A police department has identified the officer who committed a fatal shooting while on duty on Thursday, July 4.
>>RELATED: Officer dies after Ohio shooting; suspect charged
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said Jamieson Ritter, 27, a police officer, was shot and killed around 1 a.m. while serving an arrest warrant for a man wanted for aggravated assault.
According to the department, he joined the department in 2020, deployed to Syria as a member of the Ohio National Guard in 2022 and returned in 2023.
“Today is a sad day for our city,” Chief Todd said. “Ironically, on this day designated for freedom, we are reminded of the evil that seeks to inflict upon our community. But despite our pain and sorrow, we remember the immense sacrifice Officer Ritter made and we will honor his memory and compassion. We will continue to carry his legacy in our hearts.”
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As News Center 7 reported Thursday, the suspect, Delawnte Hardy, 24, was leaving his home on a bicycle when officers arrived and began firing shots at Ritter.
According to CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland, he has been charged with first-degree murder.
Hardy is being held at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center.
