CLEVELAND — A Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday with charges against De'Lawnte Hardy, 24, for the shooting and killing of Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter.
The indictment also included charges against Hardy for the murder of his grandmother, Beatrice Porter, in Garfield Heights.
Hardy faces the following charges:
- Three counts of Aggravated Murder
- Two counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder
- One count of Murder
- Four counts of Felonious Assault
- Two counts of Aggravated Robbery
- Two counts of Receiving Stolen Property
- One count of Having Weapons While Under Disability
- One count of Theft
- One count of Resisting Arrest
- One count of Misdemeanor Theft
Police said on June 28, Hardy was staying with his grandmother in Garfield Heights. Inside the house, he stole her firearm and shot her in the back of the head. He then left on a bicycle.
The murder was reported the next day after a family member came to the grandmother's home around 1 a.m. and found her. They then called the police.
That same day, a warrant was issued for Hardy's arrest. Then on July 4 around 1 a.m., Cleveland police responded to a call that Hardy had been at a home near E. 80th Street and Wade Park Avenue in Cleveland.
When officers arrived, they put a spotlight on the home, and for the next few minutes, Ritter told Hardy six times over a speaker to exit the home out the front door with his hands up.
Hardy instead left through the back door on the bicycle, equipped with two swords and the firearm he had stolen from his grandmother. As officers tried to attempt to arrest Hardy as he rode away, Hardy fired shots at multiple officers. Ritter was shot, and other shots nearly missed officers.
Ritter was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Hardy had his arraignment on July 5 and appeared virtually. His bond was set at $5 million.