CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati police officer will not be charged in the shooting death of an 18-year-old who was holding a gun and running from police who were responding to a call about a stolen car, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
A day after the shooting, the teen’s father struck and killed a county deputy with his car in what authorities have said was an intentional act. The father, who had watched body camera footage of the shooting just hours before the crash, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in the deputy’s death.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said a review of the May 1 shooting death of Ryan Hinton found that the officer was “legally justified in his use of force.”
Hinton had a fully loaded gun and pointed it at officers when they confronted him, Pillich said.
The officer who fired told investigators that Hinton pointed the gun at him during a foot chase, Pillich said. Police released photos of a semiautomatic handgun that they said Hinton was carrying and another gun that was found in the car.
One officer could be heard in body camera video released by police saying “he’s got a gun” before several shots were fired as Hinton was running behind an apartment complex.
While blurred images released after the shooting did not clearly show Hinton pointing a gun, Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said the officer told investigators that Hinton had the gun in front of him and pointed at the officer. The officer said he feared for his life, the chief said.
Police and the prosecutor did not release the name of the officer.
An attorney representing Hinton’s family said they disagreed with the prosecutor’s findings and plan to file a lawsuit.
Meanwhile, authorities have accused Hinton’s father, Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, of running down a deputy who was not involved in his son’s shooting.
Deputy Larry Ray Henderson Jr. was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati when he was hit by a car that drove into an intersection, police said.
Henderson was struck a few hours after Rodney Hinton Jr. and other family members watched police body camera footage showing the officer fatally shoot his son. Rodney Hinton Jr.'s attorney has said he is not guilty by reason of insanity.
