CLEVELAND — As many are still grieving the death of Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter, chaplains can often play a crucial part in healing after a tragedy as they provide resources and can lend a confidential, listening ear.


What You Need To Know

  • Chaplains can play a crucial part in healing after a tragedy

  • Patrick Mitchell is a lead Pastor and Police Chaplain

  • Chaplains can provide helpful resources and offer a confidential listening ear of support

Feelings of grief can be very different for family members and friends when their loved one gave their life in the name of service.

Ritter, a native of upstate New York, was killed in the early hours of Thursday while responding to a call about a male wanted for felonious assault. He was shot while he and other officers were attempting to arrest the suspect and was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Officer Jamieson Ritter.
Officer Jamieson Ritter. (Courtesy Cleveland Division of Police)

Not only did Officer Ritter serve on the Cleveland Police Department, he was formerly a member of the Ohio Army National Guard and most recently transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves.

“The community experiences one sense of the tragedy, right, there’s a loss of life," Police Chaplain Patrick Mitchell said. "There’s that shattering of sometimes i think police departments almost seem untouchable."

Mitchell is the lead Pastor at Liberty Assembly of God, a volunteer Chaplain with the Liberty Police Department, and the South East Ohio Director for 46.1 Response.

He and the crisis management team responded to the Charter bus crash on I-70 just last year.

“Incidents like this are tricky because, not only do you have a family who is grieving, but you have a family who is seeing the loss of their loved one play out on the news," he said. "So that can be tough."

Mitchell said a strong support system is crucial.

“The men and women who put on any uniform, especially Officer Ritter, who honestly was a hero in the sense that he wore both uniforms as different points in his life — wearing the military uniform of our country and also putting on the uniform of the Cleveland Police Department. I think the men and women that step into that role understand what they’re stepping into,” he said.

Mitchell said most people who serve do so simply because they love it.

“They not only have their community in mind, but I'm sure they have their own families in mind," he said. "And so they do what they do because they want to be that line of defense. They want to be a part of creating an environment that’s safe not just for their families but for all the families of their community."