A jury rejected an insanity defense in the death of Hamilton County special deputy Larry Henderson, a 33-year veteran of the force. The verdict, reached after deliberations that began Wednesday, also convicted Hinton of reckless homicide and felonious assault. His sentencing is tentatively scheduled for 16 November.
The case began the previous day, when Cincinnati police shot and killed Hinton's son, Ryan Hinton, 18, after officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle. Police said Ryan Hinton was armed and that a firearm was recovered at the scene. Body-worn camera footage, published by NBC News, showed an officer exiting his vehicle and aiming a gun at Ryan Hinton, who appeared to be running away. Another recording captured an officer saying, "He's got a gun!" The officer who fired shot about four times, and it is unclear from the footage whether Ryan Hinton had aimed a firearm at officers.
Hours before Henderson was killed, Cincinnati police sat down with the Hinton family and their attorneys to view the footage. Prosecutors said Rodney Hinton then left in his own car and took aim at Henderson. "He turned his wheel the same direction that Larry moved, and the car struck Larry, throwing him, tossing him into the air, twisting him until he landed," assistant prosecutor Kate Burroughs said in closing arguments.
Hinton's attorney, Clyde Bennett II, had asked jurors to find him not guilty of all charges by reason of insanity, arguing that Hinton was so distressed over his son's killing that he could not legally distinguish between right and wrong. After the verdict, Bennett said Hinton plans to appeal. "The fight is not over," he told reporters.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson praised the verdict, saying Henderson's death "shattered a family and left a community mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant" and served as "a painful reminder of the risks that law enforcement officers face every day."