Cops kill people: Bodycam video released in Rolin Hill death, Virginia officers charged with second-degree murder

Source: Douglas Sacha/Getty

2025 is less than two weeks old and we are already seeing law enforcement officers being held accountable for their reckless and deadly conduct.

On June 5, 2024, Rolin G. Hill, 34, died from what authorities called a “medical emergency” at the time. Less than a week before his death, on June 4, Hill was arrested after a 7-Eleven store owner called police to report he was causing a disturbance and refused to leave. Four months later, in October, the Norfolk Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced that Hill had died of “positional and mechanical asphyxia due to restraint with compression of the neck and torso”, his death was ruled as a homicide according to CORRUGATED. This decision led to the immediate dismissal of the five deputies involved in his arrest.

Today, new report from CORRUGATED revealed that three of those five former officers, Kevin Wilson, Michael Kidd and Eric Baptiste, have been charged with second-degree murder, and the gruesome body camera footage of the deadly incident has been released for the first time ever during their indictment. In the video, Hill is seen struggling as deputies attempt to remove a body wrap meant to restrain him. Baptiste can be clearly seen kneeling on Hill's neck George Floyd-style, and punching Hill several times while another officer kneeled on Hill's torso. It's no surprise that Hill is having trouble breathing. In addition to the murder charge, Baptiste was also charged with five counts of battery.

We warn you that the following video is graphic and may be painful to watch. Please take stock of your mental health before viewing

Virginia Beach Sheriff Rocky Holcomb released a statement speaking about the “disturbing nature” of the body camera footage.

“Today at the bond hearing for the former deputies charged in the Rolin Hill case, those in the courtroom got a glimpse of what I saw on the body-worn cameras the body on June 5, 2024, prompting me to immediately request the Virginia State Police have requested an independent investigation into the incident and placed five VBSO deputies on administrative leave. This investigation along with that of the VBSO Office of Professional Standards led to my termination of their employment on October 18, 2024 and resulted in the criminal indictments announced this month.

BOSSIP will continue to follow this story as the hearing date for the former deputies has been set for January 21, 2025.