Judge sets competency restoration deadline for man accused of killing Cleveland Police Officer Ritter

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The suspect accused of killing Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter and his own grandmother now has a competency restoration deadline.

Delawnte Hardy, 26, was ordered to Central Ohio Behavioral Healthcare (COBH) last September to see if he can be restored to competency to stand trial.

The court discovered this September that Hardy had not been taking the medication to treat his schizophrenia because he refused.

On Sept. 17, Judge Ashley Kilbane had to rule on whether the clock ran out on his competency restoration, meaning the case could have been dismissed.

“They want this time he refused, to count as him being treated,” said the prosecution. “They want him to benefit from not getting medication for four months and have that count against the state of Ohio.”

The defense disagreed. Arguing that he was in the facility, so it should count.

“The doctors are in trusted to employ the strategies that are best practice in their experience as physicians to overcome the kind of obstacles people like Delawnte probably exhibit all the time,” said the defense attorney.

Judge Kilbane ruled on Sept. 17 to extend the time to restore Hardy’s competency to stand trial by seven months, noting that this was a rare circumstance.

Judge Kilbane told the courtroom that there were only three other cases in the state that she could pull from to help make her decision, and none of them were exact replicas.

“Five months of not being notified that the defendant is not taking his medication is extremely rare,” said Kilbane. “I think anyone who practices here would agree with that”.

On Dec. 1, Judge Kilbane set the expiration date for Delawnte Hardy’s competency restoration to Feb. 20, 2026.

Court documents show that in April, Hardy was taken to an emergency room after apparently chewing drug-laced mail that was sent to another patient.

Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kilbane has now ordered officials with COBH to provide the court with several pieces of information.

Judge Kilbane is asking for all information on what the substance was and when it came into the unit, and whether any possible ingestion affected Hardy’s competency restoration process.

Cleveland police said Hardy fatally shot Officer Ritter on July 4, 2024, in the 1500 block of E. 80th St. and shot his grandmother, Beatrice Porter, on June 28, 2024, at her Garfield Heights home.

After the June 28, 2024, shooting, O’Malley said Hardy fled on his grandfather’s bicycle.

A family member called Garfield Heights police on June 29, 2024, after finding Porter, and a warrant was issued for Hardy’s arrest.

Around 1 a.m. on July 4, 2024, Cleveland police responded to a 911 call stating Hardy was at a relative’s home near East 80th Street and Wade Park Avenue.

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Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said officers arrived at the home and placed a spotlight on the residence.

According to O’Malley, Ofc. Ritter instructed Hardy six times over a loudspeaker to exit the home out the front door with his hands up.

Hardy allegedly fled out the back door of the home on his grandfather’s bicycle with two swords and the gun he stole from his grandmother.

As Hardy rode away, several officers tried to arrest him, and Hardy allegedly fired four shots.

The first shot struck Ofc. Ritter, the second shot nearly missed another officer, and the third shot was in the direction of two other officers, said O’Malley.

Officer Ritter was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Hardy was taken into custody at the scene.

Porter, 63, died from her injuries around noon on July 4, 2024.

Officer Ritter was honored at a memorial service in Cleveland on July 8 and laid to rest in his home state of New York on July 13, 2024.