Cleveland, OH – A 24-year-old Ohio man, De’Lawnte Hardy, faces an aggravated murder charge after allegedly shooting and killing a Cleveland police officer who came to arrest him in the early morning hours of July 4.
Hardy is accused of shooting his grandmother in the face with her own gun, leaving her “brain dead.” The incident occurred a week before the fatal encounter with police. On July 4, around 1 AM, up to 10 Cleveland police officers attempted to serve a felonious assault warrant at a residence where Hardy was located.
During the attempted arrest, Hardy allegedly shot and killed 27-year-old officer Jamieson Ritter. Prosecutors in Cuyahoga County detailed that Hardy was wanted in connection with the shooting of his grandmother in Garfield Heights, which left her in critical condition at a hospital.
The tragic events have led to heightened scrutiny and further investigation into the circumstances surrounding both shootings.