Ohio House Passes Larry Henderson Act

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) are pleased to announce that the Ohio House of Representatives today passed the Larry Henderson Act, named after Deputy Henderson, who was tragically killed while working security detail at the University of Cincinnati's Spring Commencement on May 2, 2025.

Under current law, an offender may be sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 25 or 30 years, forcing victims' families, friends and coworkers to relive the trauma of their loved one's murder. House Bill 372, spearheaded by Abrams and Plummer, will modify the criminal sentence for the aggravated murder of a peace officer, prosecutor, first responder, or military member, to either imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole or death.

"Only a handful of people know what it feels like to pay your respects at a line of duty death funeral - wearing the same uniform as the officer in the casket," said Abrams. "It forever changes you. It is our turn to show our first responders that we have their backs, not just with words but action, by ensuring those that kill first responders stay where they belong, in prison."

"The Larry Henderson Act will draw the line in the sand, reiterating that we will not tolerate the killing of our first responders," said Plummer. "The new penalty for killing a first responder will be death or life in prison without parole."

Deputy Henderson was a U.S. Marine and served his community with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for 33 years, beginning in 1991.

The Larry Henderson Act awaits further consideration from the Ohio Senate.