CINCINNATI — The lawyer for Rodney Hinton Jr. has suggested that his mental competency will be a major subject of his upcoming trial.
During court on May 22, Hinton Jr.'s trial date was scheduled for January 12, 2026.
Hinton Jr. appeared in court Thursday for a pre-trial hearing. He is accused of intentionally driving a car into Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson, killing him, one day after a Cincinnati police officer fatally shot his 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton.
He faces two counts of aggravated murder with the possibility of the death penalty, one count of murder and two counts of felonious assault.
We obtained body camera footage from the Clermont County Sheriff's Office, which captures the moments after the crash that killed Henderson. The video includes when Rodney Hinton Jr. was released from the hospital and when he was booked into the Clermont County Jail.
The body camera video shows an officer asking Hinton a series of questions, including whether he has a serious medical or mental health issue that requires immediate attention.
When asked this question, you can see Rodney Hinton Jr. appear hesitant before shrugging his shoulders in response.
Clyde Bennett, Rodney Hinton Jr.’s attorney, commented at a recent court hearing that his client is currently on medication for a mental disorder.
WATCH: There were questions about Hinton's competency at his last hearing.
"I wouldn't say he is fully competent, but as the days go on, I think he gets more competent every day," Bennett said.
Dr. Kenneth Manges has 50 years of experience as a forensic psychologist, assisting trial attorneys with competency hearings.
"When a hearing is held, Mr. Bennett may have some information, including some mental health history of Mr. Hinton," Manges said.
We asked Manges what the process is like to determine a defendant's level of competency.
"A few hours' worth of questions to determine if he was of rational mind at the time," Manges said.
He said an expert would assess the defendant's personality and behavior.
Manges also highlighted the emotional strain Rodney Hinton Jr. may be under, suggesting that witnessing the media coverage of his son's death could have been overwhelming.
"Having seen his son die via the television coverage that had taken place would have been overwhelming to anyone," Manges said.
