ARTICLE AD BOX
A Cincinnati teenager was fatally shot by a police officer on Thursday.
A day later, his father was arrested for allegedly striking a deputy with his car and killing him.
Ryan Hinton, 18, was killed during an alleged stolen vehicle incident at an apartment complex in a residential part of the city around 9 a.m.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said the shooting occurred in a parking lot at the end of a long driveway. The vehicle had allegedly been stolen from Northern Kentucky earlier that day.
Officers responded to the scene to apprehend four men in the car. After police arrived, the men ran in different directions, leading to an on-foot pursuit. Two of the officers chased Hinton and another individual.
Theetge said Hinton was armed during the chase.
In police body-camera footage obtained by NBC News, an officer is seen exiting his vehicle and aiming a firearm at the teenager as he runs away. The officer fired at least four shots, the police chief said, and Hinton fell to the ground.
The footage does not clearly show whether the 18-year-old brandished his gun toward police.
Authorities believe Hinton was struck by two bullets in the chest and arm. After firing the rounds, an officer can be heard instructing the teen to “Get the f*** down.”
Footage from a second officer’s body camera shows the officer running toward a colleague while warning colleagues that one of the men was armed.
According to the footage, the officer shouted: “He’s got a gun! He’s got a gun on your right! On your right!”
Officers recovered the gun and a loaded extended magazine that Hinton allegedly had with him at the time. Officers also found a second magazine in the teen’s jacket pocket.
Cops are “often compelled to make split-second decisions to protect others and themselves when faced with immediate threats,” the chief said at a news conference in defense of the officer’s actions.
“Let me be very direct: We cannot allow individuals to flee from officers with a loaded firearm aimed at them,” she continued. “When this happens, the outcome is almost always tragic. No one wins, and everyone involved is affected.”
The officer who fired the fatal shot said Hinton pointed his gun at him, causing him to act in self-defense. However, there’s no evidence to suggest the teen fired the gun.
Still, Theetge said, “We do not expect the officers to wait until they’re fired upon before they feel the necessity to fire.” The incident lasted six seconds. Officers attempted to administer first aid to Hinton until emergency responders arrived on scene.
The officers involved have not been publicly identified due to privacy laws. The chief said the officers, assigned to the fugitive apprehension squad, joined the force in 2014 and 2001
The incident remains under investigation.
On Friday, Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, the teen’s father, allegedly struck a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy with his car near the University of Cincinnati.
At the news briefing, officials said the officer, who has not been identified, was retired and working as a special deputy and directing traffic near the school for graduation events.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said of the officer at the briefing: “He was so well liked and so well known, we could fill this building with the law enforcement agencies that respect him, love him, his friends, his family...We are so deeply saddened.”
Officials are scheduling a procession to honor the fallen officer.
The father has been charged with aggravated murder and appeared in court Saturday, where a judge set no bond ahead of a hearing on Tuesday, WLWT reported. Records show he’s being held at Clermont County Jail.
The other men allegedly involved in Thursday’s stolen vehicle incident are 18-year-old Jurell Austin and 19-year-old DeAnthony Bullucks. Officials charged the men with receiving stolen property and felony obstructing official business. One suspect remains at large.
English (US) ·