Cincinnati’s streets turned grim this week, a city caught in a spiral of violence that left two dead and a community reeling. On April 16, Cincinnati police shot and killed 18-year-old Ryan Hinton, an armed suspect in a stolen car chase. The next day, his father, Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, struck and killed a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy with his car, authorities say, in what prosecutors call a deliberate act of vengeance.
It started in East Price Hill, a neighborhood of modest homes and tight-knit blocks. Police responded to a report of a stolen Kia at the Westview Condominiums on Warsaw Avenue. Four young men, including Ryan Hinton, were in the vehicle. When officers approached, the group scattered, sprinting in different directions. Body camera footage, later released by Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge, shows the chaos: officers shouting, feet pounding pavement, and a flash of metal as Hinton, allegedly clutching a gun, darted between dumpsters. An officer, part of the fugitive apprehension squad, fired four or five shots. Two hit Hinton—one in the chest, one in the arm. He collapsed, dead on the scene. Police recovered a handgun with an extended magazine at his side, another firearm stashed in the Kia.
Theetge, her voice steady but heavy at a press conference, explained the officer’s split-second choice. Hinton appeared to point his weapon, she said, leaving no time to hesitate. Three other suspects—Jurell Austin, 18, DeAnthony Bullucks, 19, and Cynsere Grigsby, 18—were arrested, charged with receiving stolen property and obstructing official business. The city braced for answers, but the worst was yet to come.
On April 17, near the University of Cincinnati’s bustling campus, a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy was directing traffic for graduation ceremonies. The deputy, a recently retired veteran working a special detail, stood at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Burnet Woods Drive. Around 1 p.m., a car barreled through. Witnesses say it didn’t swerve or slow—it aimed. The vehicle, driven by Rodney Hinton Jr., slammed into the deputy, who was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center but died soon after. His name remains unreleased, shielded by Ohio’s crime victim privacy laws.
Rodney Hinton Jr. was arrested at a hospital, where he’d been treated for minor injuries from the crash. At his arraignment the next morning, Hamilton County Courtroom A brimmed with over 30 sheriff’s office members, their faces stone, a silent wall of grief and fury. Prosecuting attorney Ryan Nelson didn’t mince words: Hinton’s actions were “calculated and premeditated.” He’d stopped his car, lined it up, and gunned the accelerator, Nelson said, intent on killing. Hinton faces aggravated murder charges, a crime that could mean life in prison or the death penalty. He’s being held without bond at Clermont County Jail, moved there for his safety.
The connection between the two deaths is undeniable—and wrenching. Hours before the deputy’s death, Rodney Hinton Jr. had sat with family and their attorney, Michael Wright, to review the body camera footage of his son’s shooting. Wright later told reporters the father was shattered, unable to finish watching the video. By afternoon, he was behind the wheel, his grief erupting into violence.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey spoke of the deputy’s loss with raw sorrow. A beloved figure, he’d served decades, his reputation drawing respect from law enforcement across the region. “We could fill this building with those who loved him,” she said. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, sickened by the apparent intent, offered condolences, as did city leaders grappling with the double tragedy.
Investigations into both incidents are ongoing. The Cincinnati Police Department is leading the probe into the deputy’s death, while the officer-involved shooting remains under review. Theetge urged patience, a city on edge waiting for clarity. For now, two families mourn, a department grieves, and Cincinnati reckons with a wound that cuts deep.
Ryan Hinton was killed April 16 during a police chase involving a stolen vehicle. Rodney Hinton Jr. was charged with aggravated murder on April 18. The deputy’s identity has not been disclosed.