Police allege that a father hit and killed a sheriff’s deputy with a car, a day after his 18-year-old son was gunned down by officers.
Rodney Hinton Jr, 38, from Ohio, is charged with aggravated murder and is being held without bond. The alleged attack came hours after he watched police footage of the fatal encounter with his son, lawyers for the Hinton family say.
Cincinnati’s police chief said “there is a connection” between the two cases, although there has been no suggestion that the father knew the deputy who died.
Ryan Hinton was killed after brandishing a gun at police during a stolen vehicle investigation, officials say. A gun was found at the scene. There is no indication he fired it.
The deputy, who has not been named, was directing traffic outside of the University of Cincinnati graduation, when he was fatally struck about 13:00 local time on Friday.
In a court hearing on Saturday, prosecutors alleged that Mr 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”.
Dozens of officers reportedly packed the courtroom during the hearing.
About 10:00 on Friday, Mr Hinton and his family members had gathered at their lawyer’s office to watch police footage of his son being shot to death by police.
Lawyer Michael Wright said in a statement that Mr Hinton became “understandably distraught” watching the police bodycam footage, and was unable to finish watching the video.
The meeting included members of the Cincinnati Police Department.
“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,” the lawyer’s statement continued.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy for this community,” it 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.”
The short blurry video shows an officer yelling “gun” before shots ring out during a chase. Investigators say the shooting was justified because the teen pointed a gun in the officer’s direction. It is unclear from the blurry footage if the teen was carrying a gun or where it may have been pointed when he was shot.
“We do not expect the officers to wait until they’re fired upon,” Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge told reporters in a briefing on Friday.
Two other teens were arrested during the same incident.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine condemned the killing of the deputy, saying in a statement: “I have been briefed on the ongoing investigation and am sickened by what appears to be an intentional act of violence.”
“We offer our sincere condolences to the deputy’s family, friends, and colleagues.”
Mr Wright also issued condolences to the deputy, on behalf of the Hinton family.
“This is a horrific tragedy on both sides. This family lost their son, and this police officer lost his life,” he told The Cincinnati Enquirer.
