Father Charged With Killing Deputy One Day After Police Fatally Shot Son

An Ohio father is accused of killing a sheriff's deputy just a day after his teenage son was fatally shot by officers.

According to the BBC, 38-year-old Rodney Hinton Jr. is facing charges of aggravated murder in connection to the killing of a deputy who was struck by a car outside a graduation for the University of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge alleged that "there is a connection" between the deputy's murder and the police killing of Hinton's 18-year-old son, Ryan. The deputy, who remains unidentified, was hit by a vehicle just hours after Hinton viewed police footage of his son's fatal shooting. However, police didn't indicate whether Hinton knew the deputy who was killed.

Authorities said Ryan was killed after he brandished a gun during a stolen vehicle investigation. A gun was recovered at the scene, but there's no evidence that Ryan ever fired the gun. Investigators said the shooting was justified because the teen allegedly pointed the gun in the officer's direction. Blurry police footage makes it unclear whether the teen was carrying the gun or pointing it at police at the time he was shot.

"We do not expect the officers to wait until they're fired upon," Theetge said in a statement.

On Friday (May 2), Hinton and other family members convened at their lawyer's office to view police footage of their son's shooting.

Lawyer Michael Wright said Hinston was "understandably distraught" watching the moments leading up to Ryan's death.

"After the meeting with the police department, Ryan Hinton's father left in his own vehicle and that was the last we heard from him until learning about the tragic incident involving a law enforcement officer who was working a traffic detail near the University of Cincinnati," Wright said in a statement.

"This is an unimaginable tragedy for this community," the lawyer added. "Ryan Hinton's family is heartbroken by this tragic turn of events, and we are all devastated for the family of the officer who was killed."

During a court hearing on Saturday (May 3), prosecutors said Hinton "in a way that was calculated and premeditated lined up his car, deliberately accelerated his car and purposely caused the death of an on-duty deputy sheriff" at the University of Cincinnati graduation, hours after viewing police footage.

Hinton is currently being held without bond.

"This is a horrific tragedy on both sides. This family lost their son, and this police officer lost his life," Wright said in a statement.

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