CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich announced during a press conference that Rodney Hinton Jr. has been indicted on new charges.
Last week, a yet-unnamed Cincinnati police officer fatally shot 18-year-old Ryan Hinton the morning of May 1. The following day, Ryan's father, Rodney Hinton Jr., allegedly crashed a car into former Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson, killing him.
Rodney Hinton Jr. was initially charged with one count of aggravated murder. Now, the grand jury has indicted him on a second charge of aggravated murder and additional charges of murder, plus two counts of felonious assault.
According to Pillich, the aggravated murder charges both carry the possibility of the death penalty.
During the press conference, she also provided more details into the moments that led up the Henderson's alleged murder.
Pillich said Rodney arrived at the police department at 9:33 a.m., where he watched the body camera footage of a Cincinnati police officer fatally shooting his son.
"Mr. Hinton was so upset, he left the building," Pillich said.
That happened at 9:51 a.m., according to Pillich.
By 10:37 a.m., Rodney left with other family members and left his vehicle in the parking lot of the police station. From there, Pillich said the family went to Findlay Market for food, but Rodney wouldn't eat. According to Pillich, the family then went to a home together, where Rodney took a nap.
At 12:41 p.m., Rodney returned to the police station to get his car; he left at 12:44 p.m., but came back to the police department again at 12:49 p.m.
At that point, he drove through the parking lot of the police station, Pillich said. He left the station for good at 12:50 p.m. His family was following behind him at that point, according to Pillich.
You can watch the full press conference below:
From there, Pillich said Rodney drove up Clifton Avenue and turned onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, still with family members following in a separate vehicle. At one point, Rodney pulled into the rightmost lane of MLK Drive and stopped. Then, he moved into the left lane, then into a yellow center lane that's not used by traffic.
"As he moves on up, he waits there," said Pillich. "There's no place to turn, there's no signal there, he's just in that unused lane."
From that spot, Pillich said Rodney would have been looking downhill toward Burnet Woods Avenue, where he would have had a clear view of Henderson as he worked the traffic controller.
"At 1:05 p.m., Hinton floors the vehicle," said Pillich.
He traveled across the two lanes of oncoming traffic and crashed directly into Henderson, killing him, Pillich said. While that happened, his family was still watching him from the other vehicle.
"It's a clear view, straight as an arrow," said Pillich. "He never veers off course, he never slows down."
At the press conference, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey also spoke. She pointed out that, as the press conference was happening, public visitation hours for Henderson were happening at Spring Grove Cemetery.
She said Henderson will be buried with full honors. She also urged people to keep calm and care for one another as many people grieve following the events of the past week.
"We are all mourning someone," said McGuffey. "I understand that this is a very trying time, I understand that tempers are high, I understand people are asking one another 'why?'"
McGuffey asked that people let justice run its course as it's intended.
"Do your best to engage and talk to people," she said. "Grab onto each other and mourn. Do the things that you know in your grief will help you heal. But I'm asking you to please, please let justice play out in all cases."
On Friday, there will be a full funeral procession and services for Henderson.
