A tragic incident occurred in Ohio this week, where a teenager was shot and killed by Cincinnati police. Following this, his father is reported to have confronted a retired sheriff’s aide in his car.
Rodney Hinton Jr. appeared in court on Saturday, facing murder charges that escalated after his son’s death, according to prosecutors.
Just two hours before the aide was killed on Friday morning, Hinton Jr., 38, met with family members and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Tegge about the police involvement in his son Ryan’s death. They viewed police body cam footage of the incident.
Reports indicate that Ryan, along with three other individuals, was accused of stealing a car in the East Price Hill area of Cincinnati on Thursday.
Footage shows the teens fleeing the scene. Believing Ryan, 18, was armed, police shot him fatally, as relayed by family lawyer Michael Wright.
Wright mentioned that Hinton Jr. left the room before the video ended. “He was extremely upset. I can’t imagine the pain of watching your son being killed,” Wright expressed.
According to authorities, the officer fired upon Ryan after he allegedly pointed a weapon at him.
Ryan was struck twice in both the chest and arm, and the police chief stated there was no evidence indicating he fired at the officers.
The officer responsible for the shooting is currently on paid leave while the department reviews the situation. Wright, who has connections with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, noted that the Hintons brought him on to investigate, having only viewed a brief segment of the shooting.
It’s worth mentioning that Hinton Jr. is African American, while the retired deputy who died on Friday is believed to be white.
The retired deputy had stepped back into a role overseeing traffic near the University of Cincinnati campus during graduation ceremonies when he was attacked by Hinton Jr., according to police.
Supporters of the deputy turned out in court on Saturday. Judge Tyrone Yates did not set a bond for Hinton Jr. during the hearing, leaving that decision for a later date.
