CINCINNATI — Donations are pouring in from around the Tri-State and the country in support of retired deputy Larry Henderson.
Henderson, a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy, formally retired in December but stayed with the department as a special deputy. He was operating a traffic light on May 2 at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Burnet Woods during UC's commencement when police said he was intentionally run down by 38-year-old Rodney Hinton Jr., whose son was killed by an officer one day prior.
"I was shocked," Scott Snow said. "Like everyone else, I was in disbelief."
Snow is the president of The Shield, an organization that helps raise money for families of officers who are badly hurt or killed. The organization was formed in 2000 after police officer Kevin Curtis Crayon was killed after he was dragged by a vehicle driven by a juvenile.
Learn how people are honoring the fallen deputy in the video below:
Snow said you can donate to the Henderson family on their website.
"Unfortunately, we've been through a lot of these, especially more so in recent years," Snow said.
Snow said he's still processing what happened to Henderson.
"Just to be targeted at random just because he was wearing a badge is unimaginable to me," Snow said.
Snow told us he's been by the Henderson family's side since the crash.
"There's a lot of grief, there's a lot of questioning, a lot of confusion," Snow said.
Snow said he knew Henderson. He called him the ultimate public servant who cared deeply about protecting and caring for the community.
"That's exactly what he was doing when he was killed," Snow said. "He was just helping people, helping them cross the street."
The purpose of The Shield is to help families, like Henderson's, during these tough times.
"We don't want anybody who wants to remember the life of a fallen officer to have to worry about how we're going to get there, who's going to pay for it," Snow said.
As they continue to take donations, Snow said The Shield's purpose is not just providing funds to the family.
"We're not just there cutting checks, we're there with them at the funeral home, we're there with them at the grave site," Snow said.
Snow warns people wishing to donate that they've come across some fake accounts trying to accept donations.
To ensure the money goes to the right place, he said you can find the proper Venmo and PayPal links on their website here.
