COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Representatives have introduced a new bill bearing the name of Larry Henderson, a Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy who was hit and killed while directing traffic during the University of Cincinnati's spring commencement earlier this year.
The "Larry Henderson Act" was introduced by Representatives Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton).
According to a press release from the lawmakers, the act would increase penalties for convictions of aggravated murder in Ohio, when the victim was a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, first responder or military member.
It would mandate either the death penalty or life in prison without parole for any adults convicted of killing someone in those roles, the announcement says.
The bill would eliminate any possibility of parole under those circumstances.
"Our first responders should be able to do their jobs without fear of violent retaliation," said Abrams in the press release. "And the families of deceased first responders shouldn't have to go through the stress and grief of wondering whether or not the parole board will keep their loved ones' murderer behind bars."
The bill has not yet been assigned a number and awaits House committee assignment.
It's the second bill drafted by lawmakers bearing Henderson's name and seeking to increase punishments for those convicted of harming a police officer.
Moreno, Ohio's senior senator, also introduced a federal version of a "Larry Henderson Act."
The two proposed pieces of legislation are a bit different from one another.
The act drafted by Abrams and Plummer would operate at the state level if it passes, and specifically focuses on the murder of a police officer.
Moreno's proposed legislation is at the federal level, and looks to change the mandatory minimum sentences to 20 years for those convicted of assaulting federal officers where bodily harm or bodily injury is inflicted.
The current federal statute outlines penalties for assaulting a federal officer that range from one to eight years in prison, depending on the severity of the crime.
"Enough is enough," Moreno said in a statement. "Anyone who assaults one of our men or women in blue needs to face severe consequences, period. Deputy Larry Henderson should be alive today, and that's why I'm introducing legislation — in his honor — to protect our law enforcement officers."
Henderson served for 33 years at the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. He began as a corrections officer and then became a patrol officer. He served as a dive team member and on the HCSO bomb unit.
He also worked part-time at Mercy Health Anderson Hospital and spent nearly 20 years volunteering to work security detail for the UC football team.
Rodney Hinton Jr. is accused of intentionally crashing his car into Henderson on May 2, just hours after officials said he watched body camera footage showing his son, 18-year-old Ryan Hinton, being shot to death by a still-unnamed Cincinnati police officer the day before, on May 1.
Rodney Hinton Jr. currently faces two counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder and two counts of felonious assault. Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said the aggravated murder charges he faces both carry the possibility of the death penalty if he's convicted.
