Father of 18-Year-Old, Who Was Shot Dead by Police, Charged in Fatal Crash That Killed Sheriff’s Deputy 1 Day Later

• Rodney Hinton Jr. fatally struck a deputy conducting traffic on Friday, May 2, according to Cincinnati police
• Police said Rodney is the father of 18-year-old Ryan Hinton, who was shot and killed in a police-related shooting a day prior on Thursday, May 1
• Rodney made his first appearance in court on Saturday, May 3, when he was charged with aggravated murder in connection with the incident

The father of an 18-year-old man, who was shot and killed by Cincinnati police on May 1, allegedly struck and killed a sheriff’s deputy the following day.

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced in a press conference, shared by WOWT, on Friday, May 2, that a Hamilton County deputy was struck by a car while conducting “traffic enforcement.”

Theetge said the officer — whose identity has yet to be shared — died following the auto incident, which occurred at around 1 p.m. local time along Martin Luther King Drive and Burnet Woods Drive, near the University of Cincinnati campus. 

She also said that there was a connection between this incident and an officer-involved shooting the day prior, on Thursday, May 1. “The driver of today’s vehicle that struck a deputy has a family relationship with the 18-year-old that we shot yesterday,” the police chief said.

Ryan Hinton, 18, was one of four people found inside a stolen vehicle parked on Warsaw Avenue in East Price Hill, according to WOWT, the Cincinnati Inquirer and CNN. Ryan and the other three people reportedly attempted to flee the vehicle, and as he was running, Ryan allegedly pointed a handgun at police. 

An officer shot the armed suspect, later identified as Ryan. Cincinnati police said the 18-year-old died from his injuries, per the outlets.

Chief Theetge confirmed to reporters during the news conference that the suspect who struck the Hamilton County deputy was Ryan’s father, 38-year-old Rodney Hinton Jr. He was later charged with aggravated murder, according to WLWT.

On Saturday, May 3, Rodney made his first appearance in court.

During the court appearance, which was attended by several members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, prosecuting attorney Ryan Nelson said, per CNN, that the 38-year-old “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.” 

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“It appeared from everybody who was on the scene that he deliberately struck the deputy in an attempt to kill him,” Nelson added in the courtroom, per the outlet.

Rodney’s attorney argued that he had no prior felonies and asked the judge for bond — which was denied, per WLWT. He also it was an “emotionally charged” situation, as Rodney’s son had been killed by police officers. 

In a video taken during the court appearance by a reporter, Rodney could be seen allegedly telling officers who were lined up in court that his son was “going to be gone forever, forever.” 

As for the officer who died in the incident, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey described him in the news conference as a “tremendous person” who retired from the department in December and had been working a special detail for the University of Cincinnati commencement ceremonies happening that week.

“I knew the man and I knew what a tremendous, tremendous person he is and what tremendous loss we have all suffered,” an emotional McGuffey said.