Former Virginia Beach sheriff’s deputy Eric Baptiste, one of three deputies charged with second-degree murder in the in-custody death of Rolin Hill, asked a judge on Thursday to appoint a special prosecutor. His defense team argued that Baptiste and his wife have ties to the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Hill, 34, was arrested at a 7-Eleven in June 2024 after police responded to a trespassing report. Officers placed him in a restraint device known as a wrap before taking him to the Virginia Beach jail.
Body camera footage shows Baptiste and two other deputies struggling to remove the wrap. During the encounter, Hill was struck multiple times while two deputies knelt on his neck and torso. Hill was later taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities initially attributed his death to a medical emergency, but the state medical examiner later ruled it a homicide caused by asphyxiation.
In court Thursday, the judge denied the defense’s request for a special prosecutor, saying Baptiste’s claimed connections to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office were not clearly established.
The court scheduled Baptiste’s trial for Sept. 28, 2026.
Co-defendant and former deputy Michael Kidd, who is also charged with second-degree murder, also appeared in court. His trial is set for Dec. 1, 2026.
The third former deputy charged in the case, Kevin Wilson, is expected to receive a trial date on Jan. 9.
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