Many people will tell you that they’ve got your back, but when the world is falling apart and chaos is everywhere, they’re nowhere to be found. That wasn’t Larry Henderson.
I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working alongside Larry for years in his role as a Hamilton County deputy sheriff patrolling Anderson Township, which adjoins Newtown, and as a member of the Hamilton County Police Association SWAT Team. Occasionally, I would get called to a chaotic scene in Newtown that I wasn’t sure how I would get through when I arrived. Then, I would turn around, and there was Larry, giving me a smile and a nod. In those moments, I always felt comforted, reassured that everything would work out fine.
In over 30 years of working with Larry, I can’t ever recall a time I actually asked him to back me up. He was always just there.
While performing some of the most dangerous operations at life-or-death scenes with SWAT, Larry was there with that same smile and nod. He was always calm and collected. In all those years, I never saw him lose his temper or be out of control, no matter the person or situation he was handling. I never saw Larry turn away someone in need of help, a listening ear, or advice.
If Rodney Hinton, Jr., the man charged with killing Larry, had pulled up to Larry and told him that he was hurting over the death of his 18-year-old son, Larry would have tried to talk to him, even as he worked his traffic detail. That’s one of many things I’m having trouble processing from this tragedy.
Larry was always there to listen and offer advice. Anyone who knew him would tell you that Larry could make you feel like the most important person in the world. That’s because, to him, you were. Larry never left anyone feeling down; he always left you lifted up.
Larry was a person of service. He served for the people, not the organization. He didn’t just serve his country as a Marine; he served for his country. He didn’t just serve as a sheriff’s deputy; he served for his community. He didn’t just serve as a law enforcement officer; he served for his fellow law enforcement officers.
Larry’s death has devastated me. As a police officer, I’ve seen how unfair life can be, but losing Larry the way we did is beyond comprehension. He was so undeserving of what happened to him.
The pain that I and the entire Newtown Police Department feel pales in comparison to the pain of his loved ones. My heart is shattered for his family, friends, colleagues and all of our communities.
Larry exemplified everything right about policing and being a human being. What happened to him embodies everything wrong with humanity.
On one of our last calls together, Larry and I talked about our careers coming to a close, as he was just about to retire. We both said that we couldn’t believe we were going to make it out alive. We recounted all the things we’d seen and done, and how strange this job and life could be. We just wanted to relax in retirement − no more drama, no more chaos. I’m sorry that both still found him.
The best tribute we can give to Larry is to be like him. Make time to help others. Don’t just say you will be there for somebody, actually be there for them when they need you the most. Don’t make them ask for you. Don’t just be of service to others, serve others. Be calm when everything seems out of control. Don’t put people down, lift them up.
Larry and I were both Marine Corps veterans. We have a motto in the Marine Corps: Semper Fidelis. It means “Always Faithful.” Those were not just words to Larry − that was Larry.
Semper Fi, brother.
Tom Synan is chief of police in Newtown, Ohio
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson would’ve helped the man who took his life | Opinion
Reporting by Tom Synan / Cincinnati Enquirer
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