Officer Jamieson Ritter, 27, was killed in the line of duty on July 4, 2024, while attempting to arrest a wanted suspect in the 1500 block of East 80th Street in Cleveland. Ritter, a four-year department veteran assigned to the Third District, was shot around 1:00 AM after officers responded to a call about a man wanted for felonious assault. The suspect, identified as 24-year-old De’Lawnte Hardy, produced a firearm and fired multiple shots; Ritter was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died.

Hardy was arrested at the scene and initially charged with aggravated murder. He was also accused of fatally shooting his grandmother, Beatrice Porter, in the face on June 29, 2024, in Garfield Heights; Porter later died from her injuries on July 4. A Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment charging Hardy with multiple counts related to both deaths, including aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder.

Ritter had been recognized as Officer of the Month, was a Syracuse University graduate and had served in the Ohio Army National Guard, including a 2022 deployment to Syria. He had planned to seek work with the Rochester Police Department and to take the New York State Police exam. The loss has deeply affected his family, colleagues and the community. Does anyone have information about the events that night or recall Officer Ritter in the community?