CINCINNATI — The wife of Larry Henderson, a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy who prosecutors said was intentionally killed in May, has filed a lawsuit claiming her husband's alleged killer and his family broke Ohio public policy and crowdfunded more than $100,000 after the crime.
Prosecutors said Rodney Hinton Jr., the father of an 18-year-old shot and killed by a Cincinnati police officer one day earlier, left the police station during a meeting with Chief Teresa Theetge on Friday, May 2, and hours later got in his car and "ran over the first officer he saw." That person was Henderson, a special deputy helping with traffic outside UC's spring commencement.
In the lawsuit filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, Lorena Henderson claims Rodney Hinton's family used his "public status and notoriety gained solely through his criminal act of killing Deputy Henderson" to crowdfund money, mostly through the fundraising website GiveSendGo.
The executor of her husband's estate, Lorena is suing for damages after Hinton and his family "caused extreme emotional distress" to her and her children for profiting off of the deputy's death.
"Through crowdfunding efforts, they have sought to profit from the very crime that took a devoted public servant from his loved ones, raising over $100,000 by leveraging the notoriety of this heinous act," Zachary Gottesman, Henderson's attorney, said in a statement. "This is not only a violation of Ohio’s public policy against profiting from criminal conduct but an affront to the principles of justice and decency."
Within days of Hinton's arrest, dozens of fundraisers popped up on crowdfunding sites in support of him. GoFundMe removed any fundraisers on its site, citing a policy prohibiting people from raising money for individuals charged with violent crimes.
WATCH: How local officials responded to online fundraisers for the man accused of killing a deputy
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called for a takedown of all fundraisers, calling for state lawmakers to pass legislation that would ban crowdfunding for anyone charged with a violent crime.
"We shouldn't be crowdfunding an evildoer," Yost said in May. "I'm appealing to them today to take down this site."
Lorena's lawsuit specifically notes Ohio public policy that says a person who intentionally and feloniously causes the death of another should not be able to profit from that crime.
We reached out to First Amendment attorneys in May about whether Hinton and his family were breaking any policies and if legislation could ban such crowdfunding. Attorney Jack Greiner said at this time, no Ohio policy is being violated because Hinton is not yet convicted of any crimes and has pleaded not guilty.
We also reached out to GiveSendGo to discuss the fundraisers. In an email, the website said it "does not determine guilt or innocence."
"Our platform exists to allow individuals to raise funds for personal needs, including legal defense and family support, especially in times of crisis. Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and we believe people should have access to their communities during such moments. We aim to uphold that freedom — even in challenging and emotionally charged situations," the website said in part.
Gottesman said in his statement he stands with the Henderson's family "seeking accountability for this malicious act and the subsequent efforts to benefit from it."
"Our community mourns the loss of a hero, and we call for unity in honoring his legacy, supporting his loved ones, and ensuring that such a tragedy is neither forgotten nor exploited," the statement says.
