Inside the investigation: What led to Cleveland Officer Ritter’s death?

CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team went inside the investigation to find out more about what happened before the deadly shooting of Cleveland police officer Jamieson Ritter.

We’ve also uncovered more about what happened the last time police caught the suspect.

Delawnte Hardy went to court Friday morning to begin facing charges of aggravated murder.

Police radio recordings captured the frantic moments after the shooting, including the chilling, urgent words of an officer telling dispatch, “shots fired, shots fired!”

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Now, we’ve learned new details about what led up to that.

Early Thursday morning, Cleveland police took a call telling them they’d find Hardy in a home on the city’s east side.

Hardy had been wanted for a shooting in Garfield Heights.

Records show that Cleveland police had a warning that Hardy was considered “armed and dangerous” with “violent tendencies” and was “known to be schizophrenic.”

Police have said they had several officers there to make the arrest.

Radio transmissions show officers say, “zone car’s right there on 80th and Wade Park. Try making verbal commands once again,” and, “do you see any movement in the window?”

You also hear, “get on the loudspeaker and give him verbal commands. Come outside with his hands up.

But, an officer on scene then reports, “male exiting the back door.”

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Records show the suspect went out the back door, grabbed a bike and then started to take off. That led to a confrontation with officers along with a struggle over a gun.

More police radio traffic shows an officer reporting, “the male won’t release the gun. We have him on the ground.”

Moments later, officer Ritter was shot and rushed to the hospital.

Police then sent out urgent calls over the radio, “EMS has been advised to step it up,” and, “radio, we’re loading him in the back of the zone car.”

A police report shows, last December, Cleveland police had another violent struggle with Hardy. Police say he broke into a home and it took four officers to arrest him.

Police found a gym bag with Hardy’s ID as well as two knives and two swords.

Later, that case was dismissed as Hardy was found incompetent to stand trial.

He currently sits in jail as an accused cop-killer.

Officer Ritter had just earned an award as Officer of the Month for how he handled a series of calls, including one helping to provide first aid to a man pulled from the Cuyahoga River.

Now, the community has to say goodbye to a fallen hero.

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