The family of Rolin Hill is seeking justice after a judge granted a $5,000 bond to three former Virginia sheriff’s deputies charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death.
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Hill, 34, died after being restrained at the Virginia Beach Jail in June 2024. He was initially arrested for trespassing, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, but his detention quickly turned fatal. Officials claim Hill was combative and uncooperative, leading to his forcible restraint, but an autopsy ruled his cause of death as homicide due to positional and mechanical asphyxia from neck and torso compression.
Hill was restrained using a “wrap restraint,” a device designed to prevent detainees from standing or moving. While in restraint, he pleaded for water, a desperate request that was captured on body camera footage. Moments later, he suffered a medical emergency due to the compression of his neck and torso, which ultimately led to his death. Despite the seriousness of the charges, former deputies Eric Baptiste, Kevin Wilson, and Michael Kidd were granted bond of just $5,000—a decision that has outraged Hill’s family and community.
Sheriff’s Office Response and Deputy Terminations
Virginia Beach Sheriff Ricky Holcomb stated that the three deputies were fired after an independent investigation. They later turned themselves in to authorities before receiving the bonds. While accountability measures were taken internally, Hill’s family argues that justice has not yet been served.
In January, before the decision, body cam footage was presented to the court, and Holcomb released a statement for 13News Now.
“Today during the bond hearing for the former deputies charged in the case of Rolin Hill, people in the courtroom got to see a glimpse of what I saw on body-worn cameras on June 5, 2024, which prompted me to immediately ask the Virginia State Police for an independent investigation into the incident and put five [Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office] deputies on administrative leave. That investigation along with the VBSO Professional Standards Office investigation led me to terminate their employment on Oct. 18, 2024, and resulted in the criminal indictments announced this month. I understand the troubling nature of the video footage shown in court today. What happened in that video is not indicative of the culture of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office nor the professionalism, compassion and skill of our 400 deputy sheriffs. That is why I have met personally with every deputy to reinforce our training, policies and expectations and to ensure they understand the weight of the public trust we uphold.”
