Cleveland — A Cleveland police officer and a native of Upstate New York was shot and killed early Thursday in the Ohio city while serving a felony warrant.
The officer killed was Jamieson Ritter, Cleveland.com reported Thursday. Ritter was a four-year veteran of the Cleveland Division of Police.
Ritter, 27, is originally from Webster, a community just east of Rochester. He’s a 2015 graduate of McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester.
Ritter graduated from Syracuse University in 2019 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army National Guard, police said. As a member of the Ohio Army National Guard, he served with the 134th Field Artillery Regiment, they said.
After joining the Cleveland police in November 2020, Ritter deployed to Syria in 2022 with his unit and returned to continue his service in Cleveland in 2023.
His family said Ritter grew up with a profound desire to serve his country and his community. They told the Cleveland police that “from an early age, Jamieson possessed an innate understanding of selfless service to the nation and a strong desire to serve his community.”
De’Lawnte Hardy, 24, of Cleveland, was charged with aggravated murder following the shooting around 4 a.m. Thursday on East 80th Place in the city’s Hough neighborhood.
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said at a news conference that Ritter was among eight to 10 officers who tried to arrest Hardy on Thursday morning on a felonious assault warrant.
Hardy tried to flee the scene on a bicycle, then pulled a gun and opened fire as officers gave chase, Todd said.
Ritter was shot and was rushed to University Hospitals, where he was pronounced dead, Todd said.
Hardy, who police said was uninjured, was taken to a hospital as a precaution and later released into police custody.
“Today is a sad day for our city,” Todd said. “Ironically, on this day designated for freedom, we are reminded of the evil that tries to impose on our community.
The police chief said despite the department’s pain and hurt, they take in the immense sacrifice Ritter gave, and will honor his memory and compassion.
