Rodney Hinton Jr. is accused by prosecutors of deliberately killing a Cincinnati sheriff’s deputy in revenge for the deadly police capturing of his teen son. Although it looks like the chances are stacked towards him, his attorneys argue that his psychological situation absolves him from being labeled a “cop killer.”
Hinton, 38, waived his proper to a possible trigger listening to and entered a not responsible plea to aggravated homicide within the hit-and-run killing of Hamilton County Deputy Sheriff Larry Henderson. Authorities say he drove his automobile into an intersection, placing the deputy who died later within the hospital. The morning of the incident, Hinton had simply seen the physique digital camera footage associated to the deadly capturing of his 18-year-old son, Ryan, who was killed by deputies.
“He couldn’t end watching the video. It was very troublesome to look at for the household,” stated Cochran Regulation Agency legal professional Michael Wright, by way of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Prosecutors stated Hinton’s present state is a “big psychological well being query mark,” arguing that he poses a hazard to the general public. Hinton’s attorneys additionally stated his psychological well being is a priority however on a extra sympathetic notice, per FOX19 Information. In physique digital camera footage of his arrest, Hinton shrugged at questions of whether or not he wanted psychological well being help. Although, his attorneys argue that he desperately wants therapy.
Will the psychological well being argument stand? Former prosecutor and civil rights legal professional Probability D. Lynch thinks so. He says the one angle at this level is to argue that Hinton wasn’t in his proper thoughts on the time of the incident.
“I feel that’s going to be a giant protection for him that may most likely save [the case] from being a capital case. If I used to be his lawyer, I might get my consumer evaluated and speak in regards to the results of PTSD.”
In reality, Lynch says statistics and research present that “he may legitimately be incapacitated and thought of incompetent due to him observing his son [on body camera]. He was underneath the management of that.”
Lynch added that different mitigating elements could possibly be offered in court docket to favor a lighter sentence or probably psychiatric hospitalization, within the case he’s convicted. As of now, Hinton isn’t receiving any psychological therapy at Clermont County Jail, his legal professional stated this week, by way of FOX19.