The murder trial of the man accused of deliberately driving into and killing Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson will center on an insanity defense, according to court documents.
Rodney Hinton is accused of striking Henderson, who was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati during a graduation ceremony, and then crashing into a utility pole. Jury selection in Hinton's trial is expected to take three days, with opening statements set for Oct. 8.
Court records show Hinton told a psychologist he could not bear to watch video of the aftermath. "They showed the video of him getting shot, and I couldn't stay there and couldn't stand watching that, so I left," he said, describing feelings of anger, frustration and guilt.
Investigators say Hinton's family grew worried about his mental state after a meeting with police — his wife had taken his car keys — and had him driven away. About two hours later they returned to the police building's parking lot so he could pick up his Ford Focus around 12:50 p.m. A family member tried to follow him in another vehicle but lost him.
Soon after, Hinton was in Clifton driving east on Martin Luther King Drive, where Henderson was handling traffic control. Investigators say Hinton drove into a median near the Burnet Woods entrance, stopped just ahead of the intersection where Henderson stood, then accelerated across oncoming lanes and struck the deputy before hitting a utility pole. He was arrested shortly afterward.
— NewsForce Staff