Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Ohio Man Faces Death for Killing of Deputy

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

A grand jury has indicted Rodney Hinton, Jr. on several charges including aggravated murder and felonious assault in the death of sheriff's deputy Larry Henderson in Cincinnati. The prosecutor revealed new details about what Hinton is accused of doing on May 2 when police said he ran his car into Henderson as he directed traffic at a college graduation. Police said Hinton had left a meeting hours earlier with Cincinnati police about an officer shooting his son a day before. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy goes through the new details in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can submit a claim in 8 clicks or less without having to leave your couch. To start your claim, visit: https://www.forthepeople.com/CrimeFixHost:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5Producer:Jordan ChaconCRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this law and crimes series ad free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I can only tell you that I've never seen someone hunted down and killed like this. The prosecutor will seek the death penalty against Rodney Hinton Jr., the man accused of running down a sheriff's deputy hours after watching body camera video of a police officer shooting his son. That's a hallmark sign that somebody is not in the right frame of mind, no attempt to deceive, no attempt to hide what they did, because they think that what they're doing is right. I look at the indictment returned against Hinton and new video of him in custody as the deputy is laid to rest. Welcome to Crime Fix. I'm Anjanette Levy. Rodney Hinton Jr. now faces more charges in the death

of a sheriff's deputy in Cincinnati who was killed a week ago while directing traffic outside of a college graduation. This case has a lot of different angles, which I'm going to lay out for you. But one thing that is clear is that Rodney Hinton could face the death penalty if he's convicted of murdering Larry Henderson because he was a law enforcement officer and because prosecutors believe Hinton planned to do this by running down Henderson intentionally. The grand jury indicted Hinton a day before the funeral for Larry Henderson. A long procession of police cars led Henderson to his funeral service. Larry Henderson was a retired sheriff's deputy. He'd retired last December after working for the

sheriff's office for 33 years, working as an academy instructor, a member of the dive team and SWAT team, and bomb unit. After retiring, Henderson worked details for the sheriff's office, and so on Friday, May 2nd, that's exactly what he was doing outside of the University of Cincinnati. He was directing traffic for the school's graduation ceremony. Henderson was wearing a uniform and one of those bright fluorescent vests as he stood on a concrete triangle outside of the lanes of traffic. Unbeknownst to Deputy Henderson, a meeting was taking place at the Cincinnati Police Department, a neighboring police agency with the family of 18-year-old Ryan Hinton. A Cincinnati police officer had shot and killed Ryan Hinton the day before, as officers said they encountered a group in a stolen car and Ryan Hinton was armed. This is the other officer, the one who fires the shot. This is his body camera as he approaches

the scene. This is the firearm that was recovered at the scene after the individual was shot. This is what he had in his hand while the officers were chasing him. It's just a photo of it here at Criminalistics. Remember I told you he fell on the concrete and the officer said that they heard the metal hit the ground? There are three spots on here where this gun has scratches on it. We believe those occurred when he hit the ground with the firearm. Before the police chief held that press conference on Friday, May 2nd, she and others met with Ryan Hinton's family, including his father, Rodney Hinton Jr., to show them the body camera footage of what happened a day earlier. The world can be a scary and unpredictable place, and that's where our partner and sponsor, Morgan & Morgan, comes in.

The firm has more than 1,000 lawyers because they win a lot. In the last few months alone, Morgan & Morgan has won some big verdicts, like a $9.3 million verdict for a car crash victim in Florida, a $5.6 million verdict for another car accident victim in Atlanta, not to mention a $1.8 million verdict in Kentucky after the insurance company offered them a mere $5,000 in that case. Can you believe that? Even if you think your case is not worth millions, why not start a claim and fight for what you deserve? Morgan & Morgan makes it really easy. You can start a claim from your phone in just eight clicks.

So if you're ever hurt, start a claim at forthepeople.com slash crime fix or click the link in the description and pinned in the comments. Understandably, the family was upset sometime after the meeting. The prosecutor says Rodney Hinton Jr. intentionally ran his car into Deputy Henderson, who had nothing to do with the death of his son.

The prosecutor is now laying out more details about the timeline. Connie Pillage says that Rodney Hinton arrived at the Cincinnati Police Department for the meeting at 9.33 a.m. At 9.51 a.m., Hinton became upset and left the building. Then at 10.37 a.m., Rodney Hinton Jr. left the police department with family members in their car instead of his own car. After this, Pillich says Hinton's family took him to a local market. They thought he should get something to eat, but he didn't want to eat anything. So instead, he took a 30-minute nap. Then at 1241 p.m., Hinton's family members took him back to the police department to pick up his car. At 1244, Pillich says Hinton left the police department, but then returned five minutes later

at 1249 and drove through the police department parking lot before leaving again one minute later at 1250. The prosecutor then describes what happened next, but first, she described the area where Larry Henderson was directing traffic. So this is a street view where you see the intersection. This is the stop line that's painted there where people have to stop. This is the unused middle lane which up here is designated as a left turn only lane.

These little plastic things are called delineators. They're just there to keep people from swerving into oncoming traffic. Here, this light pole, that's where Deputy Henderson was standing. A lot of the traffic enforcement people say that's a prime spot to stand because it has a tree for shade. Prosecutor Pillich says Rodney Hinton Jr. pulled into an unused turn lane. His car pointed in the direction of Deputy Henderson. He waits there. There's no place to turn. There's no signal there.

He's just in that unused lane. Because he was up a little bit of a hill, he was at a higher elevation and he could look down and see what was going on in front of him. And he could see Deputy Henderson working that traffic light. At 1.05 p.m., Hinton floors the vehicle, crossing into the opposing traffic lanes and drives directly at Deputy Henderson and hitting him. Hillich says that Rodney Hinton's family was in the car behind him and saw what happened. He never veers off course. He never slows down. While he was paused in that unused center lane, there was traffic coming. He didn't make his move until the oncoming traffic had cleared, and he had an open road ahead of him. Deputy Henderson was

rushed to the trauma center just up the street, but there was sadly nothing that could be done to save him. This week, the grand jury indicted Rodney Hinton on two counts of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications, one count of felony murder, and two counts of felonious assault. After Hinton's arrest last Friday, he was taken to the police department, where he'd met with police earlier in the day about the shooting of his son, for questioning. What he said, if anything, isn't clear. We're going to get you where you're going, okay? Can you stand up for me, sir? All right. All right.

I'll put this around your waist. Can you get a light to let me in? I have to go upstairs and get a grip of your face. I'm going to call you. I had to go all the way upstairs and get a grip of your face. I was bringing buzzers and knocking. You never mind, I'm going to eat this right here. I'm going to take a nap. Are you able to stand on your own? I'll try.

I'm locked up here. I don't know. Here, use this hand to hold you. I'm going to put this hand on a cuff. Hinton seems a little bit groggy there, but officers are transferring him to deputies from the neighboring agency who will take him to jail. I'm going to put this hand on a cuff. All right, I'm going to put this other hand in a cuff I'm gonna double lock them okay Skål! I got a bug walker ankle as well, so you got your key. Yes, ma'am. Oh. Shall I have anything? You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it.

You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it.

You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it.

You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good. No, I was going to do it. You're good.ここからは、新幹線の駅に乗り換えます。 Later, Hinton arrived at the jail in the neighboring county. All right, we want to swing your legs out, kind of opposite of what we did getting in. Good? I got him. Yeah. I don't think that's the right way. And then turn right. You made it this time. This next part could become very important later on. You want to hold yourself up there?

I'm going to ask you some questions, all right? Do you have a serious medical or mental health issue that needs immediate attention? Is that a yes or a no? Have you recently considered attempting suicide? No. Do you want to hurt yourself or anybody else? No. Currently taking an addictive substance or an opioid therapy?

Had any radiation or chemotherapy the past six months? You have a pacemaker? You have anything on you that'll cut us or stick us? You have anything on you at all? Okay. We're going to pat you down real quick. Have you ever been here before? No.

What all you got going on? I see you got the hospital gown. You're in Claremont County, bud. Batavia. You ever lift this foot up so I can feel the bottom of your foot? The next day, Hinton appeared in court for his first appearance and muttered something about gone forever to the deputies. Now this new footage has been released of Rodney Hinton at the search wall in the jail. It shows Hinton being brought in for his court appearance and patted down before he is taken into the courtroom. It's a precaution to ensure he doesn't have anything on him. Then earlier this week, Hinton appeared in court again where his attorney asked

that he be given a bond, something prosecutors argued against. We have shown proof that it is evident that the defendant committed the crime. We have an investigation that includes information from multiple witnesses who are within one car length away or less from the defendant and two videos depicting his path of travel one of which shows the collision this evidence and testimony suggests that people were worried about him when he left the police department having just viewed a video of the death of the son and he was observed by witnesses and video cameras as he operated his vehicle and drove towards where the police officer was. The evidence suggests that he proceeded eastbound on MLK until Deputy Henderson came into his view.

The evidence then shows that he deviated from his eastbound course, pulled into the leftmost turn lane, and waited. And before he put his foot on the floor of the car and accelerated in a rapid manner and deliberately ran into the first police officer that he saw with a car that weighed over a ton causing the death of the officer. We believe that his pause, his consideration, and his deviating outside the yellow lines while driving in the opposite lane of travel demonstrates prior calculation design and premeditation in causing the death of Deputy Henderson, who was a law enforcement officer engaged in the course of his duties. Because of the extremely random nature of this attack, it renders an unpredictability to the defendant

that cannot be accounted for with a bond when he was released, because we have no way of preventing him from removing an EFU device, no matter what kind of bond you give him. The prosecutor then went over Hinton's criminal history. Your Honor, in 2017, there was a domestic violence charge where the defendant pled guilty to disorderly conduct. In 2019, there was an assault conviction out of Middletown from 2023 and an aggravated menacing conviction out of Middletown from that same court. So that's his priority. Then it was Hinton's attorney's turn to argue for bail. In summary, what I would like to do, I want to make certain that this young man is treated

as a mentally ill person and not as a cop killer. I don't think he was a cop killer. I think he was not in his right mind. And I think he should be treated like any other mentally ill person that commits a crime under the auspices, control, and authority of a mental defect in the condition. That's what we have in this case. I think in light of his mindset at the time this happened, I was physically present with the defendant over the weekend. I think he has mental issues. I think it's a long way of answering your question. I think the conduct in question is classic,

classic mental illness, criminal conduct. It's always intentional. It's bold. It's conspicuous. I don't know that. That's a hallmark sign that somebody is not in the right frame of mind, no attempt to deceive, no attempt to hide what they did, because they think that what they're doing is right, and they think that what they're doing is right because they're not in the right frame of mind. They don't understand the law of insider conduct. So, yes, I'm agreeing with Mr. Ruff.

I cannot recall, either in experience or outside experience, a case that I've ever seen like this. And based upon the state's comments, I find it very difficult to figure out how there could be any decision based on what they said that would protect the public and the defendant under these circumstances this is the most unusual case I don't disagree with you judge with respect to the no bond thank you so much I believe that mr. Bennett said that he agreed with the court with the issue relating to no bond and I would add the mental health treatment. I've talked to the officers before. They have assured me and I asked the state to make the assurance that if he's continued to be held at Claremont County, they'll be kept in a safe and safe way that he will be watched over. Yes, sir. In a way that would not relate to any self-harm based upon what everybody has said today.

So that was earlier this week before the grand jury indicted Hinton on those additional charges. He'll appear in court next week to enter a plea on the new charges. Meanwhile, Deputy Henderson was laid to rest in a funeral service today. Larry was a man devoted to others. That devotion was unmistakable across nearly 40 years of service to our country and to Hamilton County, first as a Marine and then as a Sheriff's Deputy. He didn't judge others by race, religion, nationality or orientation. He looked at character. He believed in helping anyone who was willing to accept it

and he touched countless lives, many of whom he may have encountered only once but left with a lasting impact. It was what many would consider a well-earned retirement. Larry and his beloved wife Lori chose not to rest, but to give. They opened their home and hearts to foster children, once again showing that their lives were grounded in compassion, not convenience. Larry didn't care where someone came from, what mattered to him

was where they would go with love, support, and someone who believed in them. That's who Larry was. Someone who quietly, consistently chose to do good, simply because it was the right thing to do. Larry's life was stolen from us in an act of evil. How do we respond to such darkness? How do we carry on when something so senseless shatters us? We respond with light. A little light dispels much darkness. We don't have to fight darkness, we just need to introduce light. In a pitch black room, even a flicker of light can change everything. It doesn't take much.

That is our task now. To honor Larry by living as he did, shining light into the lives of others through acts of goodness and kindness. So I ask you all today, take a page from Larry's life. Let's honor him by making a resolution, not like that New Year's resolution, but a commitment that you will actually live out. It doesn't have to be big. If you're usually grumpy in the morning, commit to greeting others with a smile and a kind word. Donate to a charity that helps others. Lend a hand to someone in need, but do it in Larry's

honor. And I want to let you know the investigation into the shooting by police of Ryan Hinton is ongoing. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Anjanette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.