The popular online fundraising platform GoFundMe is apologizing after multiple fundraisers for Rodney Hinton Jr., a man in Ohio accused of killing a deputy after officers killed his son, were launched and raised thousands within days of his arrest.
On Monday, May 5, the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police released a letter demanding that GoFundMe take down fundraisers supporting the 38-year-old suspect, WPTV reported. They were all removed by Tuesday.
Ohio FOP president Jay McDonald said in the letter that it was “absolutely outrageous, to fundraise off the assassination of a law enforcement officer. The 23,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio demand that GoFundMe take these appeals down immediately.”
Police told the outlet that a representative from GoFundMe reached out within hours of receiving the letter and apologized for “attempted misuse of the GoFundMe platform.”
According to the representative, any campaign that seeks to raise money for someone who is accused of committing a violent crime goes against their terms.
“I can assure you that there will be zero tolerance for this kind of behavior on our platform,” the rep said. “Once again, Deputy Henderson and his family are in our thoughts and prayers.”
The whole ordeal stems from a tragic series of events that began on May 1, when Hinton’s 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, was shot and killed by an unnamed Cincinnati police officer. Police allege Ryan had a gun during the encounter. The following day, on May 2, after seeing bodycam footage of the shooting, Hinton is accused of deliberately running Deputy Larry Henderson down with his car and killing him. During the incident, the deputy was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati during the school’s graduation activities.
Hinton was arrested on May 2 and charged with aggravated assault. The following day, during his first hearing, a judge ordered him to be held without bound, asserting that his actions on May 2 were “calculated and premeditated,” ABC News reported. He was denied bond again in a subsequent hearing on May 6. During a hearing on Thursday, May 8, he was indicted on new additional charges, including two counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder, and two counts of felonious assault, according to WCPO.
If convicted, Hinton could be facing capial murder. As of now a trial date has not been set but a grand jury is scheduled to convene on May 12 to deliberate further.
Hinton’s GoFundMe campaigns have been removed at a time when several online fundraisers of high-profile controversial individuals have been garnering headlines. GiveSendGo is facing criticism for currently hosting an online campaign for Shiloh Hendrix, a white woman, who, after footage of her targeting a Black child on a playground with racist slurs leaked, launched a fundraiser. They have also received flak for hosting a campaign for Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing an opponent at a track meet in Texas.
