his 18-year-old son dead — while the officer who killed his son faces zero charges. If you're keeping score at home: the state kills your kid, calls it justified, and if you snap, they throw you in a cage for the rest of your life.
Rodney Hinton Jr., 40, was found guilty of murder, reckless homicide, and felonious assault in the death of Hamilton County Special Deputy Larry Henderson, who was directing traffic at a University of Cincinnati graduation on May 2, 2025. Hinton faces 15 years to life in prison at his Nov. 16 sentencing.
The day before the crash, Cincinnati police responded to a stolen vehicle call. Ryan Hinton, 18, was among those who ran. Body-camera footage published by NBC News shows an officer exiting his vehicle and aiming his gun at Ryan, who appears to be running away. An officer yells, "He's got a gun!" and the officer fires at least four shots. Authorities said a firearm was recovered at the scene. It is unclear from the footage whether Ryan aimed a weapon at officers.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich reviewed the shooting and declared the officer "legally justified in his use of force." No charges were filed. The system closed ranks in hours.
Then the same system brought the full weight of the state down on a father who had just watched his son die on tape. Hinton's defense pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Psychologists testified he was in a psychotic episode, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Defense attorney Clyde Bennett II argued Hinton was trying to kill himself, not targeting Henderson. Prosecutors countered that Hinton "tracked" Henderson — turning his wheel the same direction the deputy moved — and accelerated from 0 to over 43 mph with the pedal pressed 93.3%.
Notably, jurors never heard Hinton's own recorded voice. Local attorney Jay Clark told WLWT it was "very uncommon" that the jury wasn't shown a recorded police interrogation or body-camera video of Hinton's initial contact with law enforcement. Instead, they heard three psychologists recount statements Hinton made during evaluations. The jury never heard from the man himself in the moments after the crash.
The Guardian and NBC News both noted the body-camera footage showing Ryan Hinton appearing to run away. The Hartford Courant buried that detail deep, framing the son's shooting through the prosecutor's justification. WLWT highlighted the missing interrogation footage. The spin tells you everything: institutional outlets protect institutional actors.
Henderson's death is a tragedy. He was a 33-year veteran described at his funeral as selfless and dedicated. His wife Lori testified about their last exchange — "I love you," he told her before leaving for work. A family destroyed. But so was Hinton's. The question the system refuses to answer is why only one of those destroyed families gets accountability, and the other gets a press conference declaring the killing of their son "justified."
Bennett said after the verdict: "The fight is not over." He plans to appeal. Don't hold your breath. The house always wins — especially when it's the one dealing the cards.
