Police investigating Kyron Hinton's death after medical examiner finds evidence of homicide

A medical examiner has determined that Kyron Hinton, the man whose beating by law enforcement last year cost four officers their jobs, died in February of cocaine toxicity and an injury that might indicate homicide, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Wednesday.

Officers responded to a house in the 700 block of Cooper Road on Feb. 23 and found paramedics performing CPR on Hinton. He was taken to WakeMed, where he was pronounced dead.

Vicki Hinton said Thursday that she believes her son was involved in an altercation with someone at the house that led to his death.

"In my heart of hearts, I believe he’s been murdered," she said.

The autopsy report hasn't been released yet, but Freeman said a medical examiner found during Kyron Hinton's autopsy a neck injury that led to the determination of homicide as a cause of his death.

As a result of the findings, the Raleigh Police Department is investigating Kyron Hinton's death in consultation with Freeman's office.

"It’s a relief in knowing [the death is under investigation]," Vicki Hinton said. "Hopefully, we can get to the bottom of things, a conclusion of the matter, and close this chapter, and the perpetrators – and I don’t think it was just one, I think it’s more than one – that they’re brought to justice."

WRAL News learned that Wake County had paid Kyron Hinton more than $80,000 to settle a lawsuit in which he alleged a Wake County Sheriff's Office deputy used excessive force during an April 3, 2018, incident.

Vicki Hinton said she believes an argument over some of that settlement money might have occurred the night he died.

"I just believe the truth is coming out. It’s got to come out. I need that. We all need that," she said. "If anyone has any information about what happened that night, I would appreciate it if you would go forward to the police."

Kyron Hinton had a history of drug use and mental health challenges that led to frequent interaction with law enforcement.

In April 2018, officers responded to reports of a man with a gun yelling at passing cars near the intersection of North Raleigh Boulevard and Yonkers Road and tried to take a delirious Hinton into custody.

Wake County Deputy Cameron Broadwell unleashed his K-9 on Hinton to bring him to the ground, and several other law enforcement officers piled on to subdue Hinton and handcuff him.

Hinton was unarmed at the time and suffered extensive injuries.

Broadwell pleaded guilty this month to failure to discharge his duties in connection with the incident and agreed to forfeit his law enforcement certification. Sheriff Gerald Baker then fired him.

The State Highway Patrol fired Troopers Michael Blake and Tabithia Davis in connection with the incident, and both face charges of with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and willfully failing to discharge duties.

Blake is accused of kicking Hinton and ordering Davis to hit Hinton with her flashlight. Davis is accused of using the flashlight to hit Hinton in the head.

Both former troopers also face charges of lying to Highway Patrol investigators about their use of force in the incident. Sgt. Rodney Goswick, who also was fired by the patrol, faces similar charges.