A Hamilton County jury has convicted Rodney Hinton Jr. of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault in the death of Deputy Larry Henderson, who was directing traffic near Burnet Woods on May 2, 2025, when Hinton’s vehicle struck him. The conviction follows a case built around a painful timeline: hours before the crash, Hinton had watched body camera footage of his 19-year-old son Ryan being fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer, a shooting later determined to be justified.
Prosecutors argued that Hinton recognized Henderson’s uniform and drove into him deliberately in the aftermath of his son’s death. Defense attorney Clyde Bennett contended his client was experiencing acute psychotic symptoms and had no intent to strike the deputy. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 16, with the prosecution seeking 15 years to life, and Bennett has said he will appeal within 30 days of sentencing.
For communities here on the Suncoast and everywhere else, the case raises difficult questions about how grief, mental illness and criminal intent get sorted out in a courtroom, and about the danger deputies face in routine traffic assignments. Henderson is remembered as a dedicated public servant whose death left a community mourning. What do you think the case says about how our system handles mental health in the courtroom?
