VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A new trial date has been set for two of the three former Virginia Beach sheriff’s deputies charged in the death of Rolin Hill, who died after an alleged medical emergency at the city jail in June 2024.
During a hearing Thursday, a judge scheduled trial dates for former deputies Eric Baptiste and Michael Kidd.
Baptiste’s trial had originally been set for early 2026, but it was delayed after his attorneys told the court last month they were having difficulty scheduling expert witnesses. Defense attorneys had asked for the trial to be moved to the summer.
Watch related: Bodycam video shows booking of Rolin Hill before his death
Instead of January, Baptiste’s case is now scheduled to begin Sept. 28, 2026 — more than two years after Hill’s death. Kidd’s trial was also set Thursday and will begin Dec. 1, 2026.
Hill had been arrested in June 2024 after authorities say he was trespassing at a 7-Eleven and acting disorderly. Police placed him in a wrap restraint due to what they described as combative behavior before taking him to the Virginia Beach jail.
Video shown in court earlier this year depicts deputies attempting to remove the restraint from Hill. In the footage, Hill is told to stop resisting while he is punched in the head and neck, and at one point, someone appears to place a knee on his neck.
Watch previous coverage: Rolin Hill's family holds prayer vigil in his memory
Hill later suffered a medical emergency and was taken to Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, where he died.
A trial date for the third former deputy charged, Kevin Wilson, is expected to be set Jan. 9.
Baptiste’s attorneys on Thursday also filed a motion requesting a special prosecutor, citing concerns about Baptiste’s prior relationship with the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, but the judge denied the motion.
