Ohio man convicted of murder for killing deputy after police shot his son

A jury in Ohio, in the United States, on Friday found 40-year-old Rodney Hinton guilty of murder and other charges. He killed Hamilton County special deputy Larry Henderson with his car just hours after viewing video of Cincinnati police shooting his son. The convictions carry a sentence of between 15 years and life in prison, and sentencing is tentatively set for 16 November.

The trial

The trial lasted 10 days. Hinton's defense argued that he was so distraught over his son's death that, at the time Henderson was killed, he could not legally tell right from wrong. Jurors rejected that argument after deliberations that began on Wednesday and convicted him of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Henderson had served 33 years on the job and thanked the jury for its verdict.

What happened before

The day after the shooting, Cincinnati police sat down with Hinton's family and their attorneys to view body-worn camera footage of the killing of his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton. Officers had responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex. Two officers tried to detain four people in the car, and all of them began to run. Police said Ryan Hinton was armed, and a firearm was reportedly recovered at the scene. The footage shows an officer getting out of a vehicle and aiming at Ryan as he appeared to run away, while another officer is recorded shouting, "He's got a gun!" The officer who shot him fired about four times. The footage does not make clear whether Ryan had aimed a weapon at officers.

According to Cincinnati police, Rodney Hinton then drove off in his own car and aimed it at Henderson, who saw it approaching but could not avoid it. Prosecutors argued that Hinton "tracked" Henderson. Assistant prosecutor Kate Burroughs told the court in closing arguments that he turned his wheel in the same direction Henderson moved.

Hinton's attorney, Clyde Bennett II, told reporters after the verdict that an appeal is planned. "The fight is not over," he said.